Everything You Need to Know About the ‘Wicked’ Movie Cast and What They’ve Been in Before

• Character: Galinda Upland
• What Else She’s Been In: Victoria, Sam & Cat, Scream Queens

Ariana Grande will lend her amazing vocals and acting skills to Galinda, the Good Witch of the South (or Glinda the Good). Known for her impeccable voice, she is considered one of the greatest vocalists of all time by Rolling Stone (as well as from dedicated fans like myself) and has received multiple awards including two Grammys. 

Aside from pop stardom, the “Eternal Sunshine” singer is a theater kid and has a special place in her heart for the 2003 Tony-award winning production. At 10-years-old, she got the opportunity to meet the original cast with Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, recorded a cover of “Popular” on her first album and even manifested the role back in 2011. Recounting her first day on set, Grande said it was the most emotional day of her life. “All I remember was holding hands with Cynthia [Erivo] and Jon [Chu] and crying. And [Jon] saying, 'Welcome to Wicked,’” she told Variety at the Met Gala. 

While many others know Grande for hits like “Thank U, Next” and “Yes, And?,” I discovered her during her Nickelodeon days, where she broke out onto the scene as Cat Valentine in Victorious (2010-2013) before getting her own spin-off series Sam & Cat (2013-2014). Once both shows ended and she began singing full-time, she took on smaller roles in shows like Scream Queens (2015), became a recurring guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race and even lent her voice for the Winx Club (2011-2013). Aside from television and music, the pop star has also released thirteen fragrances and launched her own makeup line, R.E.M Beauty in 2021. 

• Character: Elphaba Thropp
• What Else She’s Been In: The Color Purple, Widows, Harriet

Cynthia Erivo will star as Elphaba, the main antagonist known as the Wicked Witch of the West. According to Variety, the almost EGOT winner (she currently has an Emmy, Grammy and Tony) was one of the last people brought in for the role. As director Jon Chu stated after hearing her sing, “Marc and I looked at each other and we’re like, ‘We’re done.’” Even her co-star Grande couldn’t help but pay her compliments: “She’s my favorite female voice. When I was watching [her] sing at the Oscars, I said, ‘I hope someday I get to sing with her.’”

The British actor is a very big deal in the Broadway world and known for The Color Purple (2015-2017), where she won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater album. From there, she ventured into movies, starring in films like Widows (2018) and Bad Times at the El Royale (2018). However, she became best known for her role as Harriet Tubman in the biopic Harriet (2019). She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and Best Original Song for “Stand Up.” Her filmography also includes Chewing Gum (2015), The Outsider (2020) and the live action Pinocchio (2022).  

• Character: Fiyero Tigelaar
• What Else He’s Been In: Bridgerton, Fellow Travelers, Broadchurch

Jonathan Bailey stars as Fiyero Tigelaar, the heartthrob who steals the attention of Galinda and Elphaba. I know him best for playing Anthony Bridgerton in Bridgerton, and if he can pull on my heartstrings like he did in season two, then I’m so ready to see him play this upcoming role. In fact, the actor was juggling three roles at the same time. While rehearsing for the musical movie, Bailey was also working on Bridgerton and Fellow Travelers. In an interview, he mentioned practicing choreography on the Showtime set and feeling bad for co-star Matt Bomer because of the constant rehearsing as their trailers were right beside each other. As for being apart of the Wicked movie cast, he teased to People, “It’s going to blow people’s minds, so get ready. You’ve got a year to prepare.” 

Aside from being our favorite Viscount, the English actor actually has an extensive theater background. He starred in the West End production of Les Misérables at just 8-years-old. He also appeared in plays like Othello (2013), The Last Five Years (2016), The York Realist (2018) and Cock (2022). He was also in a modern adaptation of Company (2019) for which he won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical. If he wasn’t on stage, he was on screen in series like Leonardo (2011-2012), Broadchurch (2013-2015), Crashing (2016), Fellow Travelers (2023), and of course, Bridgerton (2020-present). 

• Character: Madame Morrible
• What Else She’s Been In: Star Trek: Discovery, Crazy Rich Asians, Everything Everywhere All At Once

Michelle Yeoh plays Madame Morrible, headmistress of Shiz University with a sneaky agenda. Surprisingly enough, the Oscar winner needed some convincing to join the Wicked movie cast. While she previously worked with Chu on Crazy Rich Asians(2018), she was not keen on taking on a singing role. However, Grande and Erivo persuaded her to take the part. “The next day I get this video [from Chu], 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,” she shared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. “And it was Ariana and Cynthia. [They were like] ‘It’s imperative, it’s imperative that you come and join us.’ Imperative was the royal word.” 

Yeoh has been acting since the ‘80s (and performing her own stunts, FYI), so there are many films and shows you’ve likely seen her in throughout the years. From Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) to Star Trek: Discovery (2017-2020) to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings(2021), she has put out amazing work, but one that will always come to mind is Everything Everywhere All at Once(2022). I still remember watching that film and being completely blown away by it—and I’m not alone. It garnered her an Academy Award for Best Actress, and she became the first Asian to win the category and first Malaysian to win an Academy Award. 

