Ariana Grande recently opened up about the profound impact her friendship with Cynthia Erivo has had on her life. Speaking on the Podcrushed podcast, Grande shared how Erivo, her co-star in the upcoming musical film “Wicked,” has significantly influenced her personal growth.
Grande, who plays Glinda opposite Erivo’s Elphaba, expressed, “I hope we learned a lot from each other, but I learned so much as a person from her.” She emphasized Erivo’s deep capacity for love, noting, “She is a Capricorn, and she loves hard and honestly and right.”
The singer and actress revealed that she “was a different person” before forming a bond with Erivo on the set of “Wicked.” Reflecting on their characters in the film, Grande mentioned, “There’s something baked into these roles where you’re so different from one another that you never know how it can go when you’re sharing this experience in a very big way.”
Grande highlighted the unpredictability of working closely with someone new, saying, “People have needs and their own creative process, and you never know — like, are we gonna be healthy? And, it was just the most symbiotic, beautiful experience.”
Expressing her gratitude, Grande said she feels fortunate to have made the movie with Erivo, who she described as being in “a league of her own talent.” She added, “There’s no one like her. And to just feel like we somehow speak the same language and somehow we’re destined to do this together, and to feel safe every single day together and hold space.”
Discussing their camaraderie, Grande noted that despite having “similar but different processes, similar but different needs,” their deep love and trust for each other made their collaboration special. “I think it all kind of happened the way it did because of that, and because we were supposed to be in each other’s lives,” she said.
Erivo, on her part, has also spoken highly of their friendship. During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, she described their connection as “special” and referred to Grande as “the best,” adding that she now has “a family member for life.”
Erivo also praised their vocal chemistry, saying, “I don’t know that we realized that our voices would fit so well together. Our voices are very, very different, but when we sing together, it just works.”
As they prepare for the release of “Wicked: Part One” on November 27, Grande and Erivo have been channeling their characters during their press tour. From custom sequin football jerseys at the Super Bowl to themed outfits at the Oscars and CinemaCon, the duo has embraced their roles both on and off the screen.
At the 2024 Oscars, Grande and Erivo presented awards while dressed in gowns that paid homage to their “Wicked” characters. Grande wore a pink Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown, while Erivo donned an emerald green Louis Vuitton dress. Their fashion choices continued to reflect their characters at CinemaCon and the Met Gala, where they wore outfits that subtly nodded to Glinda and Elphaba.
Their friendship and mutual admiration have been evident throughout their promotional activities. Grande told Vanity Fair, “We’re really good at doing friend things. We watch things on the couch while we shop on our phones.”
The bond between Grande and Erivo has not only enriched their personal lives but also added depth to their portrayal of Glinda and Elphaba. As Erivo mentioned, splitting “Wicked” into two films has allowed for a more detailed exploration of their characters’ friendship, making their connection even more meaningful.
With the first trailer for “Wicked” already generating excitement, fans eagerly await the film’s release to see the magic that Grande and Erivo have created together.
