Ariana Grande Responds To Wicked Casting Criticism

Ariana Grande understands why some fans of the original musical were initially skeptical of her Wicked casting. Appearing on the Nov. 1 episode of the Sentimental Men podcast, the singer and actor recalled fan reactions to her being cast as Glinda the Good Witch in the movie adaptation, which made her nervous to take on the role.

“I felt a little bit of the initial nervousness 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,” she said, adding that fans of the Broadway musical might only recognize her as a pop star.

“Going off of ‘Side to Side,’ I probably would’ve said the same thing. I probably would’ve said, ‘Why the f*ck? Kill me. I’ve waited 20 years for this. Kill me,’” Grande continued. “I would’ve said that — as a fan from the outside knowing of only ‘7 Rings,’ probably — I’d say, ‘Well, that’s bullsh*t.’ So, you know, I get it.”

Grande explained that she ignored fan criticism online after the 2021 announcement that she would lead the cast of Wicked opposite Cynthia Erivo. Instead, she decided to “just do the work.” She added, “I tried not to let it derail me.” In fact, she found it “fun to have the challenge of reframing people’s perception.”

While Grande is best known as a Grammy-winning singer, the musical adaptation isn’t her first foray into acting. In 2008, she made her Broadway debut in 13: The Musical, and previously starred in the Nickelodeon shows Victorious and Sam & Cat as Cat Valentine.

“Musical theater, and Wicked, in particular, were always kind of my most grounding, comforting things that I would turn to,” she said on the Sentimental Men podcast.

Ariana Put Her Music Career On Hold

The “Yes, And?” hitmaker also revealed that she took a break from performing and making music during the making of Wicked so she could give everything to the role. “When something once in a lifetime, like this, happens, every single second counts,” Grande explained.

Directed by Jon M. Chu, and written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, Wicked follows the green-skinned witch Elphaba, who strikes up an unlikely friendship with her classmate Glinda, and sets out on an unexpected journey to becoming the Wicked Witch of the West.

Along with Grande and Erivo, the movie musical also stars Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, and Ethan Slater. Wicked will also be released in two parts, with Part 1 arriving in theaters on Nov. 22.