Ariana Grande on ‘Wicked’ fan backlash to her casting: ‘I tried not to let it derail me’
Pop sensation Ariana Grande went on the Sentimental Men podcast this week where she talked all things “Wicked.” She even addressed the concerns of some fans about her being cast as Glinda the Good Witch in the big budget adaptation of the popular Broadway musical. For the record, not everybody feels this way, as she has a growing filmography that includes many other notable and respectable projects.
When she was originally cast in the role, she admittedly “felt a little bit of the initial nervousness” and the “preconceived notions about what I might be able to deliver or not deliver, or why I would be wrong,” Grande said on the podcast at the 33-minute mark. “It’s been a great secret. [The haters] didn’t get to see any of the auditions or know anything.” For the record, she will be going by her full name, Ariana Grande-Butera, in the “Wicked” credits when it’s released in theaters on November 22, 2024.
“Going off of ‘Side to Side,’ I probably would’ve said the same thing,” she noted about the people who only know her from her 2016 hit song. “I probably would’ve said, ‘Why the f—? Kill me. I’ve waited 20 years for this. Kill me.'” She continued on, “I would’ve said that as a fan from the outside, knowing of only ‘7 Rings,'” aka her 2019 single. “I’d say, ‘Well, that’s bulls—.’ So, you know, I get it.”
Grande ignored the fan backlash and told herself, “I’m gonna keep my blinders on and focus and train and do the best I can.” She called it “a little bit of a gulp moment,” but added, “I tried not to let it derail me.” Kristin Chenoweth originated the role on Broadway in 2003 and was nominated for a Tony Award, losing to her co-star Idina Menzel as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. Elphaba is played by Cynthia Erivo in the new movie.
It seems as though Grande’s work has paid off, as she is receiving glowing reactions from film critics who saw early screenings of the film. “The world is not ready,” raves Variety’s Jazz Tangcay. “[Director] Jon M. Chu, Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande have gifted us a musical masterpiece that is much more than we could have ever expected. Ariana & Cynthia will blow you away.” Grande currently places in the Top 8 in Gold Derby’s Oscar predictions for Best Supporting Actress.
Grande’s first gig an an actress was at age 15 when she appeared in the Broadway musical “13” (2008). But it was her TV role as sweet redhead Cat Valentine in Nickelodeon’s “Victorious” (2010–13) and its spin-off “Sam & Cat” (2013–14) that proved to be her big break in the industry. See more of her film and TV roles in our photo gallery below.
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