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How 'Wicked' changed Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo forever

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo talk about how the experience in "Wicked" changed them on a deep, personal level.

Article (news)

Yong Chavez

TFC News

For Ariana Grande, embodying the character of Glinda in &quot;Wicked&quot; became more than just an acting role. It also taught her some important life lessons.Glinda loves celebrating herself and bringing lightness to the situation. Asked any self-care rituals during tough times similar to her character, Grande said &quot;the way she celebrates herself felt really kind of new for me.&quot;<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1731675463843Screenshot 2024-11-15 at 20.54.39.png" style="width:813px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Ariana Grande is Glinda in " Universal=""/>Ariana Grande is Glinda in &quot;Wicked.&quot; (Courtesy: Universal &quot;Wicked&quot;)</div>&quot;I was a little shy and apologetic, naturally. Her confidence and her belief in herself really stuck with me and made me notice certain things about myself,&quot; the actress said. &quot;I was like, ‘Oh, I should act like that. I should have a little bit more self-celebration.’ Just playing the role was a self-care act in certain ways.&quot;Meanwhile, Cynthia Erivo shared that the themes explored in &quot;Wicked&quot; — which is directed by *Crazy Rich Asians* filmmaker Jon M. Chu — represent things that were vital to her growth as an artist.Erivo shared it was doing the Broadway version of &quot;The Color Purple&quot; where she felt the magic in her career.&quot;Getting the role was a moment of understanding, realizing what I was meant to do,&quot; she said. &quot;I remember hearing that it was coming and knowing that I wanted to do it, knowing I was meant to do it. Nothing could stop me from doing that role.&quot;&quot;The chance to play her really empowered me and really sort of taught me about myself and my capacity for love and what I could do,&quot; Erivo added.Grande, meanwhile, said that that starring in &quot;Wicked&quot; is a dream come true, but she jokes that she is still dreaming of defying gravity in real life.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1731675532223Screenshot 2024-11-15 at 20.54.51.png" style="width:801px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in " Universal=""/>Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in &quot;Wicked.&quot; (Courtesy: Universal &quot;Wicked&quot;)</div>Erivo added that in signing up to do the film, she and Grande were aware of the pressures of bringing the beloved characters to life.“We felt very, very sure about the responsibility that we have with this particular piece and these characters,&quot; she said. &quot;We knew that there are many people who love this piece. We also love this piece and love these characters, and so we really wanted to do them justice.”The &quot;Wicked&quot; cast performed all their song numbers live.To make sure that the screen adaptation could include all the iconic numbers from the hugely popular musical, the story will have two chapters, with Part One releasing this month. The final half will come out in 2025.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo talk about how the experience in "Wicked" changed them on a deep, personal level.