Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s rumored salaries for Wicked went viral due to the significant pay gap between the two stars. Ariana played Glinda, the Good Witch, while Cynthia portrayed Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, in the highly anticipated musical adaptation.
According to reports, Cynthia, the lead actress in the musical movie, received a salary of $1 million for her role. In contrast, Ariana, who is the supporting actress, is said to be earning significantly more — a reported $15 million for her part in the adaptation, which has set new records for the highest opening weekend for any Broadway film.
Meanwhile, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum, who portray Madame Morrible and the Wizard, are each reportedly making $2 million for their roles. The reported salaries for the rest of the principal cast members also show some notable differences. Jonathan Bailey, who plays Prince Fiyero, is said to be making around $450,000. Ethan Slater, who portrays Boq, is reportedly earning $350,000. Meanwhile, Marissa Bode and Bowen Yang, whose roles in the musical adaptation have also garnered attention, are both reportedly making $250,000 each.
Fans quickly took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to react to the rumored leaked salary list, with many expressing a similar viewpoint. One user wrote: “Ariana getting paid over $10M more than Cynthia doesn’t sit right with me…” To which another replied: “It’s not making sense.”
A third user described the pay gap as “diabolical,” while others defended it, arguing that Ariana’s larger salary is justified given her star power. They pointed out that audiences are likely to flock to the movie because of her leading role, and in the film industry, pay is often determined not just by talent, but by popularity as well.
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One user making this point penned: “Ariana is objectively more famous than Cynthia so it makes sense that Ari’s agent was able to negotiate a larger salary assuming any of these rumours are true.”
Whilst another echoed: “Actor’s salaries aren’t based on talent but on the people who will come to the movie because of them. No one can doubt Ariana Grande’s fanbase. A childhood on Nickelodeon and millions of albums purchased or downloaded. She’s the only chance that movie has of a big gross.” There have also been rumours that Ariana may have shared part of her substantial salary with Cynthia to increase her payout, though this has not been confirmed.
Wicked is a musical based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. It premiered on Broadway on October 30, 2003, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. The show tells the story of The Wizard of Oz from the perspective of two witches – Elphaba, the misunderstood Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the Good Witch. It explores themes of friendship, power, and how people are judged by society. The new two-part cinema adaptation was released last week, with the second part scheduled for release in November next year.
