Ariana Grande is a household name. But for a special project of hers, she’s going by her actual household name.
Since breaking out on stage in the 2008 Broadway production of 13 and on the 2010 Nickelodeon series Victorious, Grande has been credited as solely Ariana Grande. But last year, fans noticed that she is listed as Ariana Grande-Butera in the credits for Wicked. Once again, she was credited as Ariana Grande-Butera in the second half of the two Wicked movie adaptations, —titled Wicked: For Good — which arrived to theaters on Friday, November 21.
Last year, the “Twilight Zone” hitmaker revealed why she chose to use her full name in the credits in a November 2024 interview with The Hit Network.
"Technically, it's my little-girl name,” said Grande. “It’s technically little Ari’s name.”
Grande — who is the daughter of Joan Grande and Edward Butera — has always dreamed of playing Glinda in Wicked, and landing the role felt like a full-circle moment to her.
“I just feel like this experience was such a homecoming for me,” she said. “I feel like I came home to myself in a lot of ways through what I learned from Glinda, from Elphaba. That was my name when I went to see the show when I was 10 years old, and it felt like a really lovely way of honoring that.”
Since Wicked, Grande has starred in Brighter Days Ahead, a short film accompanying her seventh studio album Eternal Sunshine. Butera himself makes an appearance in the film. Grande is also set to star as a woman named Olivia Jones in Focker In-Law, which is set to arrive to theaters around Thanksgiving of 2026. She’s also teased a small role in the upcoming 13th season of American Horror Story. But don’t expect her to use her full name for those credits.
