Ariana Grande

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Hello everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. Boy, we have a superstar on this podcast today, and a wonderful person, Ariana Grande, is joining us. And you know, I never had the pleasure of meeting Ariana and I walked away feeling like the biggest fan, but also like I had met a just a

dear, dear, open hearted and tender and nice person. So um we are gonna talk about a lot of things today. We're gonna talk about Ariana's love of the Christopher Guest movie Best in Show. We are gonna talk about what it was like singing with Mariah Carey. We're gonna talk about how she likes to take a bath and she's gonna demonstrate

what she does in there. Um, and uh we're gonna of course talk about Wicked Two, the film that's out this week, uh, the gigantic hit that she is the star of. Uh but but before we get started, uh talking to Ariana,

With a person this special, we really need a special person to uh s kick us off. And you know, I wanted to talk to somebody who knows Ariana, who is um you know, close to her, who wants to speak well behind her back and give me a good question to ask her. And we have the one. The only Bowen Yang. Bowen Yang from S N L who I just got the chance to

perform with a few weeks ago. Incredible actor, comedian on a terrific podcast with Matt Rogers, Las Culturistas, which we all know and love. So let's hear what Bowen has to say about our girl Ariana Bowen. Hi. This episode is presented to you by Walmart. I'd like to say that I'm a pretty good gift giver, and for me, it's about making the extra effort to find the perfect gift. Walmart has the top brands we all love in one place. Nespresso, Nintendo, Apple, you name it.

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Hiya I love this print and this pussy bow. Oh my god, thank you. I really was trying to think about what to wear for Ariana and I wanted to go a little high femme. Yes. And uh this won't come as a surprise, but I don't have a lot of that in my closet. You are the hyphen. You don't need adornments for that. Wow, thank you. She does bring out a Um a femin a real like

Delicate feminine energy. Yes, a daintiness that's really nice to try to get into. Um, okay, we're gonna talk to her today and thank you for this time. But before we do, I just have to say, once again, confess my love for not only you. And all of the work that you do. But Lost Culch, which m congratulations on the award show that you created out of nowhere that I hope is very strong and um lucrative IP for years to come.

Um, congratulations on your podcast, which continues to delight, inform, and entertain me in All different ways all the time. I love it. The fact that thank you so much I received that. The fact that I was watching my heroes, you and Kristen. Name dropping us very casually in your discussion about Salt Lake City Housewives. I I I like leapt out of bed. I was like supine in bed, maybe.

flirting with seasonal depression and then I you y'all cured me right quick. God, seasonal depression is a funny drag name for For I don't know, anyone for me. Ladies and gentlemen, seasonal depression. Coming at the stage. Um by the way, before before we get to

Before we get to the question, what where are we right now? Are we in an office of yours? We are in my home office. And I feel like I'm a commentator on MSNBC. Well, I was gonna say if we were on a Zoom right now, like a Zoom pitch or something, I would pin your photo. Make it full screen right now and I would look at everything. Do you not do that when you're on Zoom? Listen, this if this were my podcast, I would go into when I don't think so honey about.

Blurring your background on Zoom. I get why people do it. I don't like it. I think a blurred background is usually hiding a bed. Yeah. Unmade. An unmade bed. And I remember those days of COVID where heads of giant film studios were. Talking in front of their unmade bed on Zoom. Have some respect. Not for you, for me. Exactly some respect for me.

I don't want to see that. I don't want to see a crumpled duvet. No, get in front of a blank wall, babe. Anything but a bed in the background. You're a grown man. You're a grown and somehow you're underlit? Like fix it.

But I d so congrats on your background. It's beautiful. I love it. Thank you. So um we're talking to Ariana Grande today and you know I have been very heartened and not surprised by the relationship that you two have, like talent. Talent loves talent and the both of you feel like you have just become very genuine and warm friends. Is that the case? It is absolutely

Miraculously the case. When did you guys first meet? We first met in rehearsals for Wicked, and this was after the saga of um me maybe not being able to do the movie because of the SNL schedule and it has always been, was always in that time like my top priority. our wonderful benefactor, friend, boss, Lauren Michaels, was like, you can't miss shows. Like you if you're going to fly back and forth to London, like I just don't think it's going to work.

