Ethan Slater Reacts to Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Crying at ‘Wicked’ Press Tour: EXCLUSIVE

On By Littum

Ethan Slater is aware that his “Wicked” co-stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo keep crying at the film’s press tour.

“They’re so much fun,” he tells TODAY.com, eyes crinkling with genuine affection.

“They’re both like, after a whole day of junkets, ‘Well, we cried 100 times again.’ Everyone will probably be so annoyed.’ But I think it comes from a really genuine place,” he continues.

Slater, a Broadway performer turned movie star, appears in the two-part “Wicked” adaptation as a somewhat hapless Munchkinlander named Boq. “Wicked” is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 retelling of L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”

The introduction to the first part, which was released in theaters on November 22, has been characterized by Erivo and Grande’s emotional memories of the making of the film. Their interviews, which often end in tears, have been created viral clips and parodies.

Erivo plays Elphaba, who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, and Grande is Glinda the Good. But in the “Wicked” timeline, the two are roommates who start out as enemies and then become best friends.

Slater says the press tour is emotional for Grande and Erivo because their real-life friendship mimics Elphaba and Glinda’s.

“I think it’s an emotional process to delve into characters that go through a journey like that,” Slater tells TODAY.com. “It has been a really long and intense process. When you do that, you really bond with the people you’re around.”

Grande and Erivo’s isn’t the only love story born from “Wicked”: Slater and Grande began dating after meeting while filming and have shared some moments together on the red carpet.

Despite that, Slater says that Grande and Erivo “kind of is soul mates.”

“Their friendship is really real and really deep and really informed by the work that they did together. I think they’re going to talk about and get to reflect on that while they’re still in the middle of it,” he says. .

During an interview with Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie that aired on TODAY, Nov. 14, Erivo and Grande talked about their tears.

“We definitely cried through interviews,” Erivo said.

“Yes, we’re sorry. Much to the annoyance of many,” Grande said.

“We can’t help it, it just happens. … It’s been such a long journey,” Erivo said. “For both of us, it’s a huge dream come true.”

Slater tells TODAY.com that he has also been emotional during the press tour.

He says he choked up during an interview with co-star Marissa Bode, who plays Elphaba’s younger sister, Nessarose. Bode has made history as the first actor to use a wheelchair to play Nessarose.

The interviewer brought a comment on a post about Bode. “One of the comments said, “Marissa, you are an inspiration. I’m a wheelchair user who always wanted to be an actor and seeing you do this makes me feel like I can pursue my dreams.’ The importance of representation, in addition to her beautiful performance in the film, was a really moving thing,” he says.

“It’s beautiful to see the impact that has and to be a part of that history with her. It’s an honor.”