Ariana Grande responds to criticism of her playing Glinda in Wicked

4 November 2024, 16:45 | Updated: 4 November 2024, 18:12

By Sam Prance

Multiple high-profile stars auditioned to play Glinda in Wicked before Ariana Grande was ultimately cast in the role.

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Was Ariana Grande born to be Glinda in Wicked or did she have Glinda in Wicked thrust upon her?

Ariana has addressed the mixed reaction to her playing Glinda in the upcoming movie musical and said that she 'gets' the criticism.

As soon as it was first announced that Wicked would be adapted into a film, fans of the iconic musical were desperate to find out who would play Elphaba and Glinda. Multiple stars including Amanda Seyfried, Dove Cameron and Reneé Rapp all auditioned for Glinda but Ariana Grande was ultimately cast in the role with Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba.

Cynthia's casting was met with praise due to her Broadway credentials, but some Wicked fans questioned if popstar Ariana was the right fit for the role. Now, Ariana has revealed how she felt about the skepticism surrounding her casting.

Read more: Dove Cameron opens up about losing dream role as Wicked's Glinda
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Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo react to being cast in Wicked in new featurette

Discussing the audition process in an interview with Sentimental Men, Ariana said: "This is something I loved so much about auditioning for Wicked, it has to be earned. Anything on this scale, it’s not just given. So, it’s fun to kind of have the challenge of reframing people’s perception and doing the work to earn your way back into the other spaces.”

What fans may not realise is Ariana actually got her start on stage playing Charlotte in the Broadway musical 13 when she was just 14 years old before being cast as Cat Valentine in Victorious and then becoming a chart-topping singer.

Addressing how people would react to her taking on Glinda, Ariana said that she doubted herself at first: "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."

Understanding her critics' point of view, Ariana added: "Going off of 'Side to Side', I probably would’ve said the same thing. I probably would’ve said, ‘Why the f---? 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', probably - I’d say, ‘Well, that’s bull----’ So, you know, I get it," she continued.

Ariana Grande as Elphaba in Glinda. Picture: Alamy

In spite of people's doubts surrounding her ability to play Glinda, Ariana has received rave reviews from critics so far. TVLine's Erin Strecker said: "Happy to confirm Wicked is the best musical-to-movie adaptation since Chicago and Mamma Mia. Ariana Grande....is perfection!?"

Meanwhile, Variety's Katcy Stephan tweeted: "I was 'pessimistical' going in, but...WICKED is a masterpiece. Ariana Grande makes Glinda sparkle: she milks every moment with gusto, humor and hair flips."