And then on the wicked end, they were trying to figure out how to make it happen. And they were like, okay, I think we're going to deploy. Miss Grande to pick up the phone. And call up Lauren and try to convince him to let me do it. And I think that was the beginning of like sealing the deal of finalizing it, right? It's like she like just that imagining that convert, like to be of To be a wiretap, fly on the wall for that phone conversation is is really

Thrilling to me. Just like hearing the two of them talk to each other. I mean, they they have a great relationship too,'cause she's been at the show. She hosted the first time. I thought that was a gangbusters episode before my time there. And um So she really like she already like went to bat for me. Before I even met her. And Lauren was like, Arian Arianna I get it. Arianna, I get it. I get it. It's that thing where you're trying to balance and

Well trendship and your dreams and Are you going to Wimbledon? Are you going to Wimbledon? You know, I was at Tom Stoppard's birthday and Yes. He's a he's he's written some of the best plays ever. And I think, you know, Wicked is I think Wicked's a play, isn't it? Would you say it's a play?

But you know, shout out to Lord. He did not need to give you that time off, babe. He didn't need to give you the time off. And she closed the deal. Didn't need to and she closed the deal. And um then thus began this like really organic thing. And I was very this thing that I've learned from working at SNL is like you never s step on the gas if you want to like make any sort of genuine connection with the host. You never want to force a friendship or camaraderie.

Um, and so I went into that experience being like, I'm gonna be boundaries king mutually, like respecting other people's and honoring my own. I was not like forcing this friendship necessarily, but she was just so warm and inviting and somehow. Within like a couple of weeks, we were like watching Mommy Dearest together and like playing Rummy Cube and like baking cakes. And it was it just happened in the most unforced way, I think.

And that as that also speaks to like the tone of the friendship and the and sort of her personhood in herself. Like she's just a very I don't know. I think she's someone who like is Strength in softness. She is like you know, incredibly vulnerable and that is why people adore her.

So what question, do you have a question that you think nobody ever asks Ariano or would be an interesting question for her to speak about or um, you know, something that would be fun for us to talk about? Yeah, I mean, like what does she think? The through line of her work is. Like, I think she has had such a varied career, right? Like, start off Nickelodeon, or I'm sorry, you start off Broadway, you go to Nickelodeon, you go pop star, you go actor.

Yeah and like there's like fashion iconography on top of that, like throughout it's like I want to see what the unifying theory is from her. She will kind of like squirm at that question because anytime I like want to like talk to her about like what her favorite album is, she's like, don't do that. Like it's, it's great.

It's great. It's like true front. She's like, I don't want, you're not like entertainment tonight. Like, what are you doing? I'm curious to see how she would answer that through you, through me. And also the second question is um silly dumb question. What's the best note to sing? Ooh What's the best note to say? That's such a good It's so good because I mean, I I'm sure you are the same. I mean, I I just love music and watching

When the way singers sing, I feel that way about when dancers dance. Like it's just like it's just like, wow, how did you do that? I just can't it just feels like magic. And There's so many notes that she can sing. Right. She must have one that she She must have been like, Let's do it let's do a B let's do an A. Let's keep it in G.

Keep it in G. Let's do G G five or whatever the octave is. It's like it's it's like the the the letter and the number because it's the octave on the piano or whatever. Like I don't you know, I'm not a I'm not a music theorist, but She, I'm sure she has a thought around that. That's such a good question. It's like, We've done B minor too many times. That old hacky note. Oh that old chestnut. Ugh.

Get that away. Get B minor away. I need to do major. Well, I cannot wait to see you soon. Thank you so much for doing this. I know she will be thrilled that you did, Bowen. I just adore you. I love you so much. I'll see you very much. Same, same, same, same. Thank you so much for your time. Bye.

