Cynthia Erivo

Our guest is actor Cynthia Erivo, who plays Aretha Franklin in “Genius: Aretha” in National Geographic’s biographical anthology series. Erivo talks about how she landed the role, using her platform to advocate for change and the way scent has helped her find characters. Plus: Reaction to the 2021 Academy Awards from L.A. Times columnists Glenn Whipp and Mary McNamara. For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envelope newsletter. Guest photo by Terrell Mullin. 

Om Podcasten

The Envelope podcast pulls back the curtain to reveal intimates stories from this award season’s top contenders. A-list actors, directors and showrunners join Los Angeles Times entertainment reporters Yvonne Villarreal and Mark Olsen for conversations about their personal lives and creative processes — and how it all fuels their art.