Nail Artist Expresses Emotion After Seeing Her Work in ‘Wicked’ Film

A nail artist reported becoming emotional upon witnessing the nail designs she created for Cynthia Erivo’s character in the “Wicked” movie on the big screen. Shea Osei, 33, from Basildon, Essex, collaborated with the actress, whom she has known for 15 years, to develop the nail designs for Elphaba. She was also commissioned to prepare Erivo’s nails for the green carpet event when London’s Southbank was transformed into the Emerald City for the premiere. “I was able to watch it amongst everyone else… I cried. There are many bits that I cried at,” she stated. Osei further commented on her self-assessment, saying, “I’m very hard on myself when it comes to my work and what I do. I was checking to see if I had put it on properly, did I shape it properly and was the ombré good.” The 33-year-old began learning nail artistry at 14 before establishing it as her career at 18. She has cultivated a celebrity client base, including Candice Brathwaite and Maya Jama, and had previously worked on Erivo’s nails for the Netflix film, “Luther: The Fallen Sun.” Erivo contacted Osei in 2022, leading to the prompt commencement of design creation. Osei elaborated on the character’s nail progression: “As the story starts, Elphaba comes across a bit shy and a bit timid and not as out there, but she was able to have these subtle green ombré nails which were still daring.” She continued, describing the evolution as Elphaba gains confidence: “When Elphaba comes into her own and she becomes more confident in who is she when she gets to the Emerald City… she has that confidence and her nails tell that story too. It’s more of a daring design and more ‘this is me, this is who I am and you will accept me for who I want to be’.” She produced more than 35 sets of press-on nails, ensuring consistency in style, color, shape, and design, with each set requiring up to 90 minutes to complete. Osei remarked on the integration of the nails into the character and actress: “Cynthia outside of Elphaba is someone who enjoys getting her nails done… in the movie I feel like it tells the story of Elphaba but Cynthia can still feel authentically herself throughout the whole movie.” She added, highlighting the nails’ narrative importance: “We always knew we wanted the nails to be a part of the film… she’s touching the broom, she’s putting her hat on. You would want your nails to match and look good on camera.” Since her involvement with the film, Osei has experienced an “outpouring of love” and achieved global recognition. “Everyone says they don’t pay attention to nails, but in Wicked they paid attention to the nails,” Osei observed. She expressed gratitude, stating, “I’m grateful that my talent is being seen and I hope this can bring hope to other nail techs and other beauticians. These things don’t come overnight and if you keep pushing on, you’ll get there in the end.”