Ariana Grande has explained exactly why her full name appears in the credits of her new movie Wicked.
Following preview screenings of the Jon M. Chu-directed film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name, viewers noted Ariana is called Ariana Grande-Butera in the credits.
Ariana, who plays Glinda in the upcoming feature, is currently in Sydney, Australia alongside Elphaba actress Cynthia Erivo. During an interview for a local radio station on Monday, she spoke openly about her reasoning for the move.
“Technically, it’s my little girl name! It’s little Ari name (sic),” she told a reporter for Hit 104.7 Canberra, referring to the name she used growing up. “I just feel like this experience was such a homecoming for me. I feel like I came home to myself in a lot of ways through what I learned from Glinda, from Elphaba.”
Ariana, whose parents are Joan Grande and Edward Butera, went on to note that she went by the surname Grande-Butera when first saw the Wicked stage musical as a girl.
“That was my name when I went to see the show when I was 10 years old. It felt like a really lovely way of honouring that. It felt really full circle. It just felt like something I wanted to do,” she continued.
Wicked – Part 1 is set to open in theatres on 22 November, with the sequel slated for release in November 2025.
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