Ariana Grande on her transformation into Glinda for Wicked movie

Ariana Grande has shared details on the intense preparation that went into her role as Glinda in the highly anticipated Wicked movie musical.

In an expansive interview following the film’s completion, Ariana opened up about the dedication and personal evolution she experienced throughout the process.

“I have never wanted something as badly as I did this,” Ariana reflected on her audition for Wicked, revealing the exhaustive efforts she undertook with vocal coaches Nancy Banks and Eric Vetro.

For six months, every day was dedicated to reshaping her voice and identity. “My singing voice, everything about me I had to kind of deconstruct to prove to them that I could handle taking on this other person. I kind of had to completely erase pop star Ari,” she revealed.

The journey to securing the role was nothing short of transformative for Ariana, who described finding out she had landed the part as “the best day of her life.”

She told The Zach Sang Show: “I am a person who started on Broadway and I’ve always been a musical theatre person and I’ve always been an actress. I’ve missed acting.”

A self-proclaimed superfan of Wicked, Ariana shared her newfound understanding of Glinda, a character she has adored since childhood.

“The funniest thing is the reason why I thought I loved Glinda since I was 10-years-old is so not what makes us so adjacent to each other,” she mused, revealing a deeper connection to the character beyond the initial attractions of high notes and comedy.

The film, starring a dazzling cast including Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, promises to be a landmark cinematic event this holiday season.