Ariana. I'm so excited to be here with you. I don't even know how to talk anymore. That was not English. Did you just use a English accent? No. Do you I feel like you're a sponge though. I feel like you pick up on the way other people talk. I think I I I've always loved to do voices. Like when I was a little girl I loved to

impersonate and do characters and voices and accents and You're so good at them. And that's kind of what I wanted to start with today. First of all, it's nice to meet you. It's nice to meet you too. I love you so much. I love you too. I feel like I know you as m most people do, but I

I'm thrilled to meet you in person. Me too. And I was thinking about how to start today and I was thinking, yes, we'll talk of course about the huge success of Wicked and we'll talk about your music and we'll talk about your life and all that. But I wanted to talk about you as a funny person, as a comedian as a deeply, genuinely funny person.

You're very funny. Thank you. Coming from you, I'm I am yeah, I'm shitting. Like I've been saying since I walked in, but that's really how I feel I like I can't I adore you and I yeah, I look up to you so much. I love SNL. I'm you're a student of money. Like I Well what is your relationship to comedy? Like when when you were growing up, what were you watching? What did you like? My favorite movie was Best and Show.

Yeah. From a really young age. I which is so strange, you know, to be the child and to really love Um did you love that style of you know that like mockumentary style? I did. I I did. I loved like dry humor and um it made me feel so close to the. to my family, like laughter. Um my dad and I bonded over our favorite movies and what what kind of what what's your dad's sense of humor? Um we love Jim Carrey. Um we love, you know

All the Adam Sandler movies and you know, that kind of thing. The Christopher Guest, of course, and SNL and that was just sort of how we bonded was through comedy. Do you remember getting your first laugh? Do you remember like being in Getting my first laugh. Yeah, I I actually wow I d I've never thought about this in my life. But I was

Really little I don't know how old I was, but I was doing stand up. I forget the name of my persona that I had created, but I was doing stand up as a guy, as like an ol as like this guy this old guy for my grandparents and I got a laugh from them and I just remember it felt so Special. I don't know. You were in their house doing it. Yes. And I and I don't remember the name of the character, but it was full out. It was like I had disappeared into this man. I'm always interested in the

connection between musicians and comedians because I think they have some kind of love for each other. And I I don't know exactly what it is. I think so. I think I think for me personally, the thing that I love about both so much music and comedy is that they've always made me feel so like safe and like I can relate to the person. Yeah. Yeah. And um You learn a lot about somebody by what they laugh at. Yes. Mm-hmm. You do. Yeah. Um and when you find someone who

uh has the same sort of like ticklish spots as you. That's just the best thing. You know, when you work with someone and you find someone that tickles you the same way. My best friend Liz Gillies, we look up to you and Tina so much because we are like, oh We should do things like that someday. You guys are so funny together. Oh my god. What I love about your what I've seen of your relationship is again that kind of feeling of play, like you know each other and you kind of rely on your

Like being stupid, basically. Yeah. What a gift it is to be able to play and be stupid sometimes. I know and I mean I feel that when you do S and L is that you're not a

Afraid to be stupid and you kinda like it. It's the best. It's the best. And it's it's so vulnerable, but it you can't be afraid. It's like it's just the most thrilling thing in the world. You really have to be down. You do. You can't go in halfway. No. And it is You whether it's you impersonating someone or you're doing some stupid idea, it's it's it's

I I'm sure you feel this way too. I bet it's similar to singing, which is you have to kind of push through to the other side and make sure you're committing to whatever you're doing. Have to see it through. It doesn't matter. And if you're on the and you're if you're locked eyes with someone in the scene is because you've done SNL a few times. And their bald cap is sliding and

You're like, What the hell are we doing? Yeah. Or you're like, the scene's never gonna see the light of day. Like we're this is not making the show. Well, we have to be safe with each other. Totally. It really is where like love love blooms. It really is. It really is. It's true. It's true because if you if you hang in there with each other, then you're kind of friends for life. Yeah.

