It is a remarkable achievement to be nominated back-to-back for the same role at any awards show, yet Ariana Grande has just secured her second consecutive nomination for her role as Glinda in the Wicked movies. "It is undoubtedly as thrilling [as last year's nomination] and a bit overwhelming," Grande shares with The Hollywood Reporter following her latest nod. "You don't expect something like this, let alone for it to happen twice for the same role. So I am deeply honored and truly moved by it."
As she embarks on her second consecutive year in the awards circuit, the actress plans to draw on the lessons she learned during last year's journey as she navigates the upcoming months. "Something I was so grateful for last year was feeling truly present and excited to meet so many actors I respect and whose work I adore, having such human conversations and positive experiences," she notes. "I remember meeting Kate Winslet was one of the most exhilarating moments in the world. She was so kind, warm, and shared the most amazing, encouraging words. Those are moments that people don't usually get to know or see, yet they are so special that I will always cherish and carry with me."
Wicked: For Good delves deeper into Glinda's perspective after Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) leaves Emerald City following her meeting with the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum). The sequel is darker as the characters grapple with what they've learned, and both Glinda and Elphaba have changed. Grande expresses her excitement about finally discussing how they filmed the two movies back-to-back, often shooting scenes from both movies on the same day. "Many people ask me how it's possible that both were shot simultaneously, and I can think of so many days where the first half of the day was young Glinda and young Elphaba in the attic of 'Defying Gravity,' singing the first minute and a half of the song, and then after lunch, we returned to shoot me at the end of movie two, in my pink bubble dress, holding the Grimmery, going up the stairs to sing the finale," Grande explains. "So the finale in part two and the first half of my part in 'Defying Gravity' were shot on the same day. It was such a delicious challenge to bounce back and forth between her light and darkness, her pain and comedy, and all the beautiful things that make her who she is. It was incredibly and deliciously challenging work, and I loved it; I would do it again every day."
Another scene she recalls shooting is the culminating door scene in the second film: when the door scene was being filmed with her and Erivo on either side. "That was the end of that day. And then my side, my point of view watching her melt, was actually a few weeks later. So it's little things like that where we had to just drop in whenever the schedule allowed for us to get those pieces and make sure that they connected. It was really cool."
Playing Glinda has always been her dream. And now that the Wicked tour is coming to an end, what's next for the actress? "There are a few ideas swirling in my head, but I would love to do theater as well," Grande says, who will next star in Focker in-Law. "As someone who started on Broadway, I would love to be on stage again in that way, exercise a different muscle, and continue to tell stories in different ways. I am so lucky to be here, and I love acting. It's really fun."
