Before Wicked was released in theaters, Ariana Grande gifted fans with her new album, Eternal Sunshine. In an interview with Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast this week, Grande shared more details about the film and why she does not plan to go on a tour with Eternal Sunshine before the second half of the movie musical adaptation comes out in November 2025.
“I was considering a mini-tour between the Wicked films, but I’ve decided to prioritize acting for now,” Grande explained. “Performing will always be a part of my life, but I want to focus on this chapter of storytelling through film.”
When asked about what roles she dreams of playing as she enters this new “chapter,” Grande didn’t have many specific ideas she wanted to share.
“I have no idea,” she stated. “Right now, I’m so focused on Wicked and taking it all in. But I know I want to stay in this world for a while. Acting feels like home to me in a way I didn’t expect. It’s such a joy to tell stories, whether it’s through music, film or comedy. I want to keep growing and exploring.”
But she was then asked about one specific character, Megara, from Disney’s Hercules. In her Actors on Actors segment with Paul Mescal, the live-action remake was mentioned and Grande became a popular fan cast for the film. Grande does have an opinion on who should play Meg, but doesn’t seem to think it’s her.
“It’s really funny, because I grew up singing the Muses’ parts,” she shared. “I have seen some of that, but it’s never been an actual discussion. As much as I really love transforming for a role—and I do love the idea of, you know, a darker sort of—‘c’ asterisk ‘unty’ role like Megara, I do think that I would be remiss if I didn’t say this, I think [Elizabeth] Gillies should be Megara. Do you know my friend Liz Gillies, she’s brilliant. Oh god, that would be a fantastic role for her.”
Like Grande, Liz Gillies is a child star with a gorgeous voice, known for her role on Victorious. Grande was willing to say she’d play a certain character from the Hercules cartoon, Phil, the satyr voice originally voiced by Danny DeVito.
She joked, “I should play the Danny DeVito role.”