Ethan Slater feels unbelievably proud of Ariana Grande after 'Wicked's Oscar nod: 'She worked so hard'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Ethan Slater has expressed his admiration for Ariana Grande after she received her first Oscar nomination for her role in 'Wicked.'

The 32-year-old actor, who has been dating Grande, 31, since 2023, met her on the set of the film where she portrayed Glinda and he played Boq.

Ethan Slater praises Ariana Grande’s hard work and performance in 'Wicked'

In January, 'Wicked' earned multiple 2025 Academy Award nominations. While Cynthia Erivo received a Best Actress nod for playing Elphaba, Ariana Grande was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Glinda.

"I’m unbelievably proud of her. She worked so hard. She and Cynthia worked so unbelievably hard to not only make this movie and be the best versions of Glinda and Elphaba, but to promote it," Slater said.

"They’re incredible. I’m unendingly proud,"  Slater said while speaking to Us Weekly.

As the 97th Academy Awards approach, Slater described the experience as a celebration of their work on the film.

"I don’t know if there’s preparation. It’s just riding the wave. We’re all having fun. … We’re all just rooting for each other because we get to still celebrate this thing that we loved to make," Slater said.

He added, "Whether we win or lose, it’s just a big celebration to be able to do the thing that we love so much. It’s really special."

Ethan Slater says Ariana Grande’s comedy is 'so good'

Looking ahead to 'Wicked: Part Two,' Ethan Slater teased what fans can expect from the sequel.

"I think people have seen already how Ariana and Cynthia have given such emotional depth to their characters and Ari in particular; her comedy is so good, and yet there’s a real truth and grounding to it," Slater said.

"I think what might surprise people is how far that goes in such a beautiful way. I haven’t gotten to see it yet, so I’m just remembering from what I saw on the day [we filmed]. But on the day, it was really special to witness," he added.

Ethan Slater opens up on balancing a relationship with Ariana Grande amid public scrutiny

Ethan Slater and Ariana Grande have been together since July 2023. While the singer has faced public scrutiny over her relationships, Slater prefers to keep the focus on their professional work.

"I think we’re both able to just focus on the movie whenever these conversations come up," Slater said.

"We’re talking about ‘Wicked’ and focusing on the work we’ve all done and how proud we are of each other as actors," he added.

"Everybody in the cast is a big family, so I think focusing on that is the way to move forward," he continued.