Until the past couple of years, Ariana Grande was best known as a pop star — the two-time Grammy-winning singer of hits like “7 Rings” and “God Is a Woman.” However, in 2025 Grande earned an Oscar nomination for her delightfully comedic turn as Glinda in Wicked, which she followed up with another great turn in Wicked: For Good. Her transition to focus on acting, however, wasn’t welcomed by everyone, and the artist opened up about the scrutiny she got and questions about her commitment.
Ariana Grande is no stranger to criticism, and she says she’s been judged since she started in the entertainment industry as a child. I guess it’s easy to forget that she got her start on Nickelodeon shows like Victorious and Sam & Cat, because her critics seemed to suggest that her success as a singer delegitimized her efforts to play Glinda in the Wicked adaptations. Grande told Variety she works to block out that negativity, saying:
I try really hard to maintain distance from that so I don’t get hurt anymore. I learned quickly that I had to do that from the moment I was cast. There was a lot of noise saying I couldn’t handle it or wasn’t the right choice. But I had a job to do — a really big one — and I needed to shut everything else out and focus on what was real. I had earned the role, and I needed to give it my entire being.
Ariana Grande has been open about the training she did to earn the role of Glinda, the grueling audition process that had her singing four of Wicked’s iconic numbers multiple times. She also took a deep dive into the character, which had her collecting pink clothing and even considering what underwear the good witch would wear.
She worked hard to erase the pop star from her persona and completely transform into Glinda, and Ariana Grande said she’s proud of her results. She continued:
I’m proud knowing that’s what I did. I’m a very committed artist, and it can be hurtful when that’s questioned. So I protect myself by focusing on the love and support that’s louder and more real. I have real interactions with people — moments that make me cry, stories that stay with me. I don’t take that for granted. I’m proud of the work I do and the artist I am. But yes — sometimes it’s hard.
We’ve definitely seen a lot of crying from both Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo and, really, who can blame them? What they’ve said about their characters’ emotional journeys, the magic movie moments and the relationships they formed with their co-stars is enough to elicit tears.
Wicked won two Academy Awards from 10 nods, and more are all but certain to come for Wicked: For Good when this year’s nominations are announced January 22 (come back to CinemaBlend for full coverage!).
Either way, Ariana Grande is keeping her focus on acting. She’s part of the ensemble cast of Focker In-Law — which she hilariously called more physically taxing than Wicked. The fourth movie in Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro’s Meet the Parents franchise is set for release on November 25 amid the 2026 movie calendar.