Posted in: Movies, Universal | Tagged: Universal Pictures, wicked, Wicked: For Good

Wicked: For Good Star Praises How the Leads Trained for Every Take

Jonathan Bailey on how Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo reshaped their voices and pushed themselves for this theatrical, two-part Wicked event.

Wicked: For Good has just wrapped up the two-part story that began in theaters last year, closing out a big-screen Oz saga packed with plenty of new viral moments and expansive musical numbers. And, between original arrangements, added songs, and even revived favorites like "Defying Gravity" and "For Good," the sequel clearly relies on powerhouse vocals that only seasoned singers can carry, with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande anchoring both the soundtrack and the story. Now, actor Jonathan Bailey is addressing how much work went into making those performances feel effortless.

Wicked: For Good Star Praises the Work Its Leading Actors Put into Their Roles

In Variety's Actors on Actors conversation with Superman star David Corenswet, he pointed out that while Grande and Erivo may look like they were born for this, what audiences see is really the result of years of discipline and training, saying, "Trust the process. Something similar between Superman and Wicked, like you said about Cynthia and Ari, it's so easy with superhero films to go, 'They're just so talented. It's a God-given gift.' Absolutely, yes, of course, but there's years of honing craft. Ari changed her whole tone and her voice, and Cynthia was training so that she could deliver that every single take. If it looks like it's something that you were born to do, then you've done the work so well."

That exact focus on craft has already paid off financially. The first Wicked movie became one of 2024's biggest hits, earning around $759 million worldwide and picking up major awards attention, including multiple Oscar nominations. Wicked: For Good landed with similarly high expectations and a darker, more political stretch of story, and so far, the sequel has pulled in over $440 million on a reported $150 million budget. In addition to Erivo and Grande, the sequel also brings back Bailey's Fiyero, Ethan Slater's Boq, Bowen Yang, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum, covering the story all the way to Elphaba's faked death, her final goodbye with Glinda, and an escape from Oz.

As for what comes next, the creative team has admitted that there are ideas floating around for more Oz stories (in some unknown capacity), although it has also been stressed that these two films were designed as a complete experience for Elphaba and Glinda. Whether or not a third film ever happens, at least Wicked and Wicked: For Good feel like they complete the story they set out to tell, backed by performances that make all that effort look effortless.

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