Amanda Seyfried Auditioned for Wicked a Ridiculous Number of Times Before Losing Role to Ariana Grande
Amanda Seyfried has opened up about her long and difficult journey trying to land a part in Wicked. The actor said she auditioned for the role of Glinda six times before it eventually went to pop singer Ariana Grande.
Seyfried, who is best known for starring in Mamma Mia!, shared her experience on the In The Envelope podcast. She explained that even though she was very busy at the time, she didn’t want to miss the chance to be part of the movie.
“I was busy. I barely had time to do it, but I made it work,” she said. “I worked my ass off for years and years and years on that music.”
The Wicked movie is based on the popular Broadway musical, which itself is inspired by the 1995 book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. The first part of the movie came out in November last year and made a strong debut, earning $114 million in the US and Canada during its opening weekend.
In the film, Ariana Grande plays Glinda while Cynthia Erivo takes on the role of Elphaba. Both actors received praise for their performances and earned Oscar nominations, Grande for Best Supporting Actress and Erivo for Best Actress. They are both returning for the sequel, Wicked: For Good, which is set to hit theaters in November this year.
Amanda Seyfried also talked about the audition experience earlier this year on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. She mentioned that she even got the chance to sing with Cynthia Erivo during the process.
“I do think everything happens for a reason,” she said. “I also got to sing with Cynthia, and that was a moment in itself.”
The second part of Wicked will continue the story, focusing on Elphaba, who is now considered a threat by the Wizard, played by Jeff Goldblum, and Madame Morrible, played by Michelle Yeoh.
Wicked was a huge success at the box office and on streaming platforms. In the United States and Canada, it made $473.2 million, and it earned another $282.8 million in other countries. That brings its total worldwide earnings to $756 million. According to Deadline Hollywood, the movie made a $230 million profit, making it the fifth most profitable film of 2024.
Critics and audiences liked the film. On Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of critics gave it a positive review, with an average score of 7.8 out of 10. Metacritic gave it a score of 73 out of 100. CinemaScore audiences gave it an “A,” and PostTrak viewers said 92% liked it, with 80% saying they would recommend it.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were both nominated for Oscars for their performances, Erivo for Best Actress and Grande for Best Supporting Actress.
Wicked: For Good is scheduled for release on November 21.
In my opinion, Amanda Seyfried’s dedication shows how passionate she was about joining this project. It’s clear she really gave it her all, and it must have been tough to lose the part after trying so hard.
But it’s also nice to see her finding peace with it and appreciating the moments she did have during the process. What do you think about this story? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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