Ariana Grande would have ended up 'in an insane asylum' without Wicked prep

Ariana Grande thinks she'd have "ended up in an insane asylum" if she hadn't done so much preparation for Wicked.

The Thank U, Next hitmaker plays Glinda in the two-part adaptation of the beloved musical and she was determined to win the role on merit by pushing herself to the limit.

She recently told Britain's HELLO! Magazine: "There were so many reasons why I wanted to do this but I wanted to earn it.

"Vocally it's very different to what I usually sing, so I started training every single day with my vocal coach and my acting coach.

"Whatever was asked, I wanted to be able to drop in and really become Glinda.

"I gave my everything to it and paused everything else — I really wanted it.

"I do think, though, if it hadn't happened, I might have ended up in an insane asylum. It's a very different experience than anything else, for sure."

The 31-year-old star felt an "immediate safety" when she met co-star Cynthia Erivo — who plays Elphaba — for the first time and their bond helped them both throughout filming.

Recalling their first meeting, she said: "We were at her house. We talked about everything and giggled.

"I felt an immediate safety. And we made a pact to take care of each other.

"I was s******* my pants.

"But she's the warmest human being.

"That promise that we made to each other and how we kept it is one of the things we're proudest of.

"We have a lot of strange, similar, traumas and pains that we've been through.

"I've felt really isolated in mine because they've been somewhat specific.

"But playing a character that made me feel less alone, because they're similar, is something I needed in my life."

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