Cynthia Erivo’s Salary for “Wicked”: Is It More Than Ariana Grande?
- Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are the faces of the fantasy movie Wicked.
- Erivo earned $1 million for her role whereas Grande made $15 million for playing Glinda.
- Other actors have also put in work to bring the movie to life.
As the release date for Wicked inches closer, fans are getting excited for the story to unfold on the big screen and get a new perspective on the iconic Wizard of Oz story. Starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in lead roles as Glinda and Elphaba, the musical movie will take viewers on an adventurous journey across the city as they deal with a fair share of obstacles.
Regardless, given the grand stature of the movie, directed by Jon M. Chu, it has been predicted that the movie will rake in the big bucks and be a smashing hit at the box office. Hence, it made sense for the stars of the movie to earn a tidy sum as well.
How much did Cynthia Erivo make for Wicked?
Playing Elphaba, the green witch of Oz in Wicked, Cynthia Erivo has big shoes to fill since the movie is adapted from the blockbuster Broadway musical. Viewers have high expectations from the movie since Elphaba’s character is pivotal in making the story of Wicked come alive. She is born with green skin which leads her to be incriminated at Oz and further feels less than due to the same. Elphaba becomes the Wicked Witch of the West and the rest as they say is history.
To bring this iconic role to life, Erivo earned somewhere between $1 million – $2 million as her salary. Reportedly, this is the first part of a two-part adaptation which hints at Erivo returning to this character for the sequel in the future. Erivo is an incredible actress, having showcased her skill in ventures like The Color Purple and Harriet.
Ariana Grande’s Grand Paycheck for Wicked
Since the movie is a musical, it made sense for the creators to cast a singer who could act to portray Glinda. Ariana Grande was roped in for the role and credited with singing most of the songs for Wicked as well. She’s known as the queen of pop for a reason, serenading the masses with her sweet voice.
Along with promotions, interviews, singing in the movie, and obviously acting in it as well, Grande took home a whopping sum of $15 million. Her stature in the music industry came in handy to let her earn such a huge amount, considerably larger than what her co-star Erivo earned. This can be because of the songs Grande has sung in the movie.
Salaries of Other Wicked Cast Members
Grande and Erivo are not the only high-profile stars of Wicked. The movie is packed with numerous Hollywood A-listers who have incredible star power to pull in fans and make the movie a huge success. This is perhaps why many people are banking upon the success of Wicked. More actors including Michelle Yeoh will star as Madame Morrible for which she earned $2 million.
Jeff Goldblum will be seen as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, taking home a paycheck of $2 million. Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey is playing Fiyero Tigelaar and earned $450,000. Grande’s boyfriend Ethan Slater will also be seen in Wicked as he is playing Boq, making $350,000.
Wicked is set to release on November 22, 2024.
