Ariana Grande had to audition for Wicked just like anyone else but with a twist. Despite being a popular figure in the industry, the 31-year-old was asked to remove her makeup.
In the wake of her unusual audition, the fantasy film’s director, Jon M. Chu, explained why he asked the pop singer to “come back” without any makeup.
Why Ariana Grande had to remove her makeup for Wicked audition
In a conversation with the Wall Street Journal, the 45-year-old explained that Grande’s initial audition was not enough to convince him to cast her for the role of Glinda.
“For Glinda, specifically, Ariana came in and, you know, she had maybe a higher bar than everyone else because she has such a public persona, and I really didn’t want it to overshadow this role of Glinda,” Chu said.
The filmmaker stressed that he “wanted to find Glinda.” “She had to audition. everyone had to audition, and she came in first time, and she looked like Ariana Grande,” Chu went on, adding, “And we thought, ‘Hey, what if you came back and just didn’t have any of your make-up?'”
Despite not knowing how his request would “go over” with the 7 Rings hitmaker, Chu shared that there was not “even a question” from her. “She came in and did that, and I saw her in a totally new light that I’d never seen her in,” Chu said of Grande.
Grande’s no-makeup audition for Wicked drew mixed responses from netizens as one fan said, “You can’t *imagine* a woman without makeup? As a director?”
However, a second fan remarked, “Weird that people are bashing him as if her make-up look isn’t iconic. When I think of her I think of that cat eye, that bold lip, her look is what makes her so recognisable. He didn’t want the Glinda to look like Ariana Grande, he wanted to see if Ariana could look like Glinda.”