‘Wicked’ star Ariana Grande thinks Glinda is ‘a little in the closet’
Ariana Grande is sharing a popular opinion.
The actress, 31, reflected on the relationship her character Glinda has with Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba in the newly released “Wicked” movie. Grande noted that their friendship could be interpreted as a queer allegory, along with other aspects of the movie and the film where it all started, the “Wizard of Oz.”
The singer told Gay Times in an interview published Thursday that the two provide “such a safe space for one another.”
“Which is what all relationships should be. So, you know, whether it’s romantic or platonic — Glinda might be a little in the closet — but if there were a time, you never know. Give it a little more time.”
“Every day in the Emerald City is a Pride parade, right?” Grande continued. “Even the chickens… those chickens are gay.”
The “Victorious” alum went on to call out Peter Dinklage’s Dr. Dillamond, Shiz University’s goat history professor, as a “gay icon.”
“I mean, Dr. Dillamond in that Bode cardigan … Let’s talk about it,” teased Grande. “Let’s just talk for a minute about him and his custom tea device as well. With his tea and his cardigan, I’m just throwing it out there!”
As many fans shipped the characters over the years, she explained, “It is just a true love, and I think that transcends sexuality. It’s just a deep safety within each other.”
Kristin Chenoweth, who played the Good Witch in the original “Wicked” on Broadway, also chimed in on the theory, commenting on E! News’ Instagram post, “I thought so too way back when…”
As for Elphaba, Erivo, 37, told the “Gay Times,” “She goes wherever the wind blows.”
“I think she loves Glinda. I think she loves love,” the “Harriet” alum expressed. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with celebrating the deep connection that both of them have.”
Erivo added, “I think they do have a real relationship, it is true love, which is probably why people are shipping it because what they build with each other is an unbreakable bond.”
Both stars also noted that the queer allegories go beyond their characters, with Gramde pointing out that the most used word in the original L. Frank Baum books was “queer.”
“Oz is just a celebration of uniqueness,” she mused. “And everyone is so beautiful in Oz, and I don’t think it even is a conscious decision. Everyone is just so beautifully queer.”
Grande, who is currently dating her “Wicked” costar Ethan Slater, previously revealed that part one of the project ends with Glinda and Elphaba having “truly fallen in love with each other.”
“[They] get the chance to say, ‘I see it for you and I love you,’” she told the BBC. “‘And I don’t agree, but I love you and I want it for you.’”
