Cynthia Chinasaokwu O. Erivo (born 8 January 1987) is a British actress, singer, and songwriter.She is known for her performance as Celie in the 2015 Broadway revival of The Color Purple, for which she won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical as well as the 2017 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.She reprised the role of Celie in the 2013 Menier Chocolate Factory production. Erivo is also known for her performance as Deloris Van Cartier/Sister Mary Clarence in the UK tour of Sister Act.In 2018, she made the transition into film, starring in the dramas Widows and Bad Times at the El Royale.