Wicked Wasn’t Just Cynthia & Ari’s Dream Job… Here’s Who Else Auditioned

All the celebrity names that didn’t quite make the cut.
Published November 27, 2024

(Images: Getty Images)

Since premiering in Sydney earlier this month, Wicked has taken the world by storm, with one of the highest opening weekend box office hauls of the year. With the film having broken several records already, it’s safe to say its leads, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo have proven they were up to the tasks of embodying Glinda and Elphaba, respectively.

Despite Ariana and Cynthia being excellent final castings for the roles, there were actually a handful of other highly-regarded actors who reportedly auditioned for the two witches—and Fiyero too. While ultimately, they didn’t quite fit the bill for this musical movie smash, we’re still super interested in the characters-that-could-have-been.

Ahead, a rundown of the big names who reportedly tried to take home a role in Wicked

(Image: Getty Images)

Glinda

Amanda Seyfried

Beloved star of Mamma Mia and Mean Girls, Amanda Seyfried, went on record to say that she auditioned for Glinda back when casting first began, and despite not getting the role, she’s determined to bag a musical movie character in the near future! 

Amanda shared with Backstage: “Last summer while I was playing Elizabeth [another role], on the weekends I was auditioning in person to play Glinda in the movie version of Wicked — because I wanted it that much that I was like, ‘You know what? Yeah, I have to play the last scene of The Dropout on Tuesday. I’ll give my Sunday to you.’”

“I literally bent over backwards while playing the hardest role of my life,” she continued. “But I think it also taught me how far I’ve come as a singer, which I really wanted to prove. Because ever since Les Mis, I was like, I need to be better. I need to do better. So whatever comes next in terms of musicals, I’m finally prepared.”

Dove Cameron

Former Disney dream girl Dove Cameron shared a snippet about her experience auditioning for Glinda whilst speaking to The Wrap. “I definitely went out for it,” she revealed on the press line at a Schmigadoon! Season 2 FYC event. “I know that for everybody who did go out for it, it was a very long process. It was one of the longer processes I’ve been a part of.”

A video of her auditioning for the role of Glinda can be found here, which shows Dove performing a beautiful rendition of Annie Goldens’ ‘How Can I Lose You?’.

Taylor Louderman

Best known for originating the role of Regina George in the Broadway musical Mean Girls, Taylor Louderman revealed on her Instagram Story that she also auditioned for Wicked’s Glinda.

“Why did I even audition or think I had a chance?!” she wrote when she heard that Ariana Grande had been confirmed for the role.

“This business…you can’t care too much about any role you’re auditioning for (or you could get hurt & won’t come back) but you have to care enough to give it your all,” she continued. “I cared too much this time.”

Reneé Rapp

Noticing a trend? Reneé Rapp, aka, star of the most recent Mean Girls musical-film adaptation, was also one of the promising young talents who had their hearts set on snagging the role of Glinda the Good Witch.

Despite not being cast, Reneé shared that she was “so excited” for Ariana to fill Glindas shoes, telling Watch What Happens Live that “she’s gonna be fucking awesome”.

(Image: Getty Images)

Elphaba

Lady Gaga

Another top-tier actress who was reportedly considered for Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba was A Star Is Born leading lady, Lady Gaga.

Although she never officially auditioned for the role of the Wicked Witch of the West, according to Page Six, she was the leading choice for the role when director and producer Stephen Daldry was working on the project.

(Image: Getty Images)

Fiyero

Shawn Mendes

Page Six also reported that Shawn Mendes was being considered for the role of Fiyero. Despite his obvious musical talent, handsome face and charming personality that would have perfectly epitomised the movie version of the character, the role ultimately went to the equally-talented Johnathan Bailey.

Nick and Joe Jonas

Nick Jonas admitted that both he and his brother Joe Jonas “auditioned for the same role” in Wicked during an episode of the Armchair Expert podcast.

“We always say we want someone with the last name Jonas to win. That’s our goal,” Nick shared. “We both auditioned for the same role, Joe and I. It was for Wicked, actually. And we were going into it… and naturally, we’re brothers, we’re competitive in sports and other things, but when it comes to our career, I think we genuinely both looked at each other like…”

“Yeah, we said, ‘Go in there and kill it ’cause it’s gotta be one of us. It has to be one of us.’ That being said, never got that call,” Joe added, without revealing what the exact role was (though we can probably assume—neither of them are really giving Boq).

Spencer Sutherland

During an appearance on The Zach Sang Show, Spencer Sutherland revealed he auditioned for the role of Fiyero. “I got a callback for Wicked… I thought it was a great audition,” Spencer said.. “I thought.. when I got a double callback, it was like, ‘Oh, sh-t, this is real. How many people do they have left?’ Probably 20, but still not bad. I don’t know the number.”

Ryan McCartan

Disney veteran Ryan McCartan, revealed that he desperately wanted to land the role of Fiyero, a character he had played on Broadway previously.

On his podcast The Stage Door, Ryan reacted to the official trailer for Wicked and said: “Jon [M Chu], you didn’t cast me in the movie, even though I worked so hard. That’s fine, no hard feelings,” Ryan said. “Confirmed I did audition… One of the many, many things I haven’t booked.”

But hey, let’s look on the bright side, this was the only audition for Wicked: Part 1! We’re looking forward to seeing which stars will be making an appearance in part 2 as the rest of the story unfolds—including Dorothy (but more on that here).

Check back here for updates.

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Bailey Finn
Bailey Finn is a Staff Writer at Cosmopolitan Australia. She has been passionate about the creative industries from an early age and her experience spans television, styling, writing, and costume design. When unplugged, she often finds herself surrounded by classic artwork, dabbling in modern photography, or with a route set to the nearest beach.
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