Wicked is one of the biggest films on the 2024 movie schedule. So, as you can imagine, a lot of big names walked through director Jon M. Chu’s door in hopes of earning the part of Glinda before Ariana Grande was chosen for it. While our 5-star Wicked review makes it clear that Grande is absolutely the Good Witch through and through, Amanda Seyfried previously became a “Popular” pick for the role when she belted out Glinda’s famed song a couple of years ago. Now that Wicked’s out and it’s been two years since her viral moment, the Mamma Mia! actress has shed some light on the subject.
Amanda Seyfried Talks About Her Viral "Popular" Video
Early in 2023, after Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo had already been named the leads of the Wicked cast, Amanda Seyfried’s stylist posted a little video of the actress singing “Popular” in a gorgeous silver dress. Check it out:
She absolutely embodied Glinda the Good Witch in this video from Elizabeth Stewart, who shared it with the world when the actress earned a Golden Globe nomination for portraying Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout.
When Seyfried was asked about the video this week, she had this to say:
I think it was during COVID. I was doing a Lancôme shoot in Long Island City. Elizabeth Stewart [was] my stylist. I was not auditioning for Wicked yet, but I knew it was like coming up. So I was just fucking around really, and I was like, ‘This dress is so Glinda. And Elizabeth was like, ‘Do it.’ And then she posted at some point.
While speaking to People, the Mean Girls actress explained the context of the video, clarifying it was not her audition for the Wicked movie. As she shared, it was “truly just a fun [behind-the-scenes] moment” from her Lancôme shoot at the time.
However, she also spoke honestly about how perhaps it would have been “better if it hadn’t been posted” by Stewart, despite her love for the stylist. Because, of course, the comments became flooded with fans calling for her casting in Wicked.
Did Amanda Seyfried Audition For The Wicked Movie?
While the video above may just be an off-the-cuff video of Amanda Seyfried channeling Glinda, the actress also shared that she did in fact audition for the movie. In her words:
I went hard for that, for sure. And it was a very long process. And everything happens the way it's meant to.
It’s not a huge surprise Amanda Seyfried would have been up for Glinda. It was previously reported as such, and she famously starred in two major movie adaptations of beloved Broadway musicals – 2008’s Mamma Mia! and 2012’s Les Misérables. (Dove Cameron also previously spoke about auditioning too).
Even so, the actress has no hard feelings about losing the role, sharing these words:
It’s an extravaganza, which is what she [Grande] does really well. And [my kids] have been playing the soundtrack nonstop. And everything is as it's meant to be for sure.
Her, and us all!
While there was certainly some controversy over Ariana Grande getting cast as Glinda when the news was announced, the movie’s success has proved the singer was the right choice. Some are even saying they like the Wicked movie more than the Broadway production! So, it would seem that everyone is happy with the way everything turned out.
Wicked is in theaters now.
