Last month, a spokesperson for Universal was forced to shut down rumors of a multimillion-dollar pay disparity between the two lead stars of the Wicked movie.
In case you missed it, unsubstantiated online reports suggested that Ariana Grande was paid $15 million for playing Glinda. In comparison, it was claimed that her costar, Cynthia Erivo, only received $1 million for her portrayal of Elphaba.
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Wicked had a record-breaking box office opening in November, and both actors are receiving widespread critical acclaim for their stunning performances in the musical adaptation.
As the rumors began gaining traction, a representative from Universal was forced to speak out, making it clear that “the women received equal pay for their work on Wicked.”
“Reports of pay disparity between Cynthia and Ariana are completely false and based on internet fodder,” a spokesperson for the production company said in a statement provided to outlets like the Hollywood Reporter and Variety.
Since then, there has been no official word on how much Cynthia and Ariana were actually paid, and neither of the actors has directly addressed the rumors. Although Ari recently opened up about how important it was for her and Cynthia to be “aligned” when it came to the small print.
Notably, Ariana said she thought fans would be surprised by how deep this pact went — and proceeded to tell the story of getting her contract for the movie and immediately calling Cynthia so that they could run through it together.
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“I called her and I was like, ‘Hey, let’s go through this thing. Let’s go beat per beat through this together and make sure we are aligned in what we need,’” the singer recalled telling Cynthia. “‘Because if you need something, we need it together. I want us to have each other’s backs. Your problems become my problems, and mine become yours.’”
The costars’ tight bond became the subject of a lot of discourse on the Wicked press tour — prompting even Ariana to joke that their emotional dynamic is “insufferable.” But, at the heart of it all, Ari said that it’s “impossible to really share the depths” of their relationship, both as friends and colleagues.
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“We started creating that long before we ever got to set, and I think it was a really important part of the work that we did,” she said of her close bond with Cynthia. “I’m really grateful because it’s one of the things that I’m most proud of is how we nurtured each other.”
