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The Cast & Characters of Wicked Explained: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jeff Goldblum & More
Everything to know about the A-list cast of the Oz-inspired movie musical.
From bestseller to Broadway to the big screen, the enchanted land of Oz is only days away from its date with movie destiny when Wicked arrives in theaters on November 22. Set as the first in a two-part screen adaptation of the same-named Tony-winning stage production, the epic fantasy musical will carry its story across to the second installment — Wicked Part Two — which is scheduled to arrive next autumn.
Two whole Wicked movies on the way? That definitely means fans will be doubling up on their quality time with the franchise’s constellation of colorful characters. Whether it’s a leading figure like Elphaba (aka the future Wicked Witch of the West, played by Cynthia Erivo) or a supporting player like the goaty academic Doctor Dillamond (voiced by Peter Dinklage), it’s fair to say we’re gonna be seeing a lot from this gang over the next 12 months… so let’s dive in a little more and really get to know them!
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Wicked: What to know about the cast and characters
Galinda Upland (Ariana Grande)
In the iconic 1939 movie musical The Wizard of Oz, Galinda had a simple role to play. Known by her grown-up name Glinda, she was simply the Good Witch of the North, always hovering somewhere close by to bail Dorothy out of a sticky situation or two... while offering invaluable pointers about how Oz’s strange magic actually works.
In Wicked, Grammy-winning pop sensation Ariana Grande brings her huge vocal talents to the young witch’s musical role, playing Galinda Upland (in her pre-Good Witch days) as she befriends the picked-on Elphaba after the two first meet as students. Where Elphaba is unpopular at school, Galinda is just the opposite. Everyone thinks she’s pretty, she comes from a wealthy family, and yet she forms an unlikely friendship with Elphaba that has sweeping implications for the musical’s bigger story.
A smash-hit celebrity with Grande’s star power hardly needs much introduction, but her role in Wicked is still a pretty big deal. Although she began singing on Broadway at the age of 15, her upcoming turn as Galinda marks the very first time that Grande has taken on the leading role in a major feature film. She’s of course spent her whole musical career comfortably in front of the camera, often appearing in eye-catching guest spots on TV and film. Grande's also shown up simply as her sensational self in tons of music videos and reality appearances — including her stint as a Coach on Season 21 of NBC’s The Voice. In the Broadway version of Wicked, the role of Galinda was made famous by stage icon Kristin Chenoweth.
Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo)
In Frank Baum’s classic original novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, it was easy to pick out the Wicked Witch of the West as the story’s main baddie. In Wicked, though, things get a bit more complicated, as the clock dials back to explore her youthful origins in Oz long before a Kansas tornado ever swept Dorothy into the picture.
Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) is the name the Wicked Witch went by back in those days, and alongside the decidedly less-edgy (and less green) Galinda Upland, she’s easily the most recognizable character anchoring Wicked’s sweeping story. As fans familiar with Wicked’s stage production know, Elphaba was famously played by Idina Menzel during the Broadway musical’s original run.
As a student at Wicked’s Shiz University (think of it as Oz’s fictional answer to Oxford), Elphaba’s sort of a social outcast — especially compared to the super-popular Galinda. Eventually, she rebels against the Wizard’s corrupt and prejudiced rule over Oz, in the process transforming into the Wicked Witch of the West.
Fans are likely already familiar with Erivo thanks to her award-winning work across stage, film, and television. She scored both a Tony and a Grammy for her Broadway stint as Celie in the 2015-2017 stage run of The Color Purple, earned an Oscar nod for her role as Harriet Tubman in the 2019 biopic movie Harriet, and picked up an Emmy nomination for her role as Aretha Franklin in the small-screen anthology Genius: Aretha. Along the way, Erivo also led the cast of the 2020 horror-thriller series The Outsider, and turned heads on the big screen as singer Darlene Sweet in 2018’s Bad Times at the El Royale.
