‘Wicked’ Stars Cynthia Erivo And Ariana Grande Talk ‘Fruitful’ Friendship, Jon M. Chu’s ‘Infectious’ Excitement And ‘Full Circle’ Moment Of Film

deadline.com:

Dynamic duo of Jon M. Chu’s Wicked Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande truly felt unlimited in their approach to portraying the bond between Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba the Wicked Witch in the Part 1 of the film adaptation of Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s Broadway musical.

The pair first met at Erivo’s house for a five-hour chat before testing their voices together singing at Chu’s house, which allowed them to commit to forming their friendship both onscreen and off. “Both of us made the decision and have had the discussion about really being good to each other, making space for each other, being honest with each other, and choosing to build our friendship,” Erivo told Deadline.

They also credited Chu’s enthusiasm on set as another key to the final product. “Everyone feels the love and the warmth and the respect,” Grande told Deadline. “It’s an environment that allows for magic to happen.

It starts at the top. Oh my God. It’s emotional, but I love him. We love him so much.” RELATED: ‘Wicked’ First Reactions Praise Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande As “Match Made In Cinematic Musical Heaven” In the below interview, the actresses both recalled their earliest memories of exposure to the musical material, how they’ve come “full circle” with the film, working with director Jon Chu and more. DEADLINE: For both of you, what is your earliest memory of Wicked and how did it feel to step into those roles?