Ariana Grande Reflects on Playing Glinda in Wicked: 'The Privilege of My Life'
Ariana Grande wrote a touching and heartfelt letter of appreciation to the American Critics Choice Association (CCA) ahead of the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards ceremony.
The “Thank U, Next” singer was nominated for her performance as Galinda “Glinda” Upland in Wicked: For Good. The film received seven nominations in total.
A member of the CCA shared her letter on X/Twitter at the end of December 2025. Her account has since been made private, but a fan account reshared it.
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“Playing Glinda has been the privilege of my life and the most demanding role of my career,” Ariana wrote, calling the character one that invited her to explore deeper themes beyond the spectacle. She explained that Glinda’s purpose is “to invite the audience to look outside themselves and consider that it’s never too late to become part of the solution or an ally, especially in a time of deep division.”
The pop star and actress shared that one of the biggest challenges was making that message feel grounded rather than idealized. “Much of the work was playing what she does not yet see but what she feels,” Ariana explained, noting that Glinda exists inside a system that rewards spectacle and obedience before it ever becomes frightening to her.
According to Ariana, Glinda starts the story “as a privileged young woman so desperate for external approval that she doesn’t yet recognize her own emptiness.” She said the key to the performance was allowing that emptiness to exist quietly beneath the character’s humor, “never announcing it or judging it,” she wrote. “When her light is turned on, the darkness is just beneath the surface.”
The two-time Grammy winner also detailed the intense preparation required for the role, calling it “such a rare opportunity to play a character that requires you to use every single tool available in the toolbox.” She revealed that she began training three months before her audition “to be able to sing operatically and to erase all familiarity and tone that exists in my usual singing voice,” allowing the voice to function as an extension of Glinda’s psychology.
Reflecting on the experience, Ariana said the role drew on everything she’s learned as a performer and pushed her emotionally and creatively. Glinda, she shared, made her “laugh, cry, dance, sing, float, smile, and crumble.”
Ariana continued, writing, “I don’t know if I’ll ever again play a character that contains so many multitudes and I’ll cherish this experience and this challenge for the rest of my life. I’d do it all again tomorrow if I could.”
She concluded by thanking voters for taking the time to watch a film she said the entire cast and crew are “so endlessly proud of.”
This year’s Critics’ Choice Awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, January 4, broadcast on USA Network and E!. Chelsea Handler is hosting for the fourth year in a row.