‘I want us to have each other’s backs’: Ariana Grande made sure Cynthia Erivo was treated equally on ‘Wicked’ with supportive behind-the-scenes tactic

Ariana Grande has a hard-won reputation for being as pleasant behind-the-scenes as she is on stage. Now that’s been underlined once again, as she’s revealed the lengths she went to to ensure that she and her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo were treated equally. 

The singer-turned-actress spoke of her support for Erivo during a panel discussion as part of a SAG-AFTRA Foundation event over the weekend. Grande revealed that both she and Erivo compared and reviewed their respective contracts for Wicked to “make sure we are aligned” before signing on for the film. She said that before shooting and while in the early stages of development, she called Erivo “and was like, ‘Hey let’s go through this thing. Let’s go beat by beat through this together and make sure we are aligned in what we need.’” 

Grande’s support went beyond a mutual agreement on the contract terms, with the pop star revealing that she adopted a mindset of “if [Erivo needs] something, we need it together… Your problems become my problems and mine become yours.” Like the bestie characters of Glinda and Elphaba they portrayed, Grande said that throughout the whole process of making Wicked, she “want[ed] us to have each other’s backs.” 

The comments about the co-stars’ assurance of equal footing come after Universal was forced to refute claims that Grande and Erivo were paid differently for their roles in Wicked. Earlier this month, reports were swirling that Grande was paid $15 million compared to Erivo’s reported $1 million, but the production company promptly dismissed the rumored pay disparity as “completely false and based on internet fodder.” Universal confirmed the stars were paid identical sums for their roles, but stopped short of revealing their exact paychecks.

For Grande, aligning their Wicked contracts was just a small part of her broader friendship and connection with Erivo. “It’s impossible to really share the depths of how real [our friendship] is,” she told SAG-AFTRA of her collaboration with Erivo. “We started creating that long before we ever got to set, and it was a really important part of the work that we did. I’m really grateful because one of the things that I’m most proud of is how we nurtured each other.” 

Of course, the earnestness and sincerity of their friendship took center stage during the buzzy and infinitely viral Wicked press tour, which saw Grande and Erivo frequently crying whenever they weren’t busy holding space. The intensity of their connection feels especially appropriate in light of recent comments made by Gregory Maguire, the author of the original book upon which Wicked is based.

Last week, Maguire said the seeming sexual tension between Glinda and Elphaba — which has been noticed by some fans — was “intentional” in the original novel, and “refined in such a way that one could imagine that one of those two young women had felt more than the other.”
Grande and Erivo’s connection extends beyond the screen and into their red carpet appearances.

Yesterday, the duo ditched the pink and green tones that had become synonymous with their Wicked characters and instead rocked less flashy, yet still entirely iconic press outfits. It follows the pair’s success in the Golden Globe awards nominations, with Grande securing a nomination in the Supporting Actress category and Erivo landing a nod in the Leading category. It’s a testament to their clear friendship that, fingers crossed, will translate into awards circuit success, and I for one hope they arrive at the ceremony in either a giant pink bubble or on a broomstick.