Ariana Grande has found great success with Wicked this past year, which had a huge opening weekend. The singer-actress has done plenty of press for the Broadway-turned-movie musical, but speculation about her playing Audrey Hepburn has become a popular topic. Grande’s response to her playing in the hypothetical biographical film of a true Hollywood icon is top tier.
Grande, alongside her Wicked family, has already gone viral on awards shows’ carpets. While at The Golden Globes, amidst excellent fashion moments (hers included) and Zendaya’s engagement rumors, the actress/singer alum had a viral internet-roasting moment about getting asked whether her grandma was alive. More importantly and recently though, while on the National Board of Review Awards carpet, Access Hollywood’s TikTok chatted with the young star about her vintage-inspired Hepburn-esque gown. The Don’t Look Up actress shared that she’s always loved that style and is heavily influenced by Old Hollywood starlets, saying:
I’ve always loved Old Hollywood glamour, like, Marylin and Audrey have always been my [my] references. I’ve always gravitated towards ‘50s, '60s silhouettes and retro vintage and stuff, like even when I was 15. I can’t even think of a time it wasn’t like my vision board, but it’s been really fun to have more places to do that.
The 31-year-old has had plenty of opportunities to bring that vision board to life with Wicked Press (and even more opportunities for Wicked Part 2, premiering on our 2025 movie schedule). Everything she’s worn thus far, in my opinion, is very much Hollywood glamour a la Monroe and Hepburn. And her infamous unmistakable ponytail is also highly reminiscent of mid-century styles.
The Eternal Sunshine artist then expands into how she and her stylist, Mimi Cuttrell, have been leaning all the way in on vintage looks, excluding the current dress, which is custom Loewe. When the singer was asked about playing Audrey Hepburn in a future biopic, the response was incredible and true to Ariana Grande-form. She responded by saying this:
Oh my goodness why is everyone asking me this? You’re insane. You’re insane. You’re insane. You’re insane. You’re insane. I love you.
Whether the idea was planted somewhere or it's been incredibly serendipitous that the Thank U, Next singer has emulated the magical Audrey Hepburn aura to the point everyone is asking her about it, we may never know. I love her reaction, and honestly, the response is even Old Hollywood, to me. Not long before this story, the thought crossed my mind and I think it's more so how she carried herself through the Ozian press tour. The wardrobe just confirms it for me, and seemingly, many others who have thought the same thing; check out the full exchange below:
@accesshollywood ♬ original sound - Access Hollywood
As the idea circulates more, I’m not sure anyone else can even measure close to The Breakfast at Tiffany’s star. Especially when Grande can not only find and draw the similarities between the starkly different ‘Glicked’ movies but also routinely cries at a classic Adam Sandler movie, she’s absolutely contender material. It’ll be interesting if this speculation gains more traction as the year goes on and if it’ll link up with the Hepburn biopic project.
Regardless of what Ariana Grande believes about the possibility of portraying Audrey Hepburn, it’s out there. Her reactions while perfectly her, shouldn’t be taken to heart–she would be an apt option for the Old Hollywood biopic.
Wicked is playing in theaters now and is available on VOD services.
