Before Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo nabbed their roles as Glinda and Elphaba in Wicked, the auditioning process behind the upcoming movie musical included a lot of huge Hollywood stars! From Dove Cameron to Reneé Rapp, a lot of amazing actors nearly starred in the iconic Broadway adaptation of Jon M. Chu‘s two films.
Keep reading for a complete list of actors who auditioned for Wicked.
While Dove may not have landed the role of Glinda, she’s still “really, really excited to see it.”
During an interview with The Wrap from 2023, the Disney Channel alum confirmed that she “went out” for the role.
While Glinda eventually went to Ariana, who Dove has actually known for quite some time. “I know that for everybody who did go out for it, it was a very long process,” Dove said of auditioning. “It was one of the longer processes I’ve been a part of.”
Dove, whose worked alongside the original Glinda Kristen Chenoweth on Descendants and Schmigadoon!, also said that despite not being cast, she’s “so excited for Ariana,” who she also called “a living icon.”
“She’s a genuinely dear friend of mine. We met when we were super young. I think she’s gonna kill it,” Dove told The Wrap. “I think the whole cast is phenomenal, head to toe. So, as a fan, I’m really, really excited to see it.”
Dove and Ariana go pretty way back, as both appeared in Hairspray Live! together back in 2016.
In 2019, Dove revealed to ET that performing as Glinda would be “the role of a lifetime” for her. “I’ve been dreaming of it since I was seven. I mean, I should be so lucky to be considered,” she added.
Dove wasn’t the only actress to go out for Glinda by a long shot! Reneé, whose also a Broadway alum, revealed she went out for the part of the good witch during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live.
“Ariana’s gonna be… can I cuss? She’s going to be f–king amazing,” she said. “I’m so excited.”
Scroll through our gallery to uncover all of the actors who almost starred in Wicked!
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