Ariana Grande understands that she wasn’t necessarily a popular choice to play Glinda in Wicked.
The 31-year-old opened up about her history with the hit Broadway musical and her passion for playing the pink-loving “good” witch in the film adaptation opposite Cynthia Erivo in the role of Elphaba.
“It has to be earned, anything on this scale,” Ariana said on the Nov. 1 episode of the Sentimental Men podcast. “Of course, it’s Wicked, that’s the most respectable thing. That has to be earned!”
However, she understands why Wicked fans might not welcome the casting news.
“Going off of ‘Side to Side,’ I probably would’ve said the same thing," she said. "I probably would’ve said, ‘Why the f--k? Kill me. I’ve waited 20 years for this. Kill me.’ I would’ve said that as a fan from the outside, knowing of only ‘7 Rings.' I’d say, ‘Well, that’s bulls--t.’ So, you know, I get it.”
The Grammy winner also admitted to being anxious over living up to expectations.
“I felt a little bit of the initial nervousness,” she said, “or the sort of preconceived notions about what I might be able to deliver or not deliver, or why I would be wrong or whatever.”
The “thank u, next” singer added that though some might perceive her stardom as an advantage, she felt otherwise.
“I think it’s the opposite, it can work against me in certain ways,” she explained. “When you have this caricaturized persona out there and people know you as this one thing. Is this person going to be able to erase that and disappear into this character?”
In 2021, Ariana went through several rounds of auditions for the highly anticipated role and even got the blessing of actress Kristin Chenoweth, who originated the role on the stage. In fact, Ariana shared that Kristin burst into tears when she told her she planned to audition for Glinda.
“She was like, ‘I was hoping this would happen. I love you and I trust you, baby girl,’” Ariana recalled. “’Just do your thing. You’re so funny and you have great instincts, and no one knows that. You’re gonna back door ‘em.’”
Wicked hits theaters Nov. 22.
For a first look at Ariana’s role in the film, read on.
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