Ariana Grande on the set of “Wicked”.Photo:Bav Media / SplashNewsIfAriana Grandehadn’t been cast in theWickedmovie, she would have been green with envy.InJon M. Chu’s stage-to-screen adaptation of Stephen Schwartz’s hitBroadway musical, the actress-musician, 30, plays Galinda a.k.a. Glinda the Good — a role she says she coveted over any other.“I have never wanted something as badly as I did this,” Grande said in a new interview on Amazon Music’sZach Sang Show.“I had no expectations, I was just thankful to go in at all, I was so excited to have the opportunity to audition.”The “Yes, And?” singer added that she had “been hunting” Marc Platt, producer of both the Tony-winning stage musical and its two-part screen version, for almost a decade.“Since I was 20, I was like, ‘Hey, I don’t know when this is happening, but when it’s happening, may I please at least just audition?’ That’s all I wanted, was an audition. I’ve never wanted anything more.”Grande added that “prepping for the auditions was six months.” HerWickedpreparation involved “voice lessons every day, acting lessons every day” — all while she appeared as a judge on singing competition hitThe Voice.“I am a person who started on Broadway and I’ve always been a musical theater person,” said the New York native, who launched her theater career in themusical13. “It all happened absolutely as it was meant to be.”Host Zach Sang recalled Grande’s dedication to winning the part, saying, “It was like you were training for the Super Bowl. I remember you’d show up early to the auditions and you’d circle the block.”“I trained every single day,” remembered the Grammy winner, “to prove to [Wickedproducers] that I could handle taking on this other person.”Ariana Grande on the set of “Wicked”.Bav Media / ShutterstockNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.The day she landed the role, alongsideCynthia Erivoas Elphaba a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West, was “the best day of my life,” said Grande.Grande is inheriting the role of Glinda from Broadway originatorKristin Chenoweth, who gave her astamp of approvalwhen the movie’s casting was announced in 2021. Sharing a throwback photo on Instagram, Chenoweth wrote that Grande was “destined for this role” and said, “I’m not sure if I’ve ever been this proud.”Other actresses reportedly in the mix for Glinda wereAmanda Seyfried— who said in 2022 that she “bent over backwards” to earn the role — andSchmigadoon!starDove Cameron.Ariana Grande on “Zach Sang Show”.Zach Sang Show/ YouTube“I learned so much from Glinda,” Grande told Sang. “I kind of healed a lot of parts of myself alongside and through her. And it actually helped me heal a lot of my own personal, weird stuff that I had with my relationship with music and to being an artist.”Joining Grande and Erivo as the movie’s green-skinned anti-heroine areJonathan Baileyas Fiyero,Jeff Goldblumas the Wizard, Marissa Bode as Nessarose,Bowen Yangas Pfannee,Keala Settleas Miss Coddle,Ethan Slateras Boq andMichelle Yeohas Madame Morrible.Wicked: Part Oneis in theaters Nov. 27.Part Twowill follow on Nov. 26, 2025.
Ariana Grande on the set of “Wicked”.Photo:Bav Media / SplashNews
Bav Media / SplashNews
IfAriana Grandehadn’t been cast in theWickedmovie, she would have been green with envy.InJon M. Chu’s stage-to-screen adaptation of Stephen Schwartz’s hitBroadway musical, the actress-musician, 30, plays Galinda a.k.a. Glinda the Good — a role she says she coveted over any other.“I have never wanted something as badly as I did this,” Grande said in a new interview on Amazon Music’sZach Sang Show.“I had no expectations, I was just thankful to go in at all, I was so excited to have the opportunity to audition.”The “Yes, And?” singer added that she had “been hunting” Marc Platt, producer of both the Tony-winning stage musical and its two-part screen version, for almost a decade.“Since I was 20, I was like, ‘Hey, I don’t know when this is happening, but when it’s happening, may I please at least just audition?’ That’s all I wanted, was an audition. I’ve never wanted anything more.”Grande added that “prepping for the auditions was six months.” HerWickedpreparation involved “voice lessons every day, acting lessons every day” — all while she appeared as a judge on singing competition hitThe Voice.“I am a person who started on Broadway and I’ve always been a musical theater person,” said the New York native, who launched her theater career in themusical13. “It all happened absolutely as it was meant to be.”Host Zach Sang recalled Grande’s dedication to winning the part, saying, “It was like you were training for the Super Bowl. I remember you’d show up early to the auditions and you’d circle the block.”