Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo Say Filming ‘For Good’ Duet Was ‘Painful’ (Exclusive)

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo sat down with “Extra’s” special correspondent Tava Smiley to talk “Wicked: For Good.” 

Ariana spoke about getting to dig deeper into Glinda in this movie and humanizing her as a good person who got lost along the way. 

“I feel really privileged to have been able to dig deeper in this movie than maybe we’ve been able to onstage or see before for Glinda, just because I really do think that as a character, she deserves the context and the ability to kind of be humanized in that way because I really do think that there is at the core a good person who got lost along the way through things that were projected onto her by her parents, which is I think a similar trauma bond that her and Elphaba have that they recognize in each other right away.

“I’m just so grateful to have been trusted by Jon [Chu] and to have had him lead the way for this incredible journey… and I got to do it with the most incredibly glorious scene partner in the entire world.”

Cynthia reflected on Elphaba’s solitary journey, saying that filming alone means the “loneliness actually does seep in.”

She went on, “I think it’s a wonderful thing that she has to sort of realize she really can’t do it by herself. She really can’t go it alone and that there is a yearning to be back with her friends, to be back with someone who loves her, to find love as well. And I love that we get to add this extra sort of layer for Elphaba in that she’s a person who really doesn’t know what it is to be loved or understand what it is to be loved. And when she’s confronted with it both through Glinda and Fiyero, it’s scary for her.”

Ari and Cynthia also both recalled filming their pivotal “For Good” duet and how actually painful it was for them. 

Grande shared, “It was very painful. Yeah, it’s funny because you know that you’re performing, of course you’re acting, but your body doesn’t quite know the difference. So that that grief kind of comes home with you and it was just kind of a very cloudy few days.”

Erivo agreed, saying, “It did it felt really, like, foggy… out of body.”

Ariana continued, “It feels real to our bodies and to our hearts and yeah, we worked really hard long days on those scenes and every time it had to kind of show up the same way.”

Plus, in a super sweet moment, they reacted to getting a special message from 4-year-old Remington, who adorably stole the show in the “Wicked” live special. 

Ariana said, “Remington, wherever you are out there, we love you!”

They also shared their reactions to co-star Jonathan Bailey being named People’s Sexiest Man Alive. 

Ariana said, “So deserved… on the inside and out.”

Cynthia added, “He’s one of the most exquisite actors we have had the pleasure of working with and also one of the most exquisite people inside. He’s kind and generous and just a special human being and yes, he is beautiful to look at, but I think it’s amplified by everything that he is on the inside.”

“Wicked: For Good” is out November 21.