The ‘Genius’ of Cynthia Erivo
When Cynthia Erivo was cast as Harriet Tubman in the 2019 biopic Harriet, the internet lit up with criticism. Erivo is English, the outcry went, how could she possibly do justice to a uniquely American hero? Her answer was a muscular, wrenching performance that earned her an Oscar nomination. Backlash surrounding her casting as another all-American icon, Aretha Franklin, in the National Geographic series Genius: Aretha (premiering March 21st), was barely a whisper. Perhaps people are finally learning not to underestimate Erivo. Or perhaps it’s just that anyone who’s heard...