Pop icon and actress Ariana Grande has given a remarkably candid insight into the emotional toll of filming the major cinematic adaptation of Wicked. The star revealed she developed specific psychological 'triggers' for her character to avoid channelling her own personal pain during performances.
Designing Glinda's Pain
In a revealing new Actors on Actors conversation for Variety with comedian Adam Sandler, the 32-year-old singer and actress discussed her approach to playing Glinda the Good Witch. Grande, who stars in both Wicked (2024) and the sequel Wicked: For Good (2025), explained that while she is emotional in daily life, accessing tears for a performance is a different challenge entirely.
'I'm a crier in life, but it's not as easy when you're performing. It's not a party trick,' she told Sandler, 59. The themes explored in the Wicked story, which delves into friendship, betrayal, and public perception, felt uncomfortably close to home for the globally famous star.
'I invented triggers for Glinda so that I didn't have to touch on my own, because certain themes in this film are so adjacent to my life,' Grande confessed. She emphasised her deliberate technique: 'I had to design her pain so I didn't need to reference my own.'
Scratches, Bruises, and 'Bubble Two'
The conversation took a lighter turn when Sandler inquired about the stunning lavender gown she wears throughout much of the sequel, nicknamed 'Bubble Two' by the cast and crew. He asked how she managed practicalities like taking a lunch break while wearing the elaborate costume.
Grande described perching on a small apple box placed under the dress's hoop skirt. While she praised the gown's 'give and flexibility,' she admitted it came with a physical cost. 'I got some little scratches,' she said, shrugging it off with a performer's dedication. 'Anything for the craft. I'm fond of coming home with an unexplained bruise or scratch.'
This sparked a humorous exchange about on-set injuries, with both stars sharing stories about bruises inflicted—directly or indirectly—by mutual colleague Ben Stiller during other film projects.
The Humanisation of Villains
Delving back into the substance of Wicked, the pair discussed the emotional impact of the Tin Man's reveal in the film. Sandler found it a 'painful moment,' which led Grande to reflect on the core message of the story.
'It's so important to see these humanising moments for these villains, these terrible people,' she stated. 'That's the beautiful thing about "Wicked," it shows how perpetrators of evilness were once victims themselves.'
Directed by Jon M. Chu, Wicked: For Good was released in cinemas on 21 November. Grande stars opposite Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West. The film has received a mixed critical reception, currently holding a 69 percent rating on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.
