While floating down the Met Gala red carpet on Monday night, Ariana Grande – wearing a custom Loewe ball gown – stopped to discuss her first day on the set of ‘Wicked’ with Variety‘Marc Malkin.
“My first day on set for ‘Wicked’ was the most emotional day of my life,” Grande recalls. “All I remember was holding hands with Cynthia [Erivo] and Jon [Chu] and cry. And [Jon] saying, ‘Welcome to ‘Wicked’. ”
“Wicked” is the feature film adaptation of Winnie Holzman’s 2003 Tony Award-winning musical, starring Erivo and Grande as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. The film tells the story of the unlikely friendship between the would-be Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch of the South, and how their lives change after meeting the great and powerful Wizard of Oz.
Grande said the natural chemistry between her and Erivo stemmed from a powerful friendship they formed while shooting.
“She really is my sister. We really found things in each other that we needed,” Grande explained. “I can’t wait for everyone to see it.”
Erivo briefly joined Grande on the carpet; When asked which scene they were most excited to see, the pair told reporters in unison, “All of them.”
Grande had nothing but praise for Erivo’s performance in “Wicked,” saying she will “never forget a minute of filming with her.”
“She humanizes [Elphaba] in such an extraordinary way and brings her to life,” Grande added. “Her eyes, her hands, it’s otherworldly.”
Erivo returned the credit to Grande, saying her “Wicked” co-star “constantly wears her heart on her sleeve.”
“She is so open and generous with her performance that it is so easy to be in a scene with her,” Erivo continued. “You look at her eyes and you know she’s telling the truth.”
The first part of Chu’s ‘Wicked’ can be seen in cinemas from November 27.