It's true. Yeah. We've ha we've kinda had some really extraordinary circumstances with slime and bald caps and things and did you ever have any things on S and L where where, you know, it's always fun like the bloopers of that show, like where things go wrong or You don't make your change or anything like with a stress dream come true. Did anything ever happen there when you were there? First of all, I

I'm dying for your stories. Can I can I return the question after I answer? Absolutely. Please. I have so many for you. Can we do another episode where I'm just asking all the questions, please? Um Let's switch seats. But um no, I Thankfully, other than like breaking a couple of times. Yeah. Um, there was this sketch that Did an air that we did with Taryn Killam, and he was he had this big big 70s hair, and he played this like.

weird musician person and he wrote this song that was so long and so strange and and I don't think I don't think like Lauren loved it at the end of the day was that. Sure and the audience was like I loved it so much. You were fine. I guess the audience was on our side as well, but it it was cut for time and that was kind of heartbreaking because it was just so ticklish. I bet he

still thinks about it that and appreciates it. Even if it doesn't make it, it means something that they do. I cherish it. My dad watches it every day. That's catchy. It's on YouTube and he watches it every single day without

I'm I'm not kidding. He starts his days with smile. I think it's I don't remember what it's called, but I think it's the song was called Smile. And it was like a seventy So it made the show. We were held a sip of water. And she smiled too big for her face. And everyone was like But we were lo we loved it. We loved it. I mean yeah. One of the people that became a friend to you is Bowen. Yeah. Yes. Such a talented, nice person.

the most brilliant, the kindest, most caring, So So ridiculously otherworldly smart. Mm-hmm. Ugh. And just so funny. I love him so much. Well, we do this thing on this pod where we kinda ask people, um, we have guests. uh who know our guests to come on and and we speak well behind their back and they give me a question to ask and so we talked to Bowen today. Oh my god. Bowen was your person. Yes. And um Bowen

Amazing things to say about you. And just you c that sketch when you two were together as the that was your idea, right? The when you were basically playing some version of your mom? I was, I was. A version of my own. So for people that don't remember it was kind of like a game a version. Sure, yeah. Yeah, sure. Um She's very proud of that too. Yeah, it was a game night that went wrong basically. It sure was. Yeah.

And you came to Bowen with the idea, which he said was like being handed a gift. Yes, because sometimes life has to inform art. And this was one of those moments I was like, Bowen, there's no reason that this happened if we're not supposed to use it. And it was uh So what is your mom like? Tell us tell us what your mom is like. Like that sketch? I mean just sometimes. Just sometimes. That's a that's a side of her. She's a beautiful, g gorgeous soul. I love her so much.

But she was very proud of that too. I warned her fifteen minutes before It started. The show no it the the show started that night. She was in my dressing room. She was like, Break a leg, honey. I was like, By the way, sorry. I have to tell you because the wig arrived and it's your hair. I thought it was gonna be like a blonde bob. I didn't know it was gonna be your hair, but it since it is your hair, you do have to know I'm you in a sketch. And she was like

Ugh, I can't wait. And she loved it. She loved it. And I heard her as I was running to my quick change being like, That's about me. That's about me. She's seeing me. She loved it. She loved it. She loved it. But we were having a family game night. My brother's husband's brother was a guest. We were playing games and um You know, my my I don't have the I didn't get this thing that my brother and my mom have where playing games is really

is really, really it competitive. Okay. You don't I just want to you just want to have fun. I love to have fun. I want to be with everyone. I love them. I'm like really thankful for the time that we get to be together. I'm like, yay, let's play a game. That's not how they are. Yeah. It's really intense. Yeah. And they're really grateful too. And it's good vibes until, you know, someone's losing. And then um Yeah, my mom just said like under her breath, like

Tiny Dick syndrome. Or something. And I was like Whoa. Excuse me. Mommy, wait, wait. Mommy, the your i your inside thought went outside. Yeah, ma'am. Yeah. I was like, mm mom. You didn't just say that. And they were all like giggling but like nervously and I was like, This is she's joking. She's doing a bit. And she was like, No, that's what that is. And I was like coming down the barrel so hard. And I was like, excuse me guys, bow and hike.

