All good deeds continue to be rewarded in the case of Wicked: For Good star Ariana Grande. During the Golden Globe nominations on Monday morning, Grande, alongside co-star Cynthia Erivo, made history by being the first two actors from the same film to be consecutively nominated for their respective roles as Glinda and Elphaba.
While Wicked: For Good did not secure a Best Picture Musical/Comedy at the Globes, the film did ride the bubble to success with five nominations, including Best Cinematic and Box Office Achievement and Best Original Song in a Motion Picture for Stephen Schwartz’s “No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble.”
Below, Grande speaks to Deadline about making history and moving forward in her career as an actor.
DEADLINE: It’s been a journey since Wicked: Part I, and the impact of both Part I and Wicked: For Good continues to grow. How have you managed to process this at the end of the journey?
ARIANA GRANDE: It’s so special to have the work be acknowledged in this way. This moment, this morning, is such a special celebration and such a beautiful thing I didn’t expect. You don’t expect a second nomination for the same role. This was very blindsiding and thrilling. I am so humbled and honored.
Also, I have to add that when I was a little girl growing up in Boca [Raton, Florida], none of this was ever on my vision board. I never had an idea that I’d be part of these big phenomena or that I would be who I am today. It means so much to be part of this conversation with so many extraordinary performances and women I admire. This is not something you can prepare your mind for, but just seeing this celebrated amongst wonderful films is truly a gift.
Ariana Grande in Wicked: For Good
Unviersal
DEADLINE: You get a lot of great dramatic scenes in Wicked: For Good. Was there any scene that still stays with you?
GRANDE: The beautiful thing about Glinda is the balance between her darkness and the comedy that she uses to cover up that pain. In the first movie, it’s the opposite. It’s the pain that’s underneath the surface of the comedy. So, there was plenty of room for play, and Jon [M. Chu] was really supportive – and he deserves all the flowers in the world. He was so encouraging of play and just let me and Cynthia [Erivo] live in these women and whatever happens, happens.
There is, of course, the door scene, where we are on either side of the door, which is something that just naturally happened in rehearsals. But the moment I think about is when Glinda tells Madame Morrible and The Wizard to use Nessarose [to lure Elphaba into a trap]. I had no idea that shot was going to be what that shot is. That’s just something that Jon instinctively knew how to capture. Things like that are really surprising and not planned and beautiful and cosmic. You can have every storyboard in the world and not know how those things are going to happen on the day. Jon calls that “catching butterflies.” But wow, is this movie a tough one for Glinda.
DEADLINE: Glinda’s song “The Girl in the Bubble” got nominated as well today. Do you remember your initial thoughts on the song, and now looking back at it, how do you think it strengthens her character arc?
GRANDE: What I love about the song is that it offers you a really intimate look at her making that decision to become who she’s ultimately meant to be, which is Glinda the Good. You get to spend that moment with her in the quiet after spending the whole movie where everyone is around her making so much noise, telling her that she’s so important and so goodly. Meanwhile, it’s just a whole bunch of noise, and she’s feeling such profound loneliness underneath all of that the entire time. So, to finally get to share that moment with her in silence is really beautiful. And watching Glinda choose to become good is so important. In the stage show, we only see the result of that decision being made, but we don’t get to share that moment with her. So, being able to do that in the film was very exciting.
Sonically, one of my favorite things about the song is that it uses all the different parts of her voice. When Glinda is performing for the Munchkins, there’s a very bright, bubbly, pingy placement, like she’s putting on a performance. And then when she’s in her head, in the second act of “Thank Goodness,” that facade drops away, and she’s singing in a more natural tone. I wanted to establish the difference between when she’s performing for others versus when she’s in her head having that monologue. When we get to “Girl in the Bubble,” we hear both of those placements, too. In the climax of the song, she really opens up and belts; that’s the only time she really gets to do that. She’s alone and that’s the only place she feels safe. So, I love that it also represents her arc.
The 83rd annual Golden Globes ceremony will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+ on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. PT/8:00 p.m. ET
[This interview has been edited for length and clarity]
