Cynthia Erivo shades actresses who auditioned for Glinda in ‘Wicked’: ‘Thank goodness’ Ariana Grande was cast

Cynthia Erivo shaded nan actresses who auditioned for nan domiciled of Glinda successful nan “Wicked” movie, expressing her gratitude that Ariana Grande yet landed nan part.

In a caller question and reply pinch The New York Times, Erivo, 37, and Grande, 31, said astir nan casting process.

Asked really they reacted aft learning nan different 1 had been cast, Erivo responded, “Absolutely nary astonishment whatsoever.”

“I said, ‘Thank God,'” Grande recalled.

Erivo past made a excavation astatine nan different women who were being considered to play Glinda successful nan movie adjustment of nan deed Broadway musical.

“Thank goodness, because it was not nan 2 ladies that I was auditioning with,” Erivo said, implying that 2 different actresses that auditioned to play Oz’s famed Good Witch were not up to snuff.

The remark near Grande gobsmacked. “Oh my God!” she said.

“Thank Goodness” is besides nan sanction of a opus successful “Wicked.”

Aside from Grande, actresses Amanda Seyfried, Dove Cameron, Reneé Rapp and Taylor Louderman besides auditioned for nan domiciled of Glinda, according to reports.

Erivo went connected to uncover that she didn’t deliberation she would beryllium considered to play Elphaba.

“Historically, Black women person ne'er really been seen for nan role,” she said. “If they have, they haven’t gotten nan role, and if they do, they usually are nan alternate aliases first cover. There’s only 1 female I cognize connected grounds that has done it connected nan West End [in London]. So I conscionable didn’t deliberation they were looking for me.”

Erivo added that, while she didn’t cognize why truthful fewer achromatic women person been considered for nan domiciled since nan show’s debut successful 2004, she suggested, “Maybe it’s a denotation of nan clip erstwhile it was made.”

The Broadway vet has been making headlines while promoting “Wicked,” which hits theaters Nov. 22.

After a fan-edited type of nan movie’s poster, which obscured Erivo’s eyes, went viral, nan prima took to her Instagram communicative to definitive her outrage.

“This is nan wildest, astir violative point I person seen, adjacent to that atrocious AI of america fighting,” she wrote connected Oct. 16.

“None of this is funny. None of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us. The original poster is an ILLUSTRATION. I americium a existent life quality being, who chose to look correct down nan tube of nan camera to you, nan spectator … because, without words we pass pinch our eyes.” 

The fan-edited movie poster was meant to make nan promo creation much religious to nan Broadway poster’s design, aft galore connected societal media criticized nan charismatic poster. But successful Erivo’s view, to create an “imitation” of nan original poster that would “hide my eyes” would result “erase me.”

“Our poster is an homage not an imitation,” she wrote connected her Instagram story, adding, “to edit my look & hide my eyes is to erase me. That is conscionable profoundly hurtful.”

The character besides shared nan movie’s charismatic poster successful a abstracted station connected her Instagram story, writing, “Let maine put this correct here, to punctual you and to cleanse your palette.”

Later that month, Erivo admitted that she “probably should person called” her friends alternatively than hopping connected societal media to vent her feelings.

“I’m passionate astir it and I cognize nan fans are passionate astir it and I deliberation for maine it was conscionable for illustration a quality infinitesimal of wanting to protect small Elphaba, and it was for illustration a quality moment,” she told Entertainment Tonight astatine the 2024 CFDA Fashion Awards on Oct. 28

“I astir apt should person called my friends, but it’s fine.”