Ariana Grande has recently opened up about an emotional encounter she had with her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo during their first meeting. In a podcast episode of WTF With Marc Maron released on Monday, the pop star, who portrays Glinda in the upcoming 2024 film, revealed that she and Erivo, who plays Elphaba, cried during their initial encounter.
“The first time we met, we sang together at Jon’s house, and Stephen Schwartz accompanied us on the piano,” Grande shared, referring to Wicked’s director Jon M. Chu and its composer. “We sang ‘For Good,’ and it was really emotional. It was really special, and we felt really safe and good.” When prompted by Maron about whether she cried, Grande responded, “I did, I cried my eyes out. Of course, I did.” She also confirmed that Erivo was emotional during the moment, adding, “I think so. Yes, I think we were both crying, for this whole thing.”
In addition to sharing their emotional reaction, Grande noted that her friendship with Erivo started to blossom early in the filming process. “The thing that was most important that we did was call each other up right away and say, ‘Hey, this is big and heavy and is going to require so much of us. This is not going to work if we don’t have each other’s backs every second of this,'” Grande explained. “It was literally one of our first calls.” She expressed how crucial it was to establish a foundation of support, saying, “I want you to know there’s nothing that you can’t talk to me about. There’s nothing that you need to avoid; there’s nothing that we can’t work through together.”
Grande emphasized the importance of building a true sense of safety in their partnership, stating, “Otherwise all of this doesn’t work the same way. It just doesn’t, and won’t, and also we deserve to have that safety in each other for this.” As their friendship grew, so did their commitment to supporting one another throughout the filming experience. “That was a commitment that we made, and it grew from there,” she explained, noting that they continued to nourish that pact.
Interestingly, Grande and Erivo did not audition together for their roles. Grande mentioned, “The funny thing is, we didn’t chemistry read together at any point.” She recalled screen-testing alongside “two different actresses” who were not Erivo. Instead, the talented singer and actress “tested with two different Glindas,” and expressed that neither of them was her. Grande reflected on Chu’s role in the casting, saying, “He was, like, ‘I know two things: I know that she’s Elphaba, and I know that she’s Glinda, so we’re going to have to figure the rest out.’
Wicked is set to be released on November 22, 2024. The film has already created buzz as it is anticipated to break records. Following its global premiere, it is expected to make history as the largest opening weekend for a movie based on a Broadway show and a major success for a non-sequel film in 2024. With Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo at the helm, audiences are eager to see their emotional chemistry on screen.
