Ariana Grande Helps Competing Actresses Prepare for Glinda Auditions

Ariana Grande brought other actresses to her vocal coach, Eric Vetro, during auditions for the Glinda role in the film version of Wicked, pushing competing performers to work with him. She even sang with one at his Los Angeles home.

"She actually encouraged some of the other girls and said, 'You really should go see Eric and work on it with him,'" Vetro said, according to People. "She brought one of the girls over and they sang together here. Isn't that amazing?"

The 69-year-old vocal coach received a call from another actress whom Grande had sent his way. Vetro couldn't fathom why she was pushing other performers who wanted the same part.

Grande's mother, Joan, also questioned her daughter's choice to help competitors. "Her mom said, 'Is she crazy? Why is she bringing people over for you to help them?' And I said, 'Well, because I think that's just who she is. She's very generous like that,'" Vetro told People.

"She was very confident in herself, too, but I think she also loved [Wicked] so much that she wanted the right person to get it," Vetro said. He was stunned. "But I couldn't believe it."

The singer won the role of Glinda opposite Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba in director Jon M. Chu's film version. She got her first Academy Award nomination earlier this year in the Best Supporting Actress category for the 2024 release.

Vetro described his client as confident but not arrogant. "There is no ego involved with it, which is really unusual in a lot of ways and really special. And that's what makes her so much fun to work with," he said.

Vetro also worked with Grande on the 2025 sequel Wicked: For Good. He said the "Eternal Sunshine" singer takes her work with seriousness but also has a great sense of humor.