12 Surprising Stars Who Auditioned for “Wicked ”(Including a Pair of Famous Brothers Who Both Read for Fiyero!)

NEED TO KNOW

• The first part of Wicked premiered in 2024 and starred Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as Glinda and Elphaba, respectively

• At least 12 other stars confirmed that they also auditioned for lead roles in the film adaptation

• Amanda Seyfried revealed that she auditioned for Glinda while simultaneously filming The Dropout

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo weren’t the only celebrities who wanted to defy gravity.

Wicked tells the origin story of Glinda and Elphaba and the events that led to their fateful roles as the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. Based on the hit Broadway musical (which itself was adapted from Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel), the long-awaited film adaptation released its first part in November 2024. The second is set to premiere on Nov. 21, 2025.

Though director Jon M. Chu told CBS Mornings in December 2024 that he originally hoped to cast lesser-known actors as Glinda and Elphaba, it quickly became clear that Grande and Erivo were meant for the roles.

“When those two walk in … the moment you look in their eyes, there’s no denying it,” Chu said. “They just took those roles.”

But the journey to cast the iconic duo was anything but simple. A wide range of performers — from pop stars to Broadway veterans — auditioned for a chance to step into Oz. Grande herself even went out for a different role.

So, who else was in the running to lead one of the most anticipated movie musicals of all time? Here are 12 stars who auditioned for Wicked.

Glinda

Amanda Seyfried

Amanda Seyfried didn’t let her busy schedule get in the way of auditioning for the Good Witch. The actress told Backstage in July 2022 that she auditioned for Wicked on weekends while filming The Dropout, in which she played former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes.

“I have dreams that I’m still auditioning for Wicked,” Seyfried joked. “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.”

The actress, who sang for her role as Cosette in Les Misérables, said that though she didn’t land Glinda, she felt that the audition process prepared her for her next musical opportunity.

Dove Cameron

Like Grande, Dove Cameron has also dreamed of being “Popular.” The actress told Entertainment Tonight in February 2019 that Glinda was the “role of a lifetime” and that she had wanted it since she was 7 years old.

In 2023, Cameron confirmed to TheWrap that she was in the running for Wicked but didn’t specify which role she was considered for. “I know that for everybody who did go out for it, it was a very long process,” she said. “It was one of the longer processes I’ve been a part of.”

Renée Rapp

During a November 2022 appearance on Watch What Happens Live!, Renée Rapp told host Andy Cohen that she auditioned for the role of Glinda and was over the moon that it went to Grande instead.

“Ariana’s gonna be — can I cuss? — She’s gonna be f—— amazing,” the Mean Girls star said. “I’m so excited.”

Elphaba

Ariana Grande

While it’s hard to imagine Grande playing anyone but Glinda now, she revealed on the Sentimental Men podcast in November 2024 that she also auditioned for Elphaba.

“I had an inkling in my heart always that it was going to be Glinda, but I was hearing really mixed things from people who were like, ‘Oh, they want you to read for both,’ ” the singer said. “I was like, I guess that’s because they don’t know what my voice is — and maybe they think vocally I might be better-suited for Elphaba. I secretly knew I was only meant for Glinda.”

Cristin Milioti

Although most people know her from dramas like The Penguin and Fargo, Cristin Milioti is also a talented singer and won a Grammy for her role in the musical Once. So when she was asked to audition for “one of her favorite musicals,” she jumped at the chance to play Elphaba.

However, she was skeptical of her ability to reach the iconic high note Elphaba sings at the end of “Defying Gravity.”

“I had two weeks and this was also my first in-person audition since COVID,” she said during a September 2024 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “I think I’m going to hit this crazy note that I’ve been obsessing over, and I opened my mouth wide. I took a deep breath, and the sound that escaped me is something I will hear on my deathbed.”

Phylicia Pearl Mpasi

The Color Purple’s Phylicia Pearl Mpasi confirmed in an emotional May 2024 YouTube video that she auditioned to play Elphaba — and how she felt drawn to the character as a kid when a teacher didn’t believe that she could sing.

“I heard this score … and just felt so seen,” Mpasi said. “I understood how Elphaba felt feeling different, and like it wasn’t her fault. It was just the color of her skin, and I just felt that way so much growing up.”

Though she didn’t get the role, the actress said Erivo would be “stellar.”

Fiyero

Nick Jonas

Nick Jonas revealed in a September 2024 interview on the Armchair Expert podcast that he was once in the running for Fiyero, Elphaba’s love interest in Wicked. And he wasn’t the only Jonas up for the part.

“We’ve never talked about this publicly, but we both auditioned for the same role — Joe and I,” the “Jealous” singer told host Dax Shepard. “It was for Wicked, actually.”

Joe Jonas

Joe Jonas was also considered for Fiyero. On Armchair Expert, he told Shepard that he and Nick were supportive of each other during the auditions.

“I said ‘Go in there and kill it,’ ” Joe said. “It has to be one of us.”

Of course, neither of the Jonas brothers received that callback, and the role ultimately went to Jonathan Bailey.

Ryan McCartan

Ryan McCartan, who played Fiyero on Broadway in the show’s 15th anniversary, revealed in a May 2024 episode of his podcast The Stage Door that he auditioned for the film adaptation.

“Jon [M. Chu], you didn’t cast me in the movie, even though I worked so hard,” the Liv and Maddie star said. “That’s fine, no hard feelings.”

Spencer Sutherland

Singer Spencer Sutherland confirmed on the Zach Sang Show in March 2023 that he got a “double callback” to play Fiyero. Although he had his doubts about landing the role, he said he made it pretty far in the audition process.

“I thought it was a great audition,” Sutherland said. “When I got a double callback, I was like, ‘Oh s—, this is real.’ ” 

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