Wicked: Ariana Grande Beat Out Amanda Seyfried And Dove Cameron For Glinda Role
Arianda Grande may be living it up somewhere over the rainbow as Glinda the Good Witch for the film adaptation of "Wicked," but she actually wasn't the only actor considered for the role during the film's casting process. In truth, at least four other actors auditioned for the part of Glinda in the "Wicked" movie. That list includes some pretty major star power, including Reneé Rapp, Taylor Louderman, Dove Cameron, and even Amanda Seyfried.
In an interview with Backstage, Seyfried talked about her audition, which came in the midst of her leading role as Elizabeth Holmes on Hulu's "The Dropout." "On the weekends, I was auditioning in person to play Glinda in the movie version of Wicked — because I wanted it that much," the actor recalled. "I literally bent over backwards while playing the hardest role of my life."
Cameron was also quite intent on playing Glinda, as she had previously noted in an interview with ET that nabbing the role was a lifelong dream for her. "I know that for everybody who did go out for it, it was a very long process," she said of the casting in an interview with People. "It was one of the longer processes I've been a part of."
Everybody wins in their own way
Dove Cameron and Amanda Seyfried may not have landed the role of Glinda in "Wicked" despite their strong hopes, but the pair of actors have been able to focus on the positives of the situation. For Seyfried, her preparation for "Wicked" has made her more confident in her musical prowess compared to when she starred in "Les Misérables" and the "Mamma Mia!" movies. "It also taught me how far I've come as a singer, which I really wanted to prove," she told Backstage. "Ever since 'Les Miz,' I was like, I need to be better. I need to do better. So whatever comes next in terms of musicals, I'm finally prepared."
Meanwhile, Cameron has chosen to look on the bright side of the "Wicked" casting decision, as Ariana Grande is actually a personal friend of hers. "I'm so excited for Ariana," the actor told TheWrap. "She's a genuinely dear friend of mine. We met when we were super young. I think she's gonna kill it. I think the whole cast is phenomenal head to toe. So, like, as a fan, I'm really, really excited to see it."
Both Seyfried and Cameron are working on other musical-centric projects at the moment. Cameron currently stars on Apple TV+'s musical comedy series "Schmigadoon!" For her part, Seyfried is reportedly attached to a musical adaptation of "Thelma and Louise."