“Thank God” got the role of Ariana Grande

Cynthia Erivo upstaged the actresses who auditioned for the role of Glinda in Wicked, expressing gratitude that Ariana Grande ultimately landed the role.

In a new interview with the magazine New York TimesErivo, 37, and Grande, 31, spoke about the casting process.

When asked how they reacted after learning that a different actor had been cast in the role, Erivo replied: “No surprise at all.”

“I said, ‘Thank God,’” Grande recalls.

Erivo then dug into other women who were being considered for the role of Glinda in the film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical.

“Thank God because I didn’t audition with two women,” Erivo said, implying that the other two actresses who auditioned for the role of Oz’s famed Good Witch weren’t up to par.

This remark stunned Grande. “My God!” she said.

“Thank God” is also the title of a song from Wicked.

In addition to Grande, actresses Amanda Seyfried, Dove Cameron, Renee Rapp and Taylor Lauderman auditioned for the role of Glinda. according to reports.

Erivo went on to say that she didn’t think she would be considered for the role of Elphaba.

“Historically, black women have never been considered for this role,” she said. “If so, they didn’t get the role, and if they do, they’re usually the backup or first cover. I only know one woman who did it in the West End (in London). So I just didn’t think they were looking for me.”

Erivo added that while she doesn’t know why so few black women have been considered for the role since the series debuted in 2004, she suggested, “Maybe it’s a symptom of the times it was made.”

The Broadway vet made headlines while promoting “Wicked,” which hits theaters November 22.

After a fan-edited version of the film’s poster that covered Erivo’s eyes went viral, the star took to her Instagram Story to express her outrage.

“This is the most savage and offensive thing I have ever seen, equal to the terrible AI we are fighting.” she wrote October 16.

“None of this is funny. None of this is cute. This humiliates me. This humiliates us. The original poster is an ILLUSTRATION. I am a real person who decided to look directly into the camera lens at you, the viewer… because without words we communicate with our eyes.”

The fan-edited film poster was intended to make the promotional art closer to the Broadway poster design, after many on social media criticized the official poster. But according to Erivo, creating an “imitation” of the original poster that would “hide my eyes” would therefore “erase me.”

“Our poster is an homage, not an imitation,” she wrote on her Instagram Story, adding: “To edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me. It’s just very disappointing.”

The actress also shared the official poster of the film in a separate post on her Instagram story, writing, “Let me put this right here to remind you and cleanse your palette.”

Later that month, Erivo admitted that she “probably should have called” her friends instead of going on social media to express her feelings.

“I’m passionate about it and I know the fans are passionate about it and I think for me it felt like a human moment of wanting to protect little Elphaba and it felt like a human moment,” she said. Entertainment tonight at the 2024 CFDA Fashion Awards on October 28.

“I probably should have called my friends, but it’s okay.”