The masterminds orchestrating the awards campaigns for the stars of *Wicked: For Good*—Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande—have made a strategic decision to position them in separate Oscar categories, as revealed by *The Hollywood Reporter*.
Mirroring the approach taken for last year’s *Wicked*, Erivo, who breathes life into Elphaba Thropp (now famously dubbed the “Wicked Witch of the West”), will be vying for the Best Actress accolade. Meanwhile, Grande, who portrays Glinda Upland (affectionately known as “Glinda the Good”), will be angling for Best Supporting Actress. Both Erivo and Grande garnered nominations across the board in the Critics Choice, SAG, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Academy Award circles for *Wicked*. And with their screen time in Jon M. Chu’s highly anticipated sequel—set to grace theaters nationwide on November 21 through Universal—not warranting a category shift, the decision stood firm.
This path diverges markedly from the one charted by the Tony Awards Administration Committee two decades ago for the original Broadway production. Back then, Idina Menzel, who originated the role of Elphaba, and Kristin Chenoweth, who brought Glinda to life, both contended in the Best Actress in a Musical category; both secured nominations; and Menzel ultimately triumphed.
However, considering that merely five films have ever managed to secure nominations for multiple actresses in the Best Actress Oscar category simultaneously—*All About Eve* (1950), *Suddenly, Last Summer* (1959), *The Turning Point* (1977), *Terms of Endearment* (1983), and *Thelma & Louise* (1991)—there exists a compelling rationale for steering clear of such a scenario if at all feasible.
Several performers have indeed been nominated for Oscars in multiple years for embodying the same character, yet only one has achieved this feat in consecutive years: Sylvester Stallone for his portrayal of Rocky Balboa in *Rocky* (1976) and *Creed* (2015); Paul Newman for his role as ‘Fast Eddie’ Felson in *The Hustler* (1961) and *The Color of Money* (1986), clinching the latter; Cate Blanchett for her depiction of Queen Elizabeth I in *Elizabeth* (1998) and *Elizabeth: The Golden Age* (2007); Al Pacino for his interpretation of Michael Corleone in *The Godfather* (1972) and *The Godfather: Part II* (1974); Peter O’Toole for his portrayal of King Henry II in *Becket* (1974) and *The Lion in Winter* (1968); and Bing Crosby for his role as Father Chuck O’Malley in *Going My Way* (1944) and *The Bells of St. Mary’s* (1945), winning for the former.
An Oscar nomination for Erivo would mark her fourth in her illustrious career—prior to *Wicked*, she was nominated for Best Actress and Best Original Song (“Stand Up”) for her work in 2019’s *Harriet*—while a nod for Grande would signify her second. Should Erivo clinch the Oscar, she would join the elite ranks of EGOT winners.
