When you think of Grammy award-winning singer Ariana Grande, you may think of her hit pop songs or her makeup line R.E.M. Beauty but she’s also had quite a successful acting career. What follows is an exploration of Grande’s acting career that takes you from her earliest days voicing a character, initially rising to stardom on Nickelodeon and, now, elevating herself to all-new heights in the two-part movie adaptation of Wicked.
Ariana Grande’s early acting career & time on Nickelodeon
Born on June 26, 1993, in Boca Raton, Florida, Grande began acting at a very young age. At 16, she guest-starred in a 2009 episode of the show The Battery’s Down, while in 2010 she was brought in to voice a character called Snowflake in the English version of the film Snowflake, the White Gorilla.
At age 17, Grande earned her first starring role in the Nickelodeon show Victorious. From 2010 to 2013, she played Cat Valentine, a character with bright red hair and a vacant and ditsy personality, which she reprised in the spin-off series Sam & Cat from 2013 to 2014.
Both shows were created by Dan Schneider, who was recently accused of gender discrimination, racist remarks and inappropriate behavior with the child actors on set.
Grande opened up about her thoughts on these accusations, saying at the time she wasn’t aware of any wrongdoing.
“Speaking specifically about our show, I think that was something that we were convinced was the cool thing about us. We pushed the envelope with our humor, and the innuendos were, [but] we were told and convinced that it was the cool differentiation,” the singer said. “It just all happened so quickly, and now, looking back on some of the clips, I’m like, ‘D*mn, really? Oh sh*t.’”
She has also noted in a separate interview that she does “think we had some very special memories, and we feel so privileged to have been able to create those roles and be a part of something that was so special for a lot of young kids.”
But after all of the allegations against Schneider came out, and the documentary Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV released, Grande said she does “think we’re reprocessing our relationship to it now.”
Ariana Grande in ‘Scream Queens’
Grande’s other major role was in the comedy horror show Scream Queens, which aired from 2015 to 2016 and starred Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Roberts, Nick Jonas, Lea Michele, Glen Powell, Niecy Nash and Oliver Hudson.
Grande played Chanel #2, a character who was killed off after four episodes, but she didn’t care, saying in an interview, “When I got the chance to meet with him [Ryan Murphy, the show’s creator], I was, like, ‘Whatever you want me to do, I’m down.’ I’ll play any role, I’ll be the first one to die, the villain, I’ll be anything you want.’”
Starring in ‘Wicked’
Grande’s forthcoming role is certainly going to be a grand and very pink one. The singer stars as Glinda The Good Witch in the 2024 Wicked movie alongside Cynthia Ervio, who Grande has become close friends with.
“Cynthia and I have really loved to shop in character,” Grande said. “I just wanted to live in the DNA and mindset of the character. Now I love the color pink, and it feels like part of me. I think it’s something I’ll be forever intertwined with in a very special way.”
Wicked is set to hit theaters on November 22 and we can’t wait to see Grande sing “Popular.”