RELATED: The History and Legacy of The Wizard of Oz: Remembering the Yellow Brick Road Before Wicked
Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh)
Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh applies her talents to the role of Madame Morrible in Wicked, playing the headmistress of Shiz University where Elphaba and Galinda first kick off their fateful friendship. Like any proper headmistress, she’s stern, well-connected in Oz’s stinky political circles, and has some pretty strong opinions — especially when it comes to animals (like the goat professor played by Peter Dinklage) and their second-tier place in Oz’s social pecking order.
Iconic on U.S. shores ever since breaking into Hollywood as a Bond girl in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Yeoh scored her first leading role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) and has since been seen in oodles of high-profile film and small-screen spaces, from her recurring turns in the Star Trek franchise to Marvel movies, Crazy Rich Asians (2018), and her Oscar-winning performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum)
Just about everyone knows who the Wonderful Wizard of Oz is, and that probably goes double for the inimitable Jeff Goldblum, the hilariously offbeat star set to play Oz’s chief charlatan in Wicked’s screen adaptation. In the Wicked musical, the Wizard’s backstory is pretty wild: He has deep, hidden ties to Elphaba that only emerge once the story’s set in motion, though he’s still the same petty, dictatorial phony power broker who fans of the 1939 movie musical still love to loathe.
Beloved whether he’s playing himself or getting into character, Goldblum’s been absolutely everywhere onscreen after his Hollywood career first got buzzing in 1980s horror-movie hit The Fly. Since then, Goldblum has starred in some of the biggest blockbusters of all time, including his iconic turn as Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park (1993), in Independence Day (1996), as well as their ensuing franchise sequels. He’s shown up more than once in the Marvel movie-verse, stolen the show in an entire quartet of quirky Wes Anderson flicks, and even scored an Emmy for his memorable guest role on NBC’s Will and Grace.
RELATED: What Is Shiz University? Wicked Author Gregory Maguire on the Origin of Oz's School for Magic
Doctor Dillamond (Peter Dinklage)
You might not see Emmy-winning Game of Thrones standout Peter Dinklage onscreen in Wicked, but make no mistake, he’s definitely there. Known to GoT fans for his way with words as Tyrion Lannister, Dinklage is set to provide the voice of Wicked’s Doctor Dillamond, a learned goat who delivers lessons to Elphaba and Galinda as a History professor at Shiz University.
Fiyero Tigelaar (Jonathan Bailey)
An early classmate of Galinda and Elphaba, Fiyero Tigelaar is a dashing, carefree prince who catches Elphaba’s eye and strikes up a romantic affair early on. English actor Jonathan Bailey is set to play Fiyero in the film, bringing an award-winning background in British theater as well as a heavy dose of star power as one of the leading players in the hit small-screen series Bridgerton.
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Boq Woodman (Ethan Slater)
After drawing Broadway raves for his Tony-nominated performance as the titular squishy star of the SpongeBob SquarePants musical, Ethan Slater joins the Wicked film cast as Boq Woodman, a lovestruck Munchkin with his heart set on Galinda. It’s an onscreen arrangement that’s not too far from the real-life truth, either, as recent media reports are all abuzz over the romantic relationship between Slater and Grande (who plays Galinda).
Pfannee of Phan Hall (Bowen Yang)
In Wicked, he’s known as Pfannee of Phan Hall — but on Saturday Night Live, he’s known as just plain funny. SNL mainstay Bowen Yang will play the Munchkinland native in Wicked, with Pfannee rounding out the edges of Galinda’s social circle as one of her Shiz University friends.
Nessarose Thropp (Marissa Bode)
In her first major movie role, Marissa Bode — disabled since a real-life childhood auto accident — will star in Wicked as Nessarose Thropp, Elphaba’s paraplegic little sister. You’ve gotta watch out for Nessarose: Her beauty is a sore spot for the envious Elphaba, leading to a family antagonism that's bound to call each sister’s loyalty into question.
Ready to get Wicked starting on November 22? Grab a wand and score your magic movie tickets here!
