Fans of the much-anticipated ‘Wicked’ film have been left baffled by an ‘uncomfortable’ interview with its two stars – who discuss ‘holding space’ for the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity’.
The viral clip is the latest in an emotional press tour from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, which has seen them repeatedly break down in tears while discussing the film.
Wicked: Part One – which opened in cinemas on 22 November – is an adaptation of the much-loved stage musical, that first debuted on Broadway more than 20 years ago.
In the interview, for Out Magazine, journalist Tracey E Gilchrist mentions the film’s closing number – ‘Defying Gravity’ – and claims people are ‘taking the lyrics’ and ‘really holding space with that’.
Erivo, 37, who portrays Elphaba Thropp, holds her hand to her chest, and says: ‘I didn’t know that was happening. That’s really powerful. That’s what I wanted.’
Fans of the much-anticipated ‘Wicked’ film have been left baffled by an ‘uncomfortable’ interview with its two stars
The exchange quickly gained traction on social media, with fans of the film baffled by what the conversation even means – and the fact it relates to a 20-year-old song.
One person said: ‘I’m holding space for the video about holding space for the Defying Gravity lyrics. I don’t understand what holding space means or why it’s so powerful but I’m holding space for the potential to understand the space I’m holding.’
Another added: ‘I’ve watched this like 30 times, and I still can’t parse a single thing going on here.’
A third asked if the cast of ‘Wicked’ are okay. She said: ‘I am obsessed with whatever on Earth is going on with the cast of Wicked. Every press interview I’ve seen has been bizarre.
‘Are they okay? What is happening?’Â
Another person said the interview in general had ‘weird and uncomfortable vibes’.Â
Others simply mocked the language used by Gilchrist, with the phrase ‘holding space for the lyrics of Defying Gravity’ quickly becoming a joke on social media.
But some pointed to another strange moment in the same interview, in which Ariana Grande – who plays Glinda Upland in the film – appears to caress her co-star’s finger as she speaks.
The viral clip is the latest in an emotional press tour from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, which has seen them repeatedly break down in tears while discussing the film
Wicked: Part One – which opened in cinemas on 22 November – is an adaptation of the much-loved stage musical, that first debuted on Broadway more than 20 years ago
Grande, 31, also appeared emotional over the ‘Defying Gravity’ remarks, and reached out to grab her co-star’s pointer finger in an apparent display of support.
‘What was this?’ one person wrote on X alongside a screenshot of Grande’s hand wrapped around Erivo’s finger.Â
‘Is this a sketch comedy show or something?’ asked someone else.
Another user added, ‘The finger grab,’ along with a skull emoji.
‘Watching this makes me feel like I’m huffing gasoline, it’s so surreal, like why is Ariana holding her singular finger like that?’ read a fourth tweet.
In the interview, for Out Magazine, journalist Tracey E Gilchrist mentions the film’s closing number – ‘Defying Gravity’ – and claims people are ‘taking the lyrics’ and ‘really holding space with that’
The exchange quickly gained traction on social media, with fans of the film baffled by what the conversation even means – and the fact it relates to a 20-year-old song
This interview is far from the first time Erivo and Grande have raised eyebrows for their behaviour while on a busy global press tour for Wicked.
During a slew of interviews and red carpet events, the stars have broken down in tears on multiple occasions – even once apologising for doing so.
‘We’ve cried 500 times today. And honestly, this is a PSA. So sorry guys,’ Grande told E! News earlier this month.
‘It is what it is,’ her British-born co-star Erivo added. ‘There’s just nothing we can do about it.’
Earlier, she had sought to explain why she and Grande have broken down in tears on so many occasions while promoting the film.
Speaking on the Heart Breakfast show, Amanda Holden told Erivo: ‘Every interview I’ve read Cynthia of you and Ariana, it just says that you end up in tears all the time.’
Erivo replied: ‘We do!
Some pointed to another strange moment in the same interview, in which Ariana Grande – who plays Glinda Upland in the film – appears to caress her co-star’s finger as she speaks
‘And I think it’s because people have come in with such energy and they come in, their responses, their emotional responses come into the room with us, it’s the first time we’ve been able to talk about it, so we’re both reliving and rehashing all the things we’ve been through and the journey we’ve been on.
‘We can’t help it. We get very emotional about it.’
Holden added: ‘Yeah, I don’t blame you.
‘You went through Covid, you went through strikes, there was all kind of obstacles to overcome to make this movie.’
For some fans though, the tear-jerking moments have been a little too much.
‘Does anyone else find it bizarre that the press tour of Wicked just seems to be the actresses bawling crying all the time,’ one wrote on X.
For some fans, the tear-jerking moments have been a little too much
This interview is far from the first time Erivo and Grande have raised eyebrows for their behaviour while on a busy global press tour for Wicked
‘Literally the only press videos from Wicked I’ve seen are of these two crying,’ another added.
Echoing a similar sentiment, a third said: ‘Genuinely what is going on with this Wicked press tour, like are these girls okay????? They’re always bawling their eyes out.’
The filming of the 2024 film adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked took about a year, with principal photography starting in December 2022 in England.
The shoot was paused in July 2023 due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, only to pick back up after the winter holidays of that same year and eventually conclude in January 2024.
The filming of the 2024 film adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked took about a year, with principal photography starting in December 2022 in England
Critics’ reviews for Wicked have already poured in and for the most part they have applauded the leading stars’ performances
Director Jon M. Chu decided to film the adaptation in two separate movies, so that means the cast and crew will be doing all the promotional interviews all over again this time next year.
Wicked is the origin story of ‘a green-skinned woman who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West’ and serves as a prequel to The Wizard Of Oz, exploring the narrative before Dorothy’s arrival and delving into the former friendship between the characters Elphaba and Glinda.
Critics’ reviews for Wicked have already poured in and for the most part they have applauded the leading stars’ performances.
The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw described it as a ‘sugar-rush fantasy with the overpowering star presence of Cynthia Erivo; it basically dunks you face-down in a hyperreal ball pit of M&Ms for two and three-quarter hours.’
Praising Erivo’s performance he added: ‘Erivo’s charismatic Elphaba exerting a planetary pull over a star-studded cast’.
The Daily Mail’s Brian Viner wrote: ‘It’s a fabulous spectacle, which demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible.’
