While it might seem hard to imagine a world not plastered with Wicked movie collaborations and pink and green on nearly every billboard, there was a time when this spellbinding adaptation was just a twinkle in everyone’s eye—including Ariana Grande’s, who steps into the glittering, bubblegum pink role of Glinda.
During production, headlines abounded about Grande’s chemistry both on-and off-screen with Ethan Slater, who stars as Boq in the upcoming adaptation. While their relationship had the tabloid mill churning out questions of whether or not Grande was a girl’s girl, behind the scenes, Grande was orchestrating a different kind of collaboration. Enter Bowen Yang, the Saturday Night Live star who became the real focus of Grande’s behind-the-scenes magic. Determined to cast Yang in Wicked, Grande reportedly pulled out all the stops.
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“I was so, so over-the-moon excited that you were going to be able to do it. I called Lorne [Michaels],” Grande shared on Yang’s Las Culturistas podcast, referring to the veteran SNL producer. She emphasized the challenge, “Well, because I knew that it was a huge, massive ask and also, probably an impossible one. And I didn’t have anything — any sort of resolution to pitch him.”
Grande had no prior connection to Yang — she hosted SNL in 2016 (where she met and started dating Pete Davidson) before Yang joined the cast in 2018. Still, like Chappell Roan, Grande recognizes a comedic partner in crime when she sees one and knew Yang was perfect for the role of Pfannee of Phan Hall, a Munchkinland native in Wicked, rounding out Galinda’s social circle as one of her Shiz University friends.
Grande noted that Michaels “made it work” for Yang, to which Yang said, “It’s the only time that I’ve ever pulled, like, a pouty face in front of him, to be like, ‘I really wanna do this.’ And then he was like, ‘OK.’”
Yang, reflecting on his experience earlier this year, noted, “She is someone who will get on your level and just someone who has such a capacity for empathy.” Their friendship, which bloomed amidst the chaos of production, was described by Yang as a delightful surprise. “I’m excited for people to see Ari really act down,” Yang added in a discussion with People.
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While the world might be engrossed in Grande and Slater’s love story, the real magic lies in Grande’s ability to persuade Michaels to let a cast member commit to another project, proving that sometimes, the best friendships start with an awkward phone call.
Before you go, click here to see all the celebrity couples who met on set.
