Ariana Grande claps back at criticism over her ‘Wicked’ casting: ‘It’s fun to have the challenge’

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Ariana Grande faced mixed reactions after her casting for ‘Wicked’ was announced in 2021.

The Grammy-winning pop singer plays Glinda, the good witch, in the Jon M Chu directorial, which also stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ethan Slater as Boq.

With the movie ready for release in US theaters on November 22, Grande has addressed the backlash she faced over her 'Wicked' casting during an episode of the ‘Sentimental Men' podcast, as reported by ScreenRant.

Ariana Grande admits feeling 'nervous' while doing 'Wicked' amid backlash

Ariana Grande addressed the concerns of some fans about her being cast as Glinda in the adaptation of the popular Broadway musical. She said she understood the reason behind the bad press as people mostly knew her for her pop icon image.

The ‘One Last Time’ singer explained, “I felt a little bit of the initial nervousness or the sort of preconceived notions about what I might be able to deliver or not deliver, or why I would be wrong or whatever.”

She continued, “Going off of ‘Side to Side', I probably would’ve said the same thing. I probably would’ve said, ‘Why the f**k? Kill me. I’ve waited 20 years for this. Kill me.’"

“I would’ve said that — as a fan from the outside knowing of only ‘7 Rings', probably — I’d say, ‘Well, that’s bulls**t.’ So, you know, I get it.”

Ariana Grande says she worked to change people's perception of her

Ariana Grande also spoke about her experience of auditioning for the role of Glinda in 'Wicked'.

She said, “This is something I loved so much about auditioning for 'Wicked'. It has to be earned. Anything on this scale, being a part of anything, it’s not just given because they know you for one thing,” as per Daily Mail.

“So, it’s fun to kind of have the challenge of reframing people’s perception and doing the work to earn your way back into the other spaces,” the 31-year-old actress added.

Ariana Grande posts photo with beau Ethan Slater on social media

Ariana Grande is busy in the promotional events for her movie 'Wicked' in Sydney, Australia. On Sunday, November 3, the film's premiere was held which the ‘Swindle’ star attending with her co-stars, including her beau, Ethan Slater.

She shared numerous photos from the event on her Instagram account and captioned them as “Sydney, you have stolen our hearts … 🫧 @wickedmovie @cynthiaerivo.”

The one photo that captured the attention of her fans was where Grande and Slater are seen walking down the stairs together.

Many of Grande’s fans quickly took to the comments section to share their excitement.

One user said, “These should be framed🥹💞.”

Another fan wrote, “The most loved cast 🥹.”

An individual commented, “Stun stun stun.”

A comment read, “Thank you all for premiering Wicked here in Oz 😭✨🤍 you look magical!”

One individual said, “Just perfect.”

“Stunning,” a user mentioned.

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