Cynthia Erivo Made Shady Comments About The Actors Who Auditioned For Wicked

Cynthia Erivo isn't holding back her feelings when it comes to her role in a new film based on the Broadway hit musical "Wicked." Slated to hit theaters later this month, the highly anticipated adaptation is making headlines with an all-star cast that includes pop sensation Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey, best known for his depiction of Viscount Anthony Bridgerton on Netflix's "Bridgerton." Erivo may be best known for her Oscar-nominated portrayal of Harriet Tubman in 2019's "Harriet," but more recently she's been embroiled in dramatic headlines after calling a fan edit of the official "Wicked" movie poster "the most offensive thing" she's ever seen in a Story posted to her personal Instagram account. "It degrades me. It degrades us," she responded when her eyes were altered to be in shadow, a homage to the style of the original Broadway poster (via Forbes).

Now the "Genuis: Aretha" actor has shared her feelings about some of the hopefuls who auditioned for the coveted role of Glinda, which was ultimately secured by Grande. When asked about her reaction to learning she'd be working closely with the "God Is a Woman" singer, Erivo responded to the New York Times with relief. "Thank goodness, because it was not the two ladies that I was auditioning with." Grande seemed taken aback by the admission, exclaiming, "Oh my God!"

Although the Emmy Award-winning actor didn't name names, it's been reported that "Mean Girls" Broadway stars Renee Rapp and Taylor Louderman, the Disney channel's Dove Cameron, and A-lister Amanda Seyfried were all up for the part. Erivo doubled down, saying the news of Grande's casting caused her "absolutely no surprise whatsoever."

When asked about wrapping "Wicked," which will be released in two parts despite being filmed all at once, both Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande became emotional. "The whole day was a nightmare. We cried every minute, every hour. We both were in a horrible state for a few days," Grande revealed to the New York Times. "Yeah, it was really hard to let them go," Erivo chimed in.

Erivo takes on a drastic transformation to become the famed Elphaba to Grande's Glinda, and although the characters begin as rivals, their relationship quickly deepens to affection. That strong friendship became very real for the actors themselves, and ultimately informed their performances. The two even got tattoos together depicting a poppy and reading "for good." "I think that was one of my most cherished parts of this experience: I felt held and like I had a friend every step of the way. I'm really proud of us for how genuinely we took care of each other throughout this whole time," Grande said.

"I'm glad it was us," Erivo agreed, echoing her previous sentiments — albeit with a more positive spin that time.