Ariana Grande has reflected on the personal growth she’s experienced since stepping into the role of Glinda in Wicked: For Good. In an interview during a virtual international press conference attended by HELLO!, the actress was asked how she's different now as opposed to the start of the filming journey.
"I just don’t even know where to start, there are so many ways," replied Ariana. "But I think that this project really healed my relationship to creating in general. I don’t mean to get choked up, but yeah, I... it really kind of rewired me from the inside out, and I... I... yeah, I think I fell back in love with creating, in a way that I haven’t felt in a really long time."
Ariana went on to explain how the role enabled her to differentiate her celebrity image from that of a performer. "Or maybe it didn’t feel safe to for some time, and I hope this doesn’t sound crazy, maybe, it’s just in my head, but I think that for a long time my celebrity was maybe louder than the work that I was doing, or my craft," she shared. "My dedication to my craft. I love acting, I love my work, I have always just been a creative who’s been eager to create. And I think that’s felt really healing, to feel seen in a way that maybe I haven’t felt in a really long time, for my work. And thus being able to re-fall in love with creating a spark."
© Getty ImagesThe 32-year-old stars as Glinda in the two-part musical fantasy film directed by Jon M. Chu, while her co-star, Cynthia Erivo portrays Elphaba. Wicked: For Good is the sequel to the 2024 film and adapts the second act of the 2003 stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Holzman.
© Bruce Glikas/FilmMagicAriana also shared insight into the undeniable chemistry she and Cynthia share both on and off the screen. "It was a beautiful privilege, and experience to be able to work with her. I love and respect her so much, as a scene partner, as a human being, she’s just extraordinary," she said.
She continued: "I think it’s so unique and interesting, in the second film, they’re both experiencing a really similar loneliness, that shows up in entirely different ways of course. And yeah, I loved navigating that with her as a scene partner and yeah, just kind of seeing how that shows up for them. Elphaba’s literally alone in the woods, and doesn’t have her best friend. Meanwhile, Glinda has all of these people around her, telling her that she’s loved, she’s doing good, she’s doing the work, and even she herself is convinced that it’s working for a time. But she’s incredibly lonely as well. So yeah, that was a... a beautiful thing to kind of share in this second film."
© Getty ImagesHowever, Ariana admitted that the pair had different approaches to developing their characters. "But really the work was really bonding, because again, we did our homework separately. We have different processes and different things, and every time we needed to show up together, we were able to. And to help each other, and listen to each other. There’s a difference between hearing someone and listening to them. And I think that we were able to really listen, and help each other through. Yeah. It was beautiful," she explained.
