Italian
Amanda Seyfried found herself trending on social media after “Wicked” opened in theaters thanks to a viral video of her singing “Popular,” one of the musical’s most beloved songs. The video prompted widespread speculation that it was Seyfriend’s audition to play Glinda, which she has now debunked in an interview with People magazine.
“I think it was during COVID. I was doing a Lancôme shoot in Long Island City. Elizabeth Stewart [was] my stylist,” Seyfried said. “I was not auditioning for ‘Wicked’ yet, but I knew it was like coming up. So I was just fucking around really, and I was like, ‘This dress is so Glinda. And Elizabeth was like, ‘Do it.’ And then she posted at some point.”
Seyfried acknowledged that “maybe it would be better if it hadn’t been posted” but stressed “it was truly just a fun, like, [behind-the-scenes] moment of my Lancôme shoot.” The actor is well-accustomed to movie musicals having starred in two “Mamma Mia!” movies and “Les Miserables.” While the viral video was not Seyfried’s “Wicked” audition, she did end up going out for the role of Glinda in the film. Ariana Grande ultimately won the role.
Popular on Variety “I went hard for that, for sure. And it was a very long process,” Seyfriend said of her “Wicked” audition. “And everything happens the way it’s meant to.”
Seyfried went on to call the “Wicked” movie “fantastic,” adding: “It’s an extravaganza, which is what she [Grande] does really well. And [my kids] have been playing the soundtrack nonstop. And everything is as it’s meant to be for sure.”
Speaking to Backstage in July 2022, Seyfried said that she made auditioning for Glinda in “Wicked” a big priority after hating the way she sounded in “Les Misérables.”
“I have dreams that I’m still auditioning for ‘Wicked,’” Seyfried said at the time. “I think it taught me how far I’ve come as a singer, which I really wanted to prove. Because ever since ‘Les Mis,’ 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.”
As for Grande nabbing the role of Glinda in the film, the Grammy winner has been vocal in interviews about how she dreamed of playing the character since she was a young girl.
“As soon as I found out that it might be happening, I told my team, ‘Be on high alert, please. And I know this has to be earned. So when they start seeing people, can I please go in? I’ll do anything,’” Grande told Paul Mescal during Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series. “And I worked really hard with a vocal coach and an acting coach to get ready, because Glinda’s vocal track is very different than what I usually sing.”
Grande is currently a frontrunner to land a best supporting actress Oscar nomination for her work in “Wicked.” The film is playing nationwide in theaters from Universal Pictures.
