There are only two people who appreciate the art of physical touch more than Drew Barrymore, and they are Wicked stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
The actresses have gone viral multiple times for the way they touch each other in their interviews amid their press tour for the movie — and when Erivo stopped by The Drew Barrymore Show this morning, the beloved talk show host simply had to ask her about it.
“Is it true that she is as touchy? I’m so touchy! People have to warn me. They’re like, ‘Back off a little bit.’ I’m like, ‘Why?’” Barrymore said, to which Erivo replied, “Yes! We’re always connected. I’m the welcoming Capricorn that’s like, ‘I love you. You can touch.’”
According to Erivo, she’s gotten “used to” Grande touching her at all times.
“If it’s not, like, connected, I’m like, ‘What’s wrong? What’s happening? Where are you?’” she said. “We walk hand in hand very often. Like, if we’re not walking hand in hand, we’ll find each other somewhere.”
Erivo added, “I think we get a bit afraid of physical connection. I think we assume that physical connection can only be romantic,” while Barrymore — who is notoriously touchy with her guests on The Drew Barrymore Show — agreed, noting that she’s “far more timid” when there actually is a romantic connection.
Erivo then explained that she and Grande communicate through physical touch.
“Sometimes you can’t say anything and you’re in a room and you’re like, it’s just a squeeze of a hand. And that sometimes is how she and I communicate,” she said. “We might be talking to someone, or I might need to communicate something to her and it’s just a squeeze of a hand or a pinch of the finger. Or a hug.”
“However we need to communicate is how we need to communicate,” she continued. “And I think we don’t give enough credit to how we need to communicate with our friends physically.”
Barrymore concluded that she would “like” a world where “we could all be more comfortable with physical touch.”
The Drew Barrymore Show airs on weekdays on CBS. You can check the website for local airtimes.