All the celebrities who very nearly starred in Wicked
Viewers have well and truly fallen in love with Wicked, which hit UK cinemas on 22 November and stars Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba.
The iconic musical, which serves as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, was adapted for the big screen by director John M. Chu and has landed to bouts of critical acclaim - with Erivo and Grande both receiving praise for their performances.
Alongside the two main stars, supporting cast members include Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh and Ethan Slater.
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The film follows the friendship of Elphaba and Glinda (Erivo and Grande) as they first meet at Shiz University before becoming rivals once again as The Good Witch of The South and The Wicked Witch of The West.
Wicked was originally set to be directed by Stephen Daldry, however, he eventually departed the project due to scheduling conflicts, as per Variety, with Chu taking over - thus giving us the Wicked cast we now know and love.
However, it could have been a different story, with many famous faces all having reportedly auditioned for the parts of Elphaba, Glinda and Fiyero in the film.
Amanda Seyfried
Seyfried, 38, who made her big screen debut as ditsy Karen in 2004's Mean Girls, auditioned for the role of Glinda.
In an interview with Backstage, she admitted: 'I have dreams that I’m still auditioning for Wicked. Last summer, while I was playing Elizabeth [Holmes on The Dropout], on the weekends I was auditioning in person to play Glinda in the movie version of Wicked.
"Because I wanted it that much that I was like, ‘You know what? Yeah, I have to play the last scene of The Dropout on Tuesday. I’ll give my Sunday to you.’ I literally bent over backwards while playing the hardest role of my life.”
It wouldn't have been her first musical either as she'd previously starred as Cosette in 2012's Les Miserábles - something which influenced her decision to go for Wicked.
"Because ever since “Les Miz,” I was like, I need to be better. I need to do better. So whatever comes next in terms of musicals, I’m finally prepared." she said.
Lady Gaga - Elphaba
A Page Six report claimed that Lady Gaga was attached to the role as Elphaba when Daldry was set to direct the musical back in 2016 - with the two even reportedly meeting to flesh out the character.
A source said: “They had meetings, the two of them, about the character and who she would be. [Gaga] was essentially cast in his version, and then it fell through."
Once again, this wouldn't be unfamiliar territory for Gaga, who had a starring role in 2018's A Star is Born, and her recent turn in Todd Phillip's Joker: Folie à Deux as Harley Quinn, however, Folie à Deux wasn't well-received by critics and viewers - although the singer's performance was praised.
Shawn Mendes
In the same Page Six report, it was also claimed that 26-year-old singer Mendes was slated to play Fiyero - meaning that, yes, it was once possible to have Lady Gaga and Mendes share a screen.
However, the role eventually went to Bridgerton's Jonathan Bailey.
Dove Cameron
Dove Cameron, a 28-year-old actor and singer, has previously spoken out about the auditioning process.
She told The Wrap: "I definitely went out for it. I know that for everybody who did go out for it, it was a very long process. It was one of the longer processes I’ve been a part of."
She then went on to praise Grande on securing the role, saying: "I’m so excited for Ariana. She’s a genuinely dear friend of mine. We met when we were super young. I think she’s gonna kill it.
"I think the whole cast is phenomenal head to toe. So, like, as a fan, I’m really, really excited to see it.”
Renée Rapp
During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, 24-year-old Rapp shared that she also auditioned to play Glinda.
However, she was more excited about Grande landing the gig instead of her.
"Ariana’s gonna be… can I cuss? She’s going to be f***ing amazing,” the Mean Girls star said. “I’m so excited.”
Anna Kendrick
Kendrick, who delighted fans in 2012 musical film Pitch Perfect, has hinted at being part of the audition process.
Coyly answering E! News who asked her if she'd be interested in portraying Elphaba (alongside Seyfried as Glinda), Kendrick responded: "Oh, these questions are always tricky to answer, to not create a thing.
"I mean, obviously like, Wicked is a masterpiece and a classic and it's an iconic show and that's all I'll say about that."
Taylor Louderman
Taylor Louderman, who has performed in a number of musicals, including 2024's Mean Girls, which led her to receive a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress, posted on Instagram that she had auditioned to play Glinda in Wicked.
Reacting to news of Grande's casting, Louderman wrote on her story: "yyyy did I even audition or think I had a chance?!
"This business…you can’t care too much about any role you’re auditioning for (or you could get hurt & won’t come back) but you have to care enough to give it your all.
"I cared too much this time."
Nick and Joe Jonas
The two Jonas Brothers members are surely no stranger to a bit of familial competition, and this has apparently extended off stage as the two brothers were in a battle to be cast as Fiyero.
Nick opened up to Variety: "Joe and I both went out, and we didn’t get it. But that’s the life of an actor.
"I think it went really well. I was very happy coming out of the room. I’m a huge fan of the show, and that’s a role I always thought it would be fun to play."
However, he had high praise for Bailey, adding that he is 'going to do a great job'.
Topics: Ariana Grande, Celebrity, TV And Film, Wicked
Kya Buller