There will, eventually, be a two-movie adaptation of the Wicked musical. There were many production delays due to covid, but rehearsals will begin later this month and filming will start later this year. The movies probably won’t come out until Christmas 2024 and 2025. Ariana Grande was cast in the role of Glinda, but apparently Amanda Seyfried vied for the role as well. She auditioned on weekends while filming her role in The Dropout during the week.
Amanda Seyfried tried out to be Glinda in Wicked.
Playing the role of the good witch in the upcoming movie adaptation of the hit musical was actually a long-held dream, the actress, 36, told Backstage.
“Last summer while I was playing Elizabeth [in 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,’ ” said Seyfried, who scored an Emmy nomination for The Dropout.
She continued, “I literally bent over backwards while playing the hardest role of my life. But 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.”
Seyfried’s love for the musical goes even further back. The Mean Girls alum said on Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast that she’d been “campaigning for Wicked for five years.”
“I’ve never been more ready to hit those notes,” she said at the time.
Seyfried has previously displayed her range in a number of productions, notably playing Cosette in the film adaptation of Les Misérables opposite Anne Hathaway, and also in two Mamma Mia! movies.
Apparently, Amanda really loves Wicked and wanted a role in it for five years. She was very immersed in the Elizabeth Holmes character during their filming during the week, and it must have been difficult to do auditions for another character on the weekends. I wonder how many auditions she had to do for the Glinda role. It’s nice that Amanda is looking on the bright side of not getting the role — that all that auditioning showed how far she has come as a singer since Les Mix and she feels prepared for her next musical, whatever that may be. I didn’t follow the casting news closely, but heard Ariana had gotten the role and assumed it was one of those scenarios where it was always sort of planned for Ariana to be Glinda. I can imagine Amanda was crushed that someone else got the role she wanted so badly, but now she has her Emmy nom to console her. Also, who would have thought from Mean Girls Amanda would be the one of the four to have the most interesting and varied career?
photos credit: Avalon.red and via Instagram
I love Amanda, but I’m really looking forward to seeing Ariana in this role.
While Amanda was adorable in the Mamma Mia movies I don’t think she has the voice to pull off a role made famous by Kristin Chenoweth. I’m excited to see Ariana because she has the voice to so the role justice.
Ariana will have the voice for the role, but I’m not sure she’ll be able to pull off acting part.
I’ve never seen Wicked and I couldn’t make it through Les Misérables (movie) but she was great in Mamma Mia. Those are some hard songs to sing even though they don’t really sound that difficult to the average listener. It’s great that she’s open about her ambitions and how she’s worked on her vocals. We all know some roles are coveted and I never appreciate the “Oh well, it went to the best.” No no, you wanted it. That’s fine.
Can Ariana act? Do we know?
Sketch comedy isn’t acting but I thought she always did great impressions on late night shows and snl.
I liked her singing in Mamma Mia too- she came out pretty close to the top of a very variable singing cast!
Ariana is pretty charismatic, I think she’ll do fine with a role like Glinda, it’s got a nice arc but it’s not really a complex character piece. She’s the right choice for the musical numbers for sure.
Is this a serious question? Ariana Grande was a Disney Channel kid.
I’m 38 years old, I live in Germany, I don’t have kids. I have not watched kids’ shows in over 25 years. I do remember some 90s shows where the teenagers couldn’t act their way out of a paper bag but the shows were still super successful. So … yes.
Wow @Gigi, count me as another who had no idea Ariana had a Disney background!
@ Gigi, didn’t see that coming….
@Emmi Sorry I did not intend to sound rude, but I initially read your question as shade – I honestly couldn’t tell if it was a serious question or not. To correct myself, she was on the Nickelodeon show Victorious (not Disney)
Someone below also mentioned she did Broadway as well before her TV career.
Wasn’t it actually Nickelodeon? She was on Victorious and Sam & Cat. She was quite funny in both shows.
Yes I know. So many of the Disney Channel kids were terrible actors. I enjoyed their stuff back then because I liked cheesy, but they were pretty bad lol. And now when I see some of then try adult acting careers, they are still not that good.
