Marvel Star Who Turned Down Playing Glinda in ‘Wicked’ Bows Down to Ariana Grande’s “Lucille Ball Level” of Performance

Oftentimes in the world of cinema, there appears a role that seems to be tailor-made for a particular actor. A good casting along with good direction often turns a good performance into a memorable one. Ariana Grande’s role in Wicked seems to be a recent example of this.

Grande, who has always wanted to be a part of Wicked, took on the role of Glinda and made it her own. The pop icon is already getting praised for her humor as well as her heartfelt acting. But there is often a lot more to every pitch-perfect casting.

Stephanie Hsu Said No to Ariana Grande’s Role in Wicked

Wicked has already become the highest-grossing movie based on a Broadway musical. The film directed by Jon M. Chu brings the witches of Oz to life. The movie mostly revolves around Cynthia Erivo‘s Elphaba and Ariana Grande‘s Glinda and their unlikely friendship.

Stephanie Hsu, who is popular among the Marvel fans for her role as Soo in Shang Chi, recently revealed that she was approached for Glinda and offered her take on Grande’s performance. On Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Hsu recalled why she turned down the role.

I actually did not audition for Galinda. I was asked to audition, but I don’t feel in my heart to be a Galinda. And I actually just saw the movie and Ari is amazing. She’s giving like, Lucille Ball-level of comedic performance, so thank god it wasn’t me.

Her decision may look quite surprising, but Hsu’s background shows that she understands what she is doing. A trained Broadway performer who worked in musicals like Be More Chill and SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical, Hsu understands the nuanced demands of a character like Glinda.

Moreover, her Oscar nomination for Everything Everywhere All at Once proves she is capable of selecting roles that are close to her heart. However, Hsu has nothing but compliments for Grande. Such an endorsement from a fellow performer says a lot about Grande’s performance.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Jon M. Chu revealed that there was confusion between Elphaba and Glinda for Grande because of miscommunication. However, Chu believed she was right for Glinda, and rightfully so, the singer-actress is currently a part of Oscar talks for 2025.

Other Actresses Who Wanted to Play Glinda in Wicked

The search for Glinda was not an easy process, though. Earlier at an event, Jon M. Chu said, “Every actor who was available wanted to come in and read for Elphaba and Glinda.” Among them, four actresses confirmed auditioning for Glinda.

Another Marvel actress, Dove Cameron, earlier revealed to Entertainment Tonight that she has been dreaming of playing Glinda since she was 7. According to The Wrap, she auditioned for the role. Although she didn’t get the part, she praised Grande and said, “I think she’s gonna kill it.”

Amanda Seyfried also revealed in an interview with Backstage that she “was auditioning in person to play Glinda” while she was shooting The Dropout. She spent her weekends preparing and auditioning for the role.

In an interview on Watch What Happens Live, Mean Girls fame Regina George also auditioned for the role and praised Grande, saying, “Ariana’s gonna be – can I cuss? Ok, she’s gonna be f—ing amazing. I’m so excited.”

Taylor Louderman posted a heartfelt message on Instagram about not getting the part where she wrote (via Just Jared),

This business…you can’t care too much about any role you’re auditioning for (or you could get hurt & won’t come back) but you have to care enough to give it your all. I cared too much this time. I hope it’s okay that I’m sharing this.

Eventually, Ariana Grande became the ideal choice for the role of Glinda, and her interactions with Cynthia Erivo became one of the main points of interest in the film. 

Wicked is running in theaters.