Cynthia Erivo is often approached by fans in public toilets.

The 38-year-old actress stars as Elphaba in the big screen adaptation of the musical 'Wicked' alongside Ariana Grande and has encountered those who have seen the film trying to recreate her character's famous "battle cry" from the end of the song 'Defying Gravity' without even introducing themselves first.

Speaking on 'Jimmy Kimmel, Live!', she explained: "Sometimes it's really delightful, sometimes it's really, really wonderful and I think what's lovely is that people are willing to try anyway. If the emotion has moved you to do that without even introducing yourself, then we've done something right and I'm just going to go with it.

"I have been in a public washroom, bathroom, toilet...we call it the loo, that's a very English thing...Now we're just talking about different words for the bathroom, I don't know how we got there. But that's what happened.

"I have been to the loo, bathroom, toilet, washroom, whatever you want to call it, people do start randomly. I have been asked for a photo in the bathroom, but I will say it's not a bad place to take a picture because the lighting is usually quite nice."

The former Broadway star has been nominated for an Oscar for her role in the musical - which is the unofficial prequel to 'The Wizard of Oz' - but recently revealed she was surprised at how easily she "connected" to the character.

She told the Guardian newspaper: "I think I was surprised by how connected I felt to Elphaba. Surface, we're different: I walk into the room, I'm bald-headed, I've got no eyebrows, I've got nails, I've got piercings, I've got tattoos, for me that's my everyday normal but a passerby might think: 'What is happening here?'

"But as you peel away those layers, yes, I understand what it feels like to be set apart from everybody else, and not fit in; yes, I understand what it feels like to be a kid whose father doesn't care; yes, I understand what it's like to feel alone when you're in a room full of people who don't know where you're coming from or why you're so tired, or why you do things your way.

"Me and Elphaba had that same journey, trying to fit, and it doesn't work. Your only choice is to be who you are."