Something has just happened and at some point in our lives we have to use this. You were so funny in it. I mean you're so funny in so much stuff that you did. I mean that you're you're singing off key in Domingo, which is Hard to do, I imagine was it hard to do to sing off key? It was fun. It was really fun. And I liked that it got worse every time I came back to the mic. Yeah. But the but no, but with Game Night I I

I had to fight for that one. Like you said, like sometimes the it's it's the most gratifying when You fight for it and then finally people believe in it. I feel like I get a sense from you that

You know, and you've been working long enough now to know that one of the things I think that's nice about getting older is you know what you're good at. Like you're like, I think I can do this well. Like that isn't always the case when we're figuring ourselves out, like what we can actually deliver on. But I feel like

That's what I mean about the confidence. I feel like you know what you can do well comedically. That is such a generous and nice thing to say. Oh my god, I hope this is okay. Sorry that I'm here. No. But like But I feel that about you. I know what tickles me and I know that But I um I know how it feels like with the players, like to experience and if it has that like carbonation, that ticklish thing, it's then there's a chance, you know? And I am not one to

you know, I I would never but we we were in Lauren's office and we were going over the run of a show and he kept moving game night over and I was like, Lauren, I'm so sorry. Please can we at least try it at dress? Can we please try it a dress, please? I'm so so like I promise I owe you forever. Can we just try it address? Okay. And he moved it back. Okay. Yeah. I mean people don't know that that what's so cool and terrifying about the SNL system is it still uses just

Index cards. I love the index cards. And you have these index cards with your scenes and then it's just very like high school play. You walk in and everyone looks up to see if their card made it into the show. It is. I have a little bit of PTSD when I see index cards because when you just said moving the index card, that I just had a moment of like because I remember many times where the index card was in a safe zone and then you come in and you're like, Where did it go?

Wait, do you have ones that Well you know what's also fun about those index cards is There is always kind of a collection at the bottom'cause the show often runs long. Mm-hmm. And you know, sometimes things have to get cut on the fly, as people know. There'll be like two index cards fighting for the bottom. Right. There'll be two scenes that are in the bottom and you're like, see on the mat, like let's see which one makes it. And you don't know until

Yeah. It really does kind of build your I think your um tolerance for rejection. Right. Yeah. Just kind of like you get used to thinking, okay, this isn't my last good idea. I have to try again next week. I think that's good. Yeah. Yeah.

But you feel but I I I I feel like well Bowen Bowen was so great talking about you because, you know, he's such a a friend and also loves talking about how easy it is to talk to you. And then his two questions were really funny. One I don't really understand. One was kind of like I'm scared. His two questions no, they were there. But one was like Um, what what would Ariana say is the trajectory of her career? What is the unifying theme?

Oh wow. I know it's it's kinda it might be hard to answer this early in the interview, but No, I feel It feels clear actually. She's ready to answer. It just it feels as clear as Incredible. Yeah, I don't know. I I think I just am feeling a lot more connected to myself and my art since I started doing different things. I think um

You know, I spent so much time only doing pop music, but I grew up as a girl who loved musical theater and comedy. So I think the thing that will be like best for my soul and also for my art and for what I'm giving myself to is if I'm chasing things that um sort of feel just very

right in the moment. Even if it's spontaneous if it's something different. Like I am doing a movie right now'cause it's a role that I I read the script and I love it and it's funny and I love the cast and I'm so excited. And then I'm going to do a small stint of shows next year because that is like

something that authentically sounded good to me. Yeah. And then h you know, from there there are other things that are different. And I think following those authentic impulses, um Feel it feels like a really A good thing. I think I was a little bit more than a sort of thing. Like listening to your own body. Like figuring out Yeah. Figuring out asking yourself what do you want first, which isn't always the case in in

when we're um when we're doing a lot of work, we're sometimes doing things'cause we have to do them or we should do them. And then when you take even a second to say, What do I wanna do? What feels right? Yeah. Yeah, that's something that is learned over time. For me, I w when I, you know, sort of came into all of this and my pop career sort of

took over my life in a way I didn't have that at all. You know? Yeah. And I think that is I feel very like privileged and grateful to have learned that that there can be room for for different creative endeavors. Yeah. Um So that's been a really beautiful thing. I think it will change a lot. I think the first the last, you know ten or fifteen years will look very different.

