Amanda Seyfried wanted to defy gravity, but the universe said, “Nah, sis.”
The 39-year-old actress recently spilled the tea on how she auditioned to play Glinda in the upcoming Wicked movies—only to watch the role float off in a giant pink bubble to Ariana Grande instead. Brutal.
Now, Amanda isn’t just some random Wicked hopeful who thought she could just waltz in and sing Popular—she actually has musical street cred. She starred in Mamma Mia, where she sang ABBA songs in picturesque locations while Meryl Streep emotionally twirled around her. Universal Pictures even moved Wicked’s original release date to make room for the Mamma Mia sequel. So Amanda was like, “Hey, maybe the stars are aligning for me to be the next Broadway-to-Hollywood princess.” Spoiler: They weren’t.
Amanda’s Master Plan (That Did Not Work)
Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Amanda revealed that she was playing some next-level 4D chess, thinking the scheduling gods were on her side.
“I knew Wicked was happening because Mamma Mia 2 stole its release date,” she said. “So when that happened, I was like, ‘Okay, they’re pushing Wicked. That gives me time to manifest my Glinda era.’”
And she DID prepare. Amanda wasn’t about to half-step this. She trained her voice, she put in the work, and she hit those high notes like a woman on a mission.
“I’ve never felt that solid in my voice,” she admitted. But apparently, Wicked’s casting directors were looking for someone just a little bit more… Arianic? (Is that a word? It is now.)
Still a Wicked Fan, Despite the Wound
Even though she didn’t get the part, Amanda is still an unshakable Wicked stan.
“We listen to ‘Defying Gravity’ every day,” she revealed. (Which honestly? Sounds emotionally exhausting, but okay.)
Also, silver lining—she got to sing with Cynthia Erivo, who is starring in the movie. And according to Amanda, that was a moment.
Was it enough to ease the heartbreak of not getting to be Glinda? Probably not. But hey, at least she got to duet with a Tony-winning goddess, and that’s not too shabby.
Check out her full interview below! (And maybe send her a pink glittery care package, just in case she’s still feeling the loss.)