Ariana Grande Wickedly talented

NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR, GLINDA HAS BEEN THE ROLE OF A LIFETIME FOR THIS POP PRINCESS

- Nikita Lee

From the minute she decided to audition for the role of Glinda to the months-long press tour to share Wicked with the world, no actress has given herself so wholeheartedly – and genuinely – to a role than Ariana Grande.

Well, except for maybe Cynthia Erivo, the Elphaba to Ariana’s Glinda and her soul sister in real life.

“People think we’re secretly married. I’m serious. They do,” Grande, 31, tells WHO of her inextricable bond with the British actress.

When she found out she was up for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, an emotional Grande wasn’t embarrassed to admit, “I cannot stop crying, to no-one’s surprise.” But given her incredible talent and her lengthy commitment to bringing Glinda to life on the big screen, there’s no doubting Grande deserves every second of being this pop-up.

As someone who grew up with Wicked the musical, how did you go about finding your own version of Glinda?

I’ve loved these songs since I was 10 years old, and I’ve sung them for fun in the car, in the shower. Even when I got older, when I was nervous to perform or something, I would turn to the soundtrack for comfort. And it’s just funny because when you spend time with the lyrics and dig into what’s happening in between the lines, you get to know what’s happening for Glinda in a very different way than just singing them in the car. So these lines that I’ve known and loved for 20 years take on totally new meanings when I get to really know her and discover her insecurities and figure out what her traumas are.

What was the first prep you did once you landed the role?