Amanda is very talented but Ariana has a fan base she doesn’t and is probably the stronger singer.
And yes out of the 4 mean girls she’s had the best career imo and would be the best bet to be an eventual Oscar winner. Rachel had her moment but sort of sputtered out and poor Lindsey, well….
Anyone who saw Amanda as Sarah on Big Love knows how deeply talented she is.
I’m still hoping for a romantic comedy reunion with her All My Children co-star Michael B. Jordan.
A fellow AMC fan!!! I remember them, too. I watched AMC since day 1, when I was 13, home with what was called the “Hong Kong Flu”. I got to watch 3 full weeks and I was HOOKED. I got friends into it (sick days, school breaks); after that, we got a few moms to watch and give us updates 😊 lol Years later, when my younger sister went to sleep away camp over the summer, I used to watch and “transcribe”; they became 10 page letters of me writing what was going on in every scene with every character! Sigh… good memories!
Fun fact: I met Michael E. Knight once, at the Ralphs Market (Kroger’s in other areas) on Ventura and Coldwater Canyon. I was on my way to a hair appt and stopped in for a bottle of water (so of *course* I looked like crap!). He was *just* as swoon worthy off screen, SO handsome, SO tall, and SO nice 😊
Damn, I’d love for one big reunion show with all the characters still around.
Some things you either have it or you dont,and that includes singing. I cringe when actors try to convince themselves other wise.
I agree. I’m glad Amanda acknowledged that her Les Mis singing was not it, because I couldn’t make it through her thin soprano. She can train all she wants but if you’re up against someone with vocals/pipes like Ariana, all the training in the world won’t put you in the same class.
Yeah, no, I respectfully disagree. Singing is an artistic skill, and like any skill it can be developed. Ariana Grande has studied singing for years. Amanda Seyfried studied for years. Kristin Chenoweth studied for years.
This idea that artistic ability is solely a result of “talent” and “having it” is magical thinking. It’s a narrative that pushes record sales and movie tickets. Don’t believe the hype.
Ariana Grande’s light lyric coloratura soprano is a dime a dozen. Her ability to combine both CCM and Classical (European) vocal techniques is a result of her training. She’s not as unusual as she’s made out to be. Again, don’t believe the hype.
I, in turn, respectfully disagree. Not believing any hype but as someone who did musicals and choirs growing up, and someone who also had professionally trained friends on and off Broadway with serious pipes who can belt their butts off (not me, them). Yes, singing is a muscle you can train. Just like any athletic sport, you can train yourself to be infinitely better than what you were when you started. However, like most sports, there is a limit to what our bodies can achieve. Not everyone can train themselves to Ariana’s level and I think you know it.
She would have gotten it if Ariana wasn’t in the mix.
Ariana’s vocals and her face are pure GLINDA.
You mean ‘Galinda’.
This is disappointing. I’d love to see Amanda do it. She’s got depth, her acting and voice.
Doesn’t this character start off very young (in school) and then is maybe mid twenties in Act 2? My thought is that Amanda would have a hard time pulling off playing school age at 35. On stage it’s one thing, but on camera it’s much harder to make it work.
It’s interesting the love that Amanda gets here.
@ girl_ninja, why? Is there something bad about her that I don’t know about? Not that I follow her career or SM. I am curious though. Care to share?
She’s eccentric for sure, but lovely. This one is just trying to bait.
I think she would have made a great Glinda but I’m sure Ariana will be great too. I did like “Wicked” but I’m not a huge fan, which is why I didn’t even know this movie was happening.
I think McAdams has had a pretty good career too, she just kind of disappeared for a while after her initial bursting onto the scene with three big hits. Recently she’s done “Disobedience,” “Spotlight” and the “Eurovision” movie, for example. Amanda’s arc has been more of a slow and steady upward climb.
OF course she had to work hard to be in Wicked, she’s an angel in real life
Ariana actually got her start in theatre/musicals before she transitioned into television acting. She was on Broadway as a teenager…I’m sure that she has the chops (both acting and singing) for this role.
I just came here to say I don’t understand one word Ariana Grande sings.