Cynthia Erivo Completely replaced by Ariana GrandeShe takes on the role of Glinda opposite Elphaba Bad.

In a joint interview with New York Times Released on Nov. 6, Erivo, 37, said it was “no surprise” to her when she learned Grande had landed the role of Glinda.

“I said, ‘Thank God,'” Grande, 31, added, before Erivo said: “Thank God, because it wasn’t the two women I auditioned with.”

“My god!” said Grande in response.

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Although Erivo did not specify who else attended the auditions, Amanda Seyfried She announced that she was trying out for the role of Glinda during filming in 2022. Release.

“On the weekends, I was personally auditioning to play Glinda in the movie version of the movie. Bad – because I wanted it so bad, I was like, ‘You know what? Yeah, I gotta play the last scene Release on Tuesday. “I’ll give you my Sunday,” said Seyfried, who managed to win an award even though she couldn’t get the role of Glinda. Emmy for Release.

He continued in part: “I literally bent over backwards Playing the most difficult role of my life. But I think it also taught me how far I had come as a singer, and I really wanted to prove it.”

But there was a time when neither Grande nor Seyfried, 38, could be Glinda. In a recent interview SFX Magazine, Bad manager Jon M. Chu it turned out initially considered “untitled” For both leads, the Broadway musical on which the film is based “is a big enough property on its own, so we can explore two people.”

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“But then we got calls from all these amazing actresses who wanted to audition, and we saw everyone, and they were all really great,” Chu, 45, said. “Anyone could have done this role, but there were: two people who should take on this rolefor this special movie, in this special time.”

Glinda is the role of a lifetime for Grande, who has long been open about how the character is one of her dreams to play; But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t play. faces insecurities about casting.

“I felt some tension in the beginning, or preconceived notions about what I could and couldn’t deliver, or why I would be wrong, or things like that.” Grammy the winner said during his appearance on November 1. Emotional Men podcast.

While he understands some of the backlash given his pop-star background, he said he’s trying to “just do the job” and be “the best I can,” adding: “I tried not to let it derail me.”

Bad In theaters on November 22.