“I trained every single day,” remembered the Grammy winner, “to prove to [Wickedproducers] that I could handle taking on this other person.”Ariana Grande on the set of “Wicked”.Bav Media / ShutterstockNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.The day she landed the role, alongsideCynthia Erivoas Elphaba a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West, was “the best day of my life,” said Grande.Grande is inheriting the role of Glinda from Broadway originatorKristin Chenoweth, who gave her astamp of approvalwhen the movie’s casting was announced in 2021. Sharing a throwback photo on Instagram, Chenoweth wrote that Grande was “destined for this role” and said, “I’m not sure if I’ve ever been this proud.”Other actresses reportedly in the mix for Glinda wereAmanda Seyfried— who said in 2022 that she “bent over backwards” to earn the role — andSchmigadoon!starDove Cameron.Ariana Grande on “Zach Sang Show”.Zach Sang Show/ YouTube“I learned so much from Glinda,” Grande told Sang. “I kind of healed a lot of parts of myself alongside and through her. And it actually helped me heal a lot of my own personal, weird stuff that I had with my relationship with music and to being an artist.”Joining Grande and Erivo as the movie’s green-skinned anti-heroine areJonathan Baileyas Fiyero,Jeff Goldblumas the Wizard, Marissa Bode as Nessarose,Bowen Yangas Pfannee,Keala Settleas Miss Coddle,Ethan Slateras Boq andMichelle Yeohas Madame Morrible.Wicked: Part Oneis in theaters Nov. 27.Part Twowill follow on Nov. 26, 2025.
IfAriana Grandehadn’t been cast in theWickedmovie, she would have been green with envy.
InJon M. Chu’s stage-to-screen adaptation of Stephen Schwartz’s hitBroadway musical, the actress-musician, 30, plays Galinda a.k.a. Glinda the Good — a role she says she coveted over any other.
“I have never wanted something as badly as I did this,” Grande said in a new interview on Amazon Music’sZach Sang Show.“I had no expectations, I was just thankful to go in at all, I was so excited to have the opportunity to audition.”
The “Yes, And?” singer added that she had “been hunting” Marc Platt, producer of both the Tony-winning stage musical and its two-part screen version, for almost a decade.
“Since I was 20, I was like, ‘Hey, I don’t know when this is happening, but when it’s happening, may I please at least just audition?’ That’s all I wanted, was an audition. I’ve never wanted anything more.”
Grande added that “prepping for the auditions was six months.” HerWickedpreparation involved “voice lessons every day, acting lessons every day” — all while she appeared as a judge on singing competition hitThe Voice.
“I am a person who started on Broadway and I’ve always been a musical theater person,” said the New York native, who launched her theater career in themusical13. “It all happened absolutely as it was meant to be.”
Host Zach Sang recalled Grande’s dedication to winning the part, saying, “It was like you were training for the Super Bowl. I remember you’d show up early to the auditions and you’d circle the block.”
“I trained every single day,” remembered the Grammy winner, “to prove to [Wickedproducers] that I could handle taking on this other person.”
Ariana Grande on the set of “Wicked”.Bav Media / Shutterstock
Bav Media / Shutterstock
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The day she landed the role, alongsideCynthia Erivoas Elphaba a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West, was “the best day of my life,” said Grande.
Grande is inheriting the role of Glinda from Broadway originatorKristin Chenoweth, who gave her astamp of approvalwhen the movie’s casting was announced in 2021. Sharing a throwback photo on Instagram, Chenoweth wrote that Grande was “destined for this role” and said, “I’m not sure if I’ve ever been this proud.”
Other actresses reportedly in the mix for Glinda wereAmanda Seyfried— who said in 2022 that she “bent over backwards” to earn the role — andSchmigadoon!starDove Cameron.
Ariana Grande on “Zach Sang Show”.Zach Sang Show/ YouTube
Zach Sang Show/ YouTube
“I learned so much from Glinda,” Grande told Sang. “I kind of healed a lot of parts of myself alongside and through her. And it actually helped me heal a lot of my own personal, weird stuff that I had with my relationship with music and to being an artist.”
Joining Grande and Erivo as the movie’s green-skinned anti-heroine areJonathan Baileyas Fiyero,Jeff Goldblumas the Wizard, Marissa Bode as Nessarose,Bowen Yangas Pfannee,Keala Settleas Miss Coddle,Ethan Slateras Boq andMichelle Yeohas Madame Morrible.
Wicked: Part Oneis in theaters Nov. 27.Part Twowill follow on Nov. 26, 2025.
source: people.com
