The Real Reason Elphaba Thropp's Skin Is Green In Wicked

"Wicked" blew everyone away at the box office on its way to becoming the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation ever. It's the story of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Galinda (Ariana Grande) and their time at Shiz University. Elphaba is different from her peers, growing up as second best to her sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) because of her green skin, whereas Galinda is a popular girl adorned in pink. The two are rival roommates at first, but they become friends as Elphaba tries to control her magic and learns the truth behind what is happening in Oz.

The Wicked Witch of the West's green skin was introduced in 1939's "The Wizard of Oz." Though not originally written as green in the L. Frank Baum book, the production team for the 1939 film decided to make the Wicked Witch this color to help the black clothing of the character blend more smoothly in Technicolor. However, the famous film adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" doesn't address why the Wicked Witch is green within the story.

For the canonical reason why Elphaba has green skin, fans have to look to the 1995 book "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West," written by Gregory Maguire. In the book, which is presented as a biography of the Wicked Witch, Maguire establishes how and why Elphaba is green within the Oz universe. In this article, we're taking a deep dive into the reasoning behind this, so read on if you want to know why Elphaba's skin is green.

Elphaba was born with green skin, which neither of her parents — or any other people in Oz, for that matter — have. During the opening song, "No One Mourns the Wicked," after Elphaba's father leaves for a work trip, her mother lets a stranger into the home through a side door. This unknown individual offers her something in a small green bottle, calling it a green elixir, and it's implied that the two have an intimate relationship. The scene then cuts to Elphaba's birth, with the implication being that whatever was inside the green bottle is the cause of her green skin, because it was in her mother's body when Elphaba was conceived.

Gregory Maguire's "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" and its sequels are a lot weirder and darker than Baum's book and the 1939 film. In them, it's revealed that the green elixir is used to place Elphaba's mother under the influence, resulting in her being sexually assaulted rather than entering into a consensual relationship, as is depicted in "Wicked." The green elixir puts her in a position that someone takes advantage of, resulting in a pregnancy. This creates a different image of Elphaba's conception, and it gives the elixir a very different meaning than the one implied in the musical. 

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Elphaba's green skin serves to "other" her among her peers and family. She doesn't know anyone else with green skin, making her an outcast in her community. In a flashback to her youth in "Wicked," children make fun of her. When she initially introduces herself in the present to students at Shiz University and when she runs into Fiyero in the woods, she is sure to reinforce that she isn't green because she ate grass, one of the many stupid questions she's apparently been asked over the years.

Her skin is automatically used as a way to bully her. Even staff at Shiz University make comments about it, though they try to be more discreet than the student body. It's not only implied that her mother drinking the green elixir is the cause of Elphaba's green skin, but that it's responsible for her magic, as well. True magic is rare in Oz, and the elixir seems to give some to Elphaba. Her skin color was evident the minute she was born, and so was her magic, as Elphaba makes objects fly around just minutes after her birth.

The green elixir becomes important in the second half of the musical, so it's likely that it will make an appearance in "Wicked: For Good," the upcoming sequel to "Wicked." In the first movie, Elphaba keeps the green bottle under her pillow, something Galinda notices and asks about. Elphaba shares that it's a reminder of her mother. In the second act of the musical, Galinda — now Glinda — discovers the bottle after Elphaba is melted by Dorothy, leading her to draw conclusions about who Elphaba's biological father is.

Cynthia Erivo was given the choice of being digitally green or using makeup to become green for "Wicked." In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the actress discussed the decision to use makeup over computer effects, revealing that she talked about it at length with director John M. Chu. "He asked me at one point if I wanted to be actually green or CGI green and I was like, 'I'd like to actually be green because I'm not sure that the CGI will sit the way you need it to sit.' I want it to still feel like it's my skin." She added that she felt as though actually becoming green would help her play the character.

Turning Erivo green for the movie took time and patience. Makeup designer Frances Hannon searched for the perfect shade that would look green under all lightning conditions while complimenting Erivo's complexion, but nothing on the market did the job. It turned out that a discontinued Canadian eyeshadow held the key: It had a neon yellow in it that, when combined with green, made a shade that still looked green under the lights and worked well with Erivo's features. Hannon had help from David Stoneman, a British makeup manufacturer, to recreate the formula for the film.

The green was airbrushed onto Erivo in the makeup trailer, sometimes taking as long as two and a half hours to apply. In addition to making her skin green, freckles, eye brows, and other distinguishing features were added so the green appeared as natural as possible. Many fans applied their own green makeup before going to see "Wicked" — sadly, some were turned away from movie theaters for it.

If "Wicked: For Good" continues to follow the musical, there will be a time jump of several years in the next film. Elphaba was leaving the Emerald City and branching out on her own (now a fugitive in the eyes of the Wizard and the people of Oz) at the end of the first movie. Her green skin is still used as a way to make her a villain, but she appears to be embracing it rather than wishing it away. When the Wizard gives her the option to change it, she declines, asking him to help the animals instead.

Elphaba is still learning the true extent of her magic, and now that she has the Grimoire, she can continue to experiment. She will hopefully find a way to channel it, just like Madame Morrible was trying to teach her to do during her time at Shiz University. If the second part sticks to the plot of its source material, there will be more magical mishaps as she tries to help the citizens of Oz, and she might even try to help the flying monkeys in an effort to undo the magic she cast. Hopefully, the sequel will improve on "Wicked," which had stunning visuals but wasn't perfect.