Ariana Grande explained the touching reason she used her real name in the \u00ab\u00a0Wicked: For Good\u00a0\u00bb credits.<\/b>
\nAriana Grande opted out of using her stage name in the \u201cWicked: For Good\u201d credits.
The Grammy winner, born Ariana Grande-Butera, opened up about the touching reason why she did so during press for \u201cWicked\u201d last year.
\u201cTechnically, it\u2019s my little girl name,\u201d the \u201cVictorious\u201d alum, 32, explained during the \u201cStreaming Service With Justin Hill\u201d podcast in November 2024. \u201cTechnically, it\u2019s little Ari\u2019s name.\u201d
Grande, notably, is the actress\u2019 mother Joan\u2019s surname, while Butera is father Edward\u2019s last name.
She went on to call her role in the adaptation as Glinda a \u201chomecoming\u201d for her childhood self.
\u201cI feel like I came home to myself in a lot of ways through what I learned,\u201d the singer said of lessons from both her character and Cynthia Erivo\u2019s Elphaba.
\u201cThat was my name when I went to see the [Broadway] show when I was 10 years old,\u201d she recalled, noting that using her real name \u201cfelt like a really lovely way of honoring that.\u201d
The choice was something she \u201creally wanted\u201d and \u201cfelt really full circle.\u201d
She agreed with host Justin Hill that it was a \u201clove note\u201d to herself \u2014 and to her dad, who \u201ccried\u201d over the \u201cemotional\u201d gesture.
\u201cI pulled it up on my laptop and I recorded him secretly,\u201d the former Nickelodeon star remembered. \u201cI told him I wanted to show him the typography of the credits because he\u2019s a graphic designer, he loves that stuff. It was a big surprise.\u201d
She hasn\u2019t spoken about doubling down on the decision for film\u2019s second installment, out Friday.
As Grande and Erivo did last time around, the co-stars have continued making headlines for their close bond while promoting \u201cWicked: For Good.\u201d
Not only did Erivo, 38, step in when a crazed fan ambushed Grande at the movie\u2019s Singapore premiere, but the hitmaker spoke on the \u201cGood Hang\u201d podcast about why they like to \u201ctouch each other\u201d so much.
The \u201cSam & Cat\u201d alum explained that she \u201cchannel[s] a lot of energy through [her] hands.\u201d
She \u201cdidn\u2019t even notice that was a thing about\u201d her until viral moments from the press tour.<\/p>\n