It’s the end of an era — and Ariana Grande is bowing out with gratitude.
On Sunday, November 23, the Wicked actress penned a letter to fans thanking them for their support during the cinematic runs of Wicked and Wicked: For Good — the latter of which premiered this Friday. Over the course of the past two years, Grande and her co-star Cynthia Erivo have been on an intense promotional tour, which has spawned many emotional, viral moments.
But for Grande, the role of Glinda was a dream more than 20 years in the making.
“Oz has been my safe space for as long as 1 can remember,” she wrote. “The characters within these pages teach us how to love unconditionally with one's whole heart — to laugh; to forgive (even when it's most painful); to fiercely protect ourselves and each other (yes, sometimes even from each other); to look inward; to be curious and not afraid of acknowledging our own wickedness in order to grow away from it and toward goodness, because we all contain both; to see the beauty in all things; especially the unfamiliar; to be honest, because to be honest is to be kind; and to fight for what is truly, deeply good... even if it takes us a long, scary walk down the Yellow Brick Road to discoverate what that means for each of us.”
She continued, recalling the first time she saw Wicked on Broadway at 10 years old. Having signed onto the role in 2021, and filming both parts back to back, she learned more than she could ever imagine.
Throughout the Wicked era, the most rewarding part has been seeing how fans have reacted to the two movies, and how the characters have brought them joy.
“You'll never know what it truly means to me,” Grande said. “I'm so thankful to have been a tiny piece of this bubble puzzle and to be your Glinda.” While Grande may be done with her promotional duties, the climax of the journey hasn’t been quite smooth. In the days leading up to the premiere of Wicked: For Good, the “Twilight Zone” hitmaker revealed she tested positive for COVID-19. Weeks earlier, a heckler moved past security and attempted to grab her on the red carpet during the movie’s Singapore premiere.
Over the course of this past weekend, Wicked: For Good pulled in $150 million at the box office — the biggest debut for a Broadway adaptation.