It’s hard to imagine a world where Ariana Grande isn’t Glinda in Jon M Chu’s adaptation of Wicked, having just received an Academy Award nomination for her performance. She embodies the spirit of the character and has become so intrinsically linked to Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba, that the pair are the perfect counterparts, creating a balanced and heartwarming friendship on and off the screen. However, the casting process for Wicked was far from simple, and there was a long list of actresses up for the role of Glinda, including seasoned Broadway performers and an Oscar nominee.
Who Auditioned for the Role of Glinda in ‘Wicked’?

Jon M. Chu has spoken extensively about the importance of finding the right people to play Elphaba and Glinda, as they are two of the most iconic musical theater roles of all time. The director was spoiled for choice, explaining at an event that “every actor that was available wanted to come in and read for Elphaba and Glinda” as they truly are “dream roles”. Among the auditionees were two Mean Girls: The Musical alumni, Renee Rapp and Taylor Louderman. Both showed they can balance a vocal powerhouse performance with their comedic timing as Regina George, a role that feels spiritually aligned to Glinda. Rapp expressed excitement for Grande during an appearance on Watch What Happens Next,. On the other hand, Louderman took to Instagram to express her disappointment, admitting to her fans that she “cared too much this time”.

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Also up for the role was movie musical veteran Amanda Seyfried, who has already appeared as Sophie in Mamma Mia! and Cosette in Les Misérables. She revealed to Backstage that she actually auditioned for Wicked whilst filming The Dropout, giving all the time she could whilst playing one of the hardest roles of her career. When it came out that Seyfried was up for the role of Glinda, a video of the actress singing “Popular” went viral and showed exactly why she was considered, capturing the ethereal lightness of Glinda’s tone.
Perhaps the most popular choice for the role, even before the movie was announced, was Dove Cameron. The actress was even asked about the possibility back in 2019. Cameron sees Kristin Chenoweth, Broadway’s original Glinda, as her main inspiration, so expressed that Glinda was obviously a dream role. Chenoweth knows Cameron well, having played her on-screen mother in Hairspray Live! and in 2019 suggested the actress would be a great fit for Glinda. Cameron confirmed she’d auditioned for the role, explaining that it “was one of the longer processes (she’d) been a part of” before expressing excitement for Grande, as the pair are genuine friends, having both started as child actors and grown up together. Stephanie Hsu also confirmed she was asked to audition, but turned down the opportunity, feeling she didn’t have it in her heart to play Glinda.
Ariana Grande was the Perfect Choice for Glinda

It was announced in November 2021 that Grande was set to play Glinda. There was slight concern with her casting, with Chu jokingly saying that “hiring Ariana Grande and putting her in Wicked, that’s like, too many brands”. However, Grande’s genuine love and understanding of the musical gave her that extra push to secure the role. You can find videos of the singer covering “The Wizard and I” long before the Wicked audition process, and she even met Chenoweth at the stage door during Wicked’s original Broadway run. After receiving her Oscar nomination, she posted an image of herself as a child in a Dorothy dress to Instagram, dedicating the nomination to “tiny ari who sat and studied Judy Garland singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow just before the big, beautiful bubble entered”. The Wizard of Oz story was clearly deeply important to Grande, and her yellow brick road to Glinda seemed inevitable.
Chu even admitted that there was something organic when Grande was auditioning that “felt like it was coming to life”. She understands the nuances of Glinda in such a way that honors Chenoweth, and other Glindas that have come before her, whilst making the character her own and adapting her for the movie environment. It is hard to imagine a reality where Grande doesn’t bring Glinda to the screen, as she truly encapsulates everything about the character, and her performance has rightfully garnered huge critical and commercial acclaim. The long list of names associated all had the talent to play Glinda, which could have made the Wicked movie totally different. But, Ariana Grande has proven that the role truly was hers to take.
Wicked is available to stream on Prime Video
Watch on Prime Video

Wicked

Release Date

November 22, 2024

Runtime

160 Minutes

Writers

Gregory Maguire, Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox, L. Frank Baum