‘Wicked’: Ethan Slater Raves Over ‘Powerhouses’ Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo (Exclusive)

Ethan Slater suited up in Emerald City green for “Wicked’s” L.A. premiere, chatting with “Extra’s” Melvin Robert on the carpet.

Melvin confessed he’s been a “Wicked” fanatic after seeing it in 2005, asking, “What did it mean to have this opportunity come your way?”

The actor actor said playing the Munchkin Boq “meant the world to me. I also saw ‘Wicked’ in 2004, not to one-up you, but I did see it in 2004, and I've seen it like half a dozen times since. I brought my nieces to see it, my niece to see it for her first Broadway show ever. It means a lot to me, and I actually auditioned for ‘Wicked’ in, like, 2013 for Boq and I didn't get it, but that was all right.”

He went on. “But now, you know, it meant a lot to be able to become part of this family and become part of this legacy and take on Boq.”

Ethan raved about Cynthia Erivo and his real-life girlfriend Ariana Grande, who play Elphaba and Glinda in the film.

“They're amazing, they're powerhouses, they're like voices of a generation,” he gushed. “Everybody knows what incredible singers they are. You think they're really different singers and then they sing together and it sounds like one voice, which is like a beautiful metaphor for them in this movie.”

He added, “They're also just really connected actors and they're really generous scene partners, and getting to work with them was just like a master class. I felt like I learned something every single take from both of them.”

Mel asked Ethan what he now knows about the show, after being in that world for the past few years and shooting two movies.

Slater answered, “It is kind of a silly thing, maybe, but I realize that every character is working through the same kind of feeling isolated and feeling different and not knowing how to deal with it, and as the stories pan out, it's just about people dealing with it differently and making different choices — some good, some bad — but all dealing with the same thing, deep down.”

 “Wicked” is in theaters November 22.