Moviegoers are getting set to return to Oz with the highly anticipated release of “Wicked: For Good,” which revisits the complex relationship between Ariana Grande’s Glinda and Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba first chronicled in last year’s blockbuster “Wicked.”
The pair, who were each nominated for Academy Awards for their work in “Wicked,” says their characters continue to evolve, while dealing with similar issues.
“I think both Glinda and Elphaba are both experiencing this extreme loneliness and they appear very different,” Grande told TODAY’s Sheinelle Jones in an interview alongside Erivo that aired Nov. 12. “Elphaba is literally isolated. And Glinda has so many people saying that they love her and saying that they need her and yet she’s completely alone.”
Grande said she wanted to see her character grow.
“For me, it was kind of making sure that person who’s inside the bubble that we eventually get to pop is underneath the surface,” she said.
“Wicked” has captured the imaginations of moviegoers around the world. The sequel continues to document the relationship between Glinda and Elphaba, a dynamic that Erivo says hits home for so many people.
“I think the central narrative, which is that friendship between the two women, between us. I think it’s the notion that feeling or being different isn’t a bad thing,” she said.
Erivo also marveled at Grande at work.
“It was very wonderful to watch, to see the passion for the depth of who this character was or the layers that’s sort of shown up,” she said.
Grande and Erivo established a close connection making the “Wicked” films. It’s a career moment that Grande cherishes.
“To be able to act with this one and to share a space and to be a scene partner with you was the greatest privilege of my professional life,” she said of Erivo. “Let alone sing with her, the greatest singer in the entire world. I’m spoiled for life.”
“Wicked: For Good” comes out Nov. 21
