Before I saw Wicked, I was fully prepared to say “this is not for me.” But then I watched it and… yeah, I enjoyed it. Was it the best thing ever? Eh, that’s an impossible standard, but it was fine-to-good. What really surprised me was how much I enjoyed both Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Both women really worked their asses off and you could see it on screen. Well, now both women are Oscar-nominated for their performances, Cynthia as the lead actress category and Ariana in supporting. To celebrate her first Oscar nomination, Ari posted this on her social media:
picking my head up in between sobs to say thank you so much to @theacademy for this unfathomable recognition. i cannot stop crying, to no one’s surprise. i’m humbled and deeply honored to be in such brilliant company and sharing this with tiny ari who sat and studied Judy Garland singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow just before the big, beautiful bubble entered. i’m so proud of you, tiny.
thank you again, from the bottom of my heart, for this acknowledgement @theacademy.
thank you @jonmchu for taking this chance on me and for being the most unbelievably brilliant leader, human being, and most fierce friend. i am so deeply proud of my beautiful Wicked family. i am so proud of my Elphie, my sister, my dear @cynthiaerivo. your brilliance is never ending and you deserve every flower (tulip) in every garden. i love you unconditionally, always.
i don’t quite have all my words yet, i’m still trying to breathe. but thank you. oh my goodness, thank you. Universal, Marc, my family, my heart.
lemons and melons and pears, oh my.
Real talk: if Ariana was a less messy person or she had a less scandalous romantic life, I actually think she would be a major contender. I’m not even joking, she was really good in Wicked and she absolutely deserves this nomination. I’m just saying, she probably could have won if she and Ethan Slater didn’t have an affair and wreck both of their marriages (ON THIS FILM!). Alas, my guess/hope is that Lilly Jay’s well-timed essay last month was the final word on Ariana’s Oscar chances. As it should be.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
