Cynthia Erivo Was Relieved Ariana Grande Beat Out 2 Other Actresses for Wicked Role: 'Thank Goodness'

Cynthia Erivo was forever changed by the casting of Ariana Grande as Glinda opposite her Elphaba in the Wicked.

In a joint interview with The New York Times published Nov. 6, Erivo, 37, said she was “not at all surprised” when she found out Grande had been cast as Glinda.

“I said, ‘Thank God,'” Grande, 31, added, after which Erivo said, “Well done, because those weren’t the two ladies I auditioned with.”

“Oh my God!” Grande said in response.

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Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo at the Australian premiere of the film Wicked/em> in Sydney on November 3, 2024.

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While Erivo did not name who else she auditioned for, Amanda Seyfried revealed in 2022 that she tried out for the role of Glinda during filming Relegation.

“At the weekend, I personally auditioned to play Glinda in the film version Wicked – because I wanted it so bad that I said, ‘You know what? Yes, I have to play the last scene Relegation on Tuesday. I’ll give my Sunday to you,’ said Seyfried, who didn’t win the role of Glinda but won an Emmy for Relegation.

She continued in part, “I was literally bending while playing the hardest part of my life. But I think it also taught me how far I’ve come as a singer, which I really wanted to prove.”

But there was a time when it was possible that neither Grande nor Seyfried, 38, would be Glinda. In a recent interview with SFX magazine, Wicked Director Jon M. Chu revealed that he originally considered “no names” for both leads, as the Broadway musical on which the film is based “is a big enough property in itself that we can reveal two people.”

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Amanda Seyfried in Los Angeles on January 15, 2023; Ariana Grande as Glinda in Wicked (2024).

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“But then we got calls from all these great actresses who wanted to audition, and we saw everyone, and they were all really great,” said Chu, 45. “Anyone could have played this part, except there were two people who should have done this role, for this particular film at this particular time.”

Glinda is the role of a lifetime for Grande, who has long been open about the character being one of her dreams to play — but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t faced casting insecurities.

“I felt a little bit of initial nervousness or kind of preconceived notions about what I might deliver or not deliver, or why I might be wrong or whatever,” the two-time Grammy winner said during Nov. 1. appearance on Sentimental men podcast.

While she understands some of the backlash, given that she’s primarily a pop star, she said she tried to “just work” and be “the best I can be,” adding, “I tried not to let it derail me.”

Wicked in cinemas on 22.11.

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Source: HIS Education