Wicked director Jon M. Chu can truly relate to Elphaba.
While speaking about the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Jon shared that he knows what it feels like to be an outsider.
“We’re talking about a girl who is judged by the color of her skin. To me, that is so many people’s story. I know what it feels like to be an outsider. To be looked at and judged immediately, and to always feel like you have to prove yourself,” he explained to People.
He continued, “I know what it feels like for people to always tell me, ‘Just don’t complain. Just keep your emotions under control.’ And I also know the feeling of when I have to let that go and be like, ‘No, now we need to be loud. Now we need to speak. What I’m saying is relevant.’ “
He also shared insight into his work struggles, saying, “That has been the journey, maybe up to this point, to be honest. It has been a 40-year journey of being an artist, to find the confidence to speak out and to speak up, and that’s all in Elphaba.”
Jon M. Chu’s Wicked part 1 won Academy Awards, Golden Globes and a Critics Choice awards and starred Ariana Grande, 31, as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo, 38, as Elphaba.
