After Universal shot down rumors of unequal pay between Wicked stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, Grande expanded on the lengths she and her co-star went to ensure fairness was maintained between them.
While speaking at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversation, the 31-year-old Grammy winner said when she got her contract for “Wicked,” she called Erivo to take her “hit by hit” to ensure her “needs were aligned.” Go to photography.
“When I got my contract, I called (Erivo) and said, ‘Let’s get through this.’ “Let’s get through this together and make sure we’re consistent with what we need,” Grande said. “If (Erivo) needs something, we Need it together. I want us to have each other’s backs. Your problems become my problems and my problems become your problems.”
Grande went on to explain how her relationship with Erivo was “delicate” even before production began, adding that “any press tour” or “short, short TikTok” can’t accurately express the breadth of their friendship.
“It’s impossible to really share how real that is. We started creating that long before we even started making it,” Grande said. “I think it was a really important part of the work that we did. I’m really grateful because one of the things I’m most proud of is the way we took care of each other.
After opening on November 22, the highly anticipated Broadway-to-big-screen hit has grossed an astounding $472,042,574 worldwide, the ninth highest gross of 2024. The prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” follows Elphaba (the witch The evil West) by Erivo and Glinda by the good Grande, who were close friends and classmates before the arrival of Dorothy and Toto.