The highly anticipated Wicked premiered on November 22 and both stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo have been doing countless interviews for its premiere. However, there was one that struck a chord with the fans.
Grande and Erivo were in an interview with Out.com‘s reporter Tracy E. Gilchrist and the interview left the fans baffled and confused about what was going on.
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More about the movie
Wicked, which was set to be made in two parts, is an adaptation of its extremely famous stage musical, having debuted on Broadway over 20 years ago. Erivo, 37, portrays Elphaba Thropp, and Grande, 31, plays the role of Glinda Upland.
The viral interview
In the interview, Erivo and Grande were seen breaking down in tears repeatedly, and what stuck out to fans the most was the conversation they had with Gilchrist about “holding space” for the lyrics of the movie’s closing song, Defying Gravity.
The Defying Gravity lyrics
Gilchrist told Erivo, “People are taking the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity’ and really holding space with that. And feeling power in that,” to which Erivo put her hand on her chest and said, “I didn’t know that was happening.”
She expressed her gratitude and awe multiple times before Gilchrist talked about how she’s in the “queer media.”
Another thing that caught the fans’ eyes
During the interview and Erivo’s talk, Grande went to hold her hands for support, but for some unknown reason, she only held her index finger. One person reacted to the gesture on X asking, “What was this?” alongside a screenshot.
Fans “holding space” for their reactions
The interview gained a lot of reactions from Wicked fans, including one that said: “I’m holding space for the video about holding space for the Defying Gravity lyrics. I don’t understand what holding space means or why it’s so powerful but I’m holding space for the potential to understand the space I’m holding.”
Another fan wondered whether Grande and Erivo were okay and was wondering what was going on.
Not the first time it has garnered raised eyebrows
Both superstars have been on a packed global press tour for the movie. Both Erivo and Grande would break down on multiple occasions; they even had to apologize once for it, with Grande telling E! News: “We’ve cried 500 times today. And honestly, this is a PSA. So sorry guys.”
The superstars explain their emotional outbursts
Erivo explained on the Heart Breakfast show why she and Grande would always end up in tears, saying: “I think it’s because people have come in with such energy and they come in, their responses, their emotional responses come into the room with us, it’s the first time we’ve been able to talk about it, so we’re both reliving and rehashing all the things we’ve been through and the journey we’ve been on. We can’t help it. We get very emotional about it.”
Filming was far from easy
The filming took about a year, having started in December 2022 in England. However, due to COVID and the SAG-AFTRA strike, the movie filming was hindered multiple times, including once in July 2023.
Everyone returned to filming in the winter holidays of 2023 and filming concluded in January 2024.
A prequel to The Wizard Of Oz
The movie Wicked tells the origin story of “a green-skinned woman who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.” It also explores the narrative prior to Dorothy’s arrival and the former friendship between Elphaba Thropp and Glinda Upland.
The critics’ seal of approval
Despite all the controversy surrounding the actors and their interviews during the movie’s promotion, critics have praised the movie and the superstars’ performances. The Daily Mail‘s Brian Viner wrote: “It’s a fabulous spectacle, which demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible.”
