- She’s one of the world’s biggest pop stars – but Ariana Grande is going by a new name for her latest movie
- Grande has added a second surname to the Wicked credits
- She said the decision made her father cry
November is a huge month for Hollywood – with movies such as Gladiator II, Red One and Moana 2 set to hit theaters.
And, of course, the first part of the Wicked franchise is set to drop on November 22.
With the cast – including Cynthia Erivo, Jeff Goldblum and Jonathan Bailey – all currently on the movie’s press tour, fans are hooked to what another of the film’s favorites has to say.
Playing the part of Glinda, Ariana Grande has been stunning in ball gowns fit for the Good Witch at the various premieres of the film.
But it’s not just her outfits that have caught fans’ attention – as Grande is credited under her full name in the film.
The Dangerous Woman singer explained the choice to be known as Ariana Grande-Butera in the movie.
“That was my name when I first saw Wicked, and I do feel – not to sound like a broken record – but I do feel like this role and this project helped me come home to little Ari,” Grande, 31, explained. “Maybe little pieces of her got lost along the way in this crazy industry. And I’m so grateful for the ways in which this experience led me back, so I kind of just wanted to capture that.”
Speaking to her co-star Erivo, 37 – who plays Elphaba in the movie – Grande added, “It happened so randomly. I literally was like… remember, I texted you? I said, ‘I haven’t told anyone, but I think I’m doing this.’”
But it wasn’t just Grande who got emotional at the change – her father, Edward, also filled up when he heard the news.
“My dad cried – I surprised him,” Grande revealed. “Jon [M. Chu, the director] was so generous. He sent me – before he was supposed to send me, sorry Universal, cat’s out of the bag! – he sent me the credits, because he knew people were going to start seeing it soon, and he was scared someone was going to talk about it before my dad got to see it.
“So I pulled it up on my laptop and I recorded him secretly, and I told him I wanted to show him the typography of the credits – because he’s a graphic designer, he loves that stuff. Anyway, it was a big surprise and he cried. It was very emotional.”
‘My heart is very happy’
Grande shared another happiness this week – her joy at the world’s reaction to her boyfriend, Ethan Slater.
The actor, 32, who plays Boq in the movie, was pictured carrying Grande’s floor-length ball gown down a flight of stairs in Australia – and his actions didn’t go unnoticed.
In a chat with Entertainment Tonight, Grande was asked “how adorable” she found the sweet gesture.
“It’s always that,” smiled the Dangerous Woman singer. “He’s always that adorable and he’s so amazing in this film. He’s such an amazing person, I’m so happy people are getting to know him. My heart is very happy.”
Grande separated from her ex-husband Dalton Gomez in February 2023, after two years of marriage.
Just days after news broke of her split in July of that year, a source close to the situation revealed Grande was dating Slater – who was also going through a separation from his wife Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a two-year-old son.
