Amanda Seyfried Says Ariana Grande Was ‘Meant to Be’ Glinda in ‘Wicked’

Ariana Grande has brought the magic to Wicked as Glinda the Good Witch — and even snagged a Golden Globe nomination for her performance. One person who is particularly happy for her is Amanda Seyfried, who also auditioned for the coveted role.

The actress told People in a new interview that she thought the film was “fantastic,” adding, “It’s an extravaganza, which is what [Grande] does really well. And [my kids] have been playing the soundtrack nonstop. And everything is as it’s meant to be for sure.”

Seyfried previously opened up about auditioning for the role of Glinda. “I have dreams that I’m still auditioning for Wicked,” she said in a 2022 interview with Backstage. In fact, she auditioned for the role while filming the popular Hulu series The Dropout. “On the weekends I was auditioning in person to play Glinda in the movie version of Wicked—because I wanted it that much that I was like, “You know what? Yeah, I have to play the last scene of The Dropout on Tuesday. I’ll give my Sunday to you.’ I literally bent over backwards while playing the hardest role of my life,” she said.

She also discussed what she learned from the experience. “I think it also taught me how far I’ve come as a singer, which I really wanted to prove. Because ever since Les Miz, I was like, I need to be better. I need to do better. So whatever comes next in terms of musicals, I’m finally prepared.”

Rania Aniftos

Billboard