“Sad but Ariana slayed”- Netizens react as Amanda Seyfried reveals she auditioned 6 times for the role of Glinda in Wicked

Amanda Seyfried has opened up about her extended audition process for the film adaptation of Wicked, revealing that she auditioned six times for the role of Glinda. Although the part ultimately went to Ariana Grande, Seyfried said the process was one of the most committed efforts of her career.

She shared new details about the experience during an episode of Backstage’s In the Envelope podcast, released on Thursday, June 19, 2025.

Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) posted a snippet of the podcast interview on X (formerly Twitter) where Amanda Seyfried is seen talking about her efforts to audition for the role of Glinda.

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While fans expressed sympathy for Amanda's efforts, they affirmed that Ariana Grande was a good casting choice for the role.

"Sad but Ariana slayed," one netizen said.

Some other fans chimed in with similar opinions.

"She’s a great actress but Ariana is the perfect Glinda," one fan commented. "Tbh, Amanda already had les mis and mamma mia, it’s okay to let someone else have a go at one of the big musicals. I personally think if it hadn’t been Ari it should have been Dove. But y’all can’t deny Ari’s portrayal is fantastic," another fan said, talking about different casting choices.

Some fans also expressed that Amanda Seyfried would have been a good option for the role of Glinda, and that she had supportive of the final casting choices, with a few adding that it was only natural to feel strongly after working hard for a role.

"Before y’all start hating, she was asked this in an interview & she’s valid to feel a little hurt about not getting a role that she also worked hard for. she’s been nothing but supportive to ariana & cynthia, so stop your forced hatred!," one fan said in support of Amanda Seyfried. "She would’ve been perfect, just like Ariana," another fan commented. "TBF, this was a monumental role and to not get it after six tries is really sad. She’s allowed to be heartbroken y’all," a fan commented under the post by Buzzing Pop.

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More on what Amanda Seyfried said about the role of Glinda in Wicked

Speaking on the June 19, 2025 episode of Backstage’s In the Envelope podcast, Amanda Seyfried, 39, talked about how she had often auditioned for musicals. This included the role of Glinda in Wicked, which was ultimately played by Ariana Grande.

She confirmed that she auditioned six times for both Wicked and Les Misérables. For the latter, she ultimately ended up playing Cosette.

“But I like, of course, I talked about this a lot. I auditioned like six times for Wicked. Because that had to be really just right. And I loved it,” she said.

Amanda Seyfried also mentioned major scheduling challenges during the audition process, which took place while she was filming the 2022 drama miniseries The Dropout. Her work in the show earned her an award at the 74th Emmy Awards. In spite of the scheduling issues, she said she was determined to make the auditions work.

“I was busy. I barely had time to do it, but I made it work... I worked my a** off for years and years and years on that music,” she said.

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Amanda Seyfried has talked about auditioning for Glinda before

Amanda Seyfried first mentioned her Wicked audition during a March 2025 episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast. She said that she had even performed with Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba in the film, during the audition process.

“I also got to sing with Cynthia, and that was a moment in itself," she said.

Though she did not get the part, she told host Josh Horowitz that she felt confident in her vocal performance.

“I’ve never felt that solid in my voice than I did at the auditions. And that’s kind of what I got out of it,” she said.

Amanda Seyfried has previously said that she was motivated to audition for Wicked in part because she was dissatisfied with her vocal performance in Les Misérables. The experience, she said, gave her a new perspective on her growth as a performer.

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Ariana Grande was ultimately cast as Glinda in Wicked, which was released in theaters by Universal Pictures in 2024. Grande received widespread recognition for her performance and was nominated for an Academy Award for her the same.

Edited by Arunava Dutta