American filmmaker Jon M. Chu of the recently-released musical adaptation ‘Wicked’ disclosed the reason behind the no-makeup audition of pop star Ariana Grande for the role of Glinda.
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In a conversation with a foreign publication, director Jon M. Chu shared that despite her star status, Ariana Grande had to give not one but two auditions to bag the role of Glinda in ‘Wicked’.
“For Glinda, specifically, Ariana came in and she had maybe a higher bar than everyone else because she has such a public persona, and I really didn’t want it to overshadow this role of Glinda. I wanted to find Glinda,” Chu recalled.
“She had to audition. She came in first time, and she looked like Ariana Grande,” continued the director. “And we thought, ‘Hey, what if you came back and just didn’t have any of your make-up?'”
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Chu divulged that there was ‘not even a question’ from Grande. “She came in and did that, and I saw her in a totally new light that I’d never seen her in,” he added.
Remembering the audition of Cynthia Erivo, who essays green-skinned Wicked Witch of the West Elphaba in the title, Chu mentioned that he was aware beforehand that the actor would ‘kill the audition’. “But the magnitude at which she did when she sang in a room smaller than this, you can feel her voice in your body,” he recalled.
Also Read: Cynthia Erivo reveals why she didn’t use bathroom on ‘Wicked’ set
Besides Erivo and Grande, the title also stars Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bronwyn James and Peter Dinklage.
The first of the two-part ‘Wicked’ series by Chu hit the theatres last week, clashing with the action epic ‘Gladiator II’. The two films, dubbed ‘Glicked’ by fans, brought in a total of $270 million at the global Box Office on the opening weekend.
‘Wicked Part Two’ is set for November 2025 release.
