Thank goodness for Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as, according to Michelle Yeoh, they are behind getting her on board for Wicked.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Yeoh, 61, explained that her role in the upcoming film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical almost went to someone else after she told director Jon M. Chu that she was not that girl.
The Oscar winner told Fallon that Chu — who she previously worked with on Crazy Rich Asians — wanted her to play Madame Morrible in the movie, a role she was hesitant about after learning that she sings.
“I read the script. I call him, ‘Jon, you realize she sings, right?’ And he goes, ‘Uh huh.’ I don’t sing! He’s like, ‘Eh, don’t worry,'” Yeoh said. “Then, the next day, I get this video, and I look at it, and it’s like, ‘Hi, Michelle. I just have two people here who really want to talk to you and tell you why you should be here.’ And it was Ariana and Cynthia.”
Grande and Erivo star as Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, while the cast also includes Jonathan Bailey as Fiero, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Ethan Slater as Boq and Keala Settle as Miss Coddle.
Yeoh’s character is the headmistress of Shiz University — the school where Elphaba and Glinda first meet. Morrible initially sees promise in Elphaba, however, turns against her when Oz does, leading the charge against the “wicked” witch.
The Everything Everywhere All at Once star went on to say that not only did they tell her they wanted her for the project, but they laid it on thick, calling it “imperative” that she join the cast.
“Imperative was the royal word,” Yeoh said. “Cynthia and Ariana are like angels — when you walk on and you hear them sing, it’s like you’ve gone to heaven.”
Fallon asked The Brothers Sun actress if she felt “more pressure” being on set with two “angels” and exceptional singers like Grande and Erivo, and Yeoh had a hilarious response.
“Oh, no, hell no. Like you’re not gonna try and outdo that,” she said, laughing.
It’s unclear if Yeoh will still sing Morrible’s parts in “The Wizard and I” and “Thank Goodness.”
The Wicked adaptation is scheduled to be released in two parts with Wicked: Part One releasing on Nov. 27, 2024, while Wicked: Part Two will be released on Nov. 26, 2025.
During her interview with Fallon, Yeoh also confirmed that she recently wrapped production on the film in London. That admission came just one day before Grande announced that after 13 months filming on the highly-anticipated movie-musical had wrapped for her.
The “Thank U, Next” singer posted a pic of her character in shadow, which she captioned with a quote from the Wicked song, “For Good.”
“like a handprint on my heart,” she wrote alongside the photo.
She additionally shared the news by reposting a message from Chu, which read, “Will never forget my year with our Galinda. Can’t wait for you to meet her. Thank you @arianagrande for pouring your heart into Oz.”
“I will never forget even a minute of my year(s) with her either. Or you. Or my Cyn,” Grande wrote in reference to Erivo. “Permanently and preferably intertwined. I am so inexplicably thankful that we got to add so many soggy eyelashes to the collection @jonmchu.”
“There aren’t words quite yet. But. Thank you, Jon, for leading the way with such compassion, openness, brilliance and kindness,” Grande concluded. “I have never seen someone conduct a space the way you do. I love you so much.”
