Upcoming musical adaptation Wicked boasts an impressive roster of showbiz A-listers and rising stars. Here’s a round-up of all the major actors in Wicked, along with the wider cast list.
All Major Actors & Cast List for Wicked
Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp
English actor and singer Cynthia Erivo stars as Elphaba Thropp, the future Wicked Witch of the West. Erivo rose to prominence on TV via the likes of Chewing Gum and The Tunnel. She soon found even greater success on the stage, winning several awards for the Broadway revival of The Color Purple.
High-profile big screen projects followed, including 2018’s Widows and 2019’s Harriet. The latter nabbed Erivo two Oscar nominations, for Best Actress and Best Original Song. Erivo’s other notable film credits include Bad Times at the El Royale, Disney’s Pinocchio, and Luther: The Fallen Sun.
Ariana Grande as Glinda Upland
Ariana Grande portrays Glinda Upland, the future Good Witch of the North. One of the most influential pop music singer-songwriters of her generation, Grande got her start in Broadway musical 13. She subsequently starred in Nickelodeon sitcom Victorious, before rocketing into the music industry’s big leagues with her second studio album, 2014’s My Everything.
Since then, Grande has focused primarily on her music career, as well as a raft of business ventures and charitable causes. That said, she’s nevertheless cropped up in several big and small screen productions, including Zoolander 2, Don’t Look Up, Men in Black: International, and Kidding. Wicked is Grande’s biggest acting role to date.
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Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible
Oscar-winning actor Michelle Yeoh plays Madame Morrible, one of Wicked‘s major antagonists. Yeoh began her 41-year acting career as a 1980s Hong Kong cinema action star. Notable productions she starred in during this period include Yes, Madam, Police Story 3: Supercop, and Holy Weapon – all of which saw Yeoh perform her own stunts.
Yeoh attained a new level of stardom in the late 90s, after wowing international audiences with her turn opposite Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond in Tomorrow Never Dies. A key role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon soon followed, cementing Yeoh’s global fame. Numerous Hollywood projects came next, culminating in Everything Everywhere All at Once, for which Yeoh nabbed her Academy Award.
Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz
Pop culture icon Jeff Goldblum stars as the Wizard of Oz, Wicked‘s other big villain. Beloved for his idiosyncratic acting style, Goldblum’s most noteworthy movies include The Fly, The Big Chill, Jurassic Park, and Independence Day. He also frequently collaborates with acclaimed auteur Wes Anderson, appearing in critical darlings such as The Grand Budapest Hotel and Asteroid City.
Goldblum’s a regular fixture in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well. The Pennsylvania native made a brief cameo as the villainous Grandmaster in 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, before making his full MCU debut in Thor: Ragnarok later that same year. He later reprised the role in the Disney+ animated anthology series What If…?.
Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar
Jonathan Bailey portrays Fiyero Tigelaar, Elphaba’s love interest in Wicked. Bailey kicked off his acting career early, appearing in West End shows such as Les Miserables at only eight years old. These performances paved the way for widely acclaimed grown-up performances in both classical and contemporary shows and musicals.
But without a doubt, Bailey’s most well-known role is as Lord Anthony Bridgerton in Netflix’s Regency romance series Bridgerton. Bailey stars Bridgerton‘s two seasons released to date, and is locked in to return for Season 3. The English actor’s other film and TV credits include St Trinian’s, Doctor Who, Broadchurch, and Jack Ryan.
Related: Moviegoers Are Finding Out the Hard Way Mean Girls Is a Musical
Ethan Slater as Boq
Ethan Slater plays Boq, a Munchkin with a crush on Glinda. Slater’s most high-profile project pre-Wicked is SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical, in which he filled the titular role. He’s also a key member of the ensemble cast for the recent Broadway revival of Monty Python musical Spamalot.
Slater has appeared in several features, short films, and TV shows, too. Of these, the most well-known are Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Instinct. Like several of his co-stars, Wicked is Slater’s first Hollywood blockbuster.
Additional Actors in Wicked
Aside from the stars listed above, Wicked‘s cast also includes the following actors:
- Marissa Bode as Nessarose Thropp
- Bowen Yang as Pfannee
- Bronwyn James as ShenShen
- Keala Settle as Miss Coddle
- Aaron Teoh as Averic
- Colin Michael Carmichael as Professor Nikidik
- Adam James as Glinda’s father
Wicked arrives in cinemas on Nov. 27, 2024