• Character: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
• What Else He’s Been In: Jurassic Park, Independence Day, Asteroid City

Jeff Goldblum portrays the big bad Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but in real life he has a sweet spot for the Wicked movie cast. When he’s not sharing behind-the-scenes photos of his magical family, he’s raving about being a part of this massive film. In an interview with Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, he spoke about being a big musical theater fan and how the Broadway show got him “in the deepest way” after seeing it with the original cast.

Similar to Yeoh, Goldblum has been in major films and TV series like Jurassic Park (1993), Independence Day (1996), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2009-2010) and even had his own show, The World According to Jeff Goldblum (2019-2022). He’s also been in a ton of Wes Anderson films like The Grand Budapest (2014) and Asteroid City (2023), as well as a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Thor: Ragnarok (2017). Aside from acting, he’s also done some Broadway work and has a jazz band called Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, who have released three albums as of March 2023. 

• Character: Doctor Dillamond
• What Else He’s Been In: Game of Thrones, Cyrano, The Station Agent

Peter Dinklage joins the Wicked movie cast as the voice of Doctor Dillamond, a goat and History professor at Shiz university. In the trailer, you can hear his distinct voice warning Elphaba about the rising dark forces in Oz and I look forward to seeing Dillamond mentor the bright-eyed pupil in the film. When Dinklage joined the cast it was unclear who he would play until it was revealed in April 2024 during a CinemaCon presentation. 

Dinklage has been a part of many films and TV series, but I know him best for his roles in Elf (2003), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) and his amazing performance as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones(2011-2019) for which he won four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. His acting credits also include The Station Agent (2003), Cyrano (2021) and The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023). The actor also has theater experience in Richard III (2003) and Cyrano (2018-2019), to name a few. 

• Character: Pfannee
• What Else He’s Been In: Saturday Night Live, Fire Island, Bros

Bowen Yang portrays Pfannee, a classmate of Elphaba and Galinda at university. He collaborated closely with Chu and Grande to bring more depth to the minor character, but is warning viewers that Pfannee is nothing but a hater. “Pfanne is a hater. This guy sucks!” Yang told Gay Times.

Similar to Bailey, the Saturday Night Live star had a tough time juggling Wicked and the comedy show. However, he told People his final day on set was a rewarding experience. “I was like, ‘I can’t believe I’m, one, in Oz. Two, standing next to Ariana Grande and Michelle Yeoh, who are sharing a scene together. Three, in this film version of this musical that I love so much.’ All of it was just these different braids of surreal elements coming together as one. I’m really honored to [have] been a part of it and excited to see it.” 

Most known for being a writer on SNL before joining the cast in 2019 (and becoming the first Chinese-American cast member), Yang has appeared in series such as Girls5Eva (2021), Ziwe (2021)and Awkwafina is Nora from Queens (2020-present)—plus, rom-coms like Fire Island (2022)and Bros (2022); he’s also done voice work for The Garfield Movie (2024) and co-hosts a comedy pop culture podcast called Las Culturistas. 

• Character: Miss Coddle
• What Else She’s Been In: The Greatest Showman, The Masked Singer, Rent: Live

Keala Settle will portray a whole new character named Miss Coddle. There’s no word on her role in the film yet, but Settle sat down with Virgin Radio UK to reveal how it’s going to be the biggest film of the year. “They’re not ready, but they’ll have to be because we have two of them coming. It’s on a massive level. It was such a pleasure to work on and we filmed it here in the UK for the most part. It's a privilege to even be counted among them. It’s gonna be great,” she shared. 

The actress got her start on Broadway, where she played the role of Norma Valverde in Hands on a Hardbody (2013) and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. From there, she’s done other big productions like Hairspray (2005), Les Misérables (2014), and Waitress (2016). However, she is best known for starring in the musical film The Greatest Showman alongside Hugh Jackman and Zendaya in 2017. Most recently, she participated in The Masked Singer UK, taking fifth place in the competition. 

• Character: Boq
• What Else He’s Been In: Spongebob Squarepants, Spamalot, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Ethan Slater plays Boq, a Munchkin who attends the same university as Elphaba and Galinda. In the musical, his character is known to be in love with Galinda—despite her relationship with Fiyero. Slater is no stranger to the stage; he made his Broadway debut playing Spongebob Squarepants in the musical of the same name in 2017. A year later, he earned a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for his role.  

Previously, he was in Claudio Quest (2015), Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally (2015), Camelot (2019) and Spamalot (2023-2024). He also appeared in a few TV series such as Law & Order: Special Victim Unit (2018), Fosse/Verdon (2019) and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2023).

• Character: Gilligan
• What Else She’s Been In: Midnight Sky, Cruella, The Diplomat

Grecia De la Paz plays Gilligan, another new character created for the film. There’s not much info surrounding her character available just yet, so I’m intrigued to find out come November. The Mexican star studied at the University of the Arts London and is currently learning at the Saffron Acting Studios. She also specializes in Latin, hip hop and urban dancing. Her film and TV credits include Midnight Sky (2020), Cruella (2021) and The Diplomat (2023). Fun fact: The 30-year-old was a double for Xochitl Gomez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). It looks like De la Paz is just getting started with her career and I look forward to seeing it explode after Wicked comes out. In the meantime, she has a fantastic Instagram presence, where she’s constantly posting about her travels and sharing red carpet looks, from Barbie to Wonka.