to the ones that are coming up. And I don't wanna say any definitive things like I I do know that I'm very excited to do this small tour, but I think it might not happen again for a long, long, long, long time. Sure. You know, so I'm gonna give it my all and it's gonna be beautiful and I'm so grateful that I think that's why I'm doing it. Mm-hmm. Because I'm like one last

Hurrah. Perfect. Because for now. For now. Never say never. No, no, no, I'm not. And it o and also I think I to your point, like when you're able to step away from acting or music or writing, you c then you really appreciate it when you get to go back to it. So much more. And like you are able to do better. buy that art form because you're appreciative and really able to feel present in it.

Well this leads me to Bowen's next question, which was what is your favorite note to sing? Oh my gosh. My favorite note to sing. I know. Okay, I'm gonna play you a note and you tell me if you like it. Okay. Okay. Because we gotta get I mean, I W I just got nervous when I n just named the note G'cause I was like, that's a note, right? Yeah

I know that G is is a note that I that was the highest note of my ad lib that I sang in thirteen. I think G is pretty high. It was something that I sang in thirteen. I know that. Okay let's do another. What about Is this what I'm supposed to do? Here we go. I can't. Here we go. Here's a C. Oh. Beautiful. And we have never sounded that blah blah gorgeous.

Okay, so Bowen we don't know. We don't know the answer. We don't know. Thank you so much, Amy Kohler, for my for my one of those notes reminds me of Annie, which I know you were in. Which is one of my favorite musicals. Tomorrow Yes. What is that note? I don't know. We'll never know. We'll never know. I'll never know. But I do know That's a hard one to hit. I hear the relation I hear the I know why you thought of that. M one of my favorite m songs in any musical is Maybe and Annie. I love Maybe.

That is such a good song. Sad one. That's a sad one. Well, that'll do it. Yeah, that'll get you going. That'll get you going. And was that fun to be a little kid and Annie? Yes. To be a little kid and Annie. What a part. What a big part. It was really a huge undertaking at that age. It's true. I was I was talking to Rachel Dratch. We were talking about um uh musicals that like shaped us. And for women my age, you know, I'm in my fifties, like Annie was just

It was kind of like uh it was about it was just like it was about us. Like it was it was like a musical for us. It really was. It felt like the first it was not about us. We were not orphans. But it was for us. Annie was for you. It was a young It was a she was the same age as us, right? Like that part was, you know. To just to have a young girl be the lead of a of a Broadway show and it's named after her. It's not called Daddy Warbucks and the Little Girl.

It's called Annie. It shouldn't be called that. It shouldn't be called that. I don't like that title. Wait, so what are your what are your Well, it's funny with oh my SNL or my musical? Your SNL like bloopers. Blooper b what's one of your favorite

Blooper moments. One thing that comes to mind is one time I was doing a sketch where uh I think Jason Bateman was the host. And there was a monkey in the sketch, like a a uh I would say maybe a y chimpanzee, like a a a formal actor. Yes, an animal actor. How do you feel about animal actor? I don't like them. Yeah. I don't like them. And uh I it's too stressful for me. And

It was like a young chimpanzee. And um I keep I'm going like this because I just wanna show how strong it was. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I walked past the chimpanzee And it reached out and grabbed me by the wrist and wouldn't let go. Oh in the middle of a quick change. I think it was like the blonde hair or my vibe. And I started h screaming. Oh, that's really traumatic. And chimpanzees are very strong. Yeah, I've I I like I Uh famously. Yeah. So that was one where I was like

And I couldn't get it to let go of me and I had to Yeah. It was all fine. It was all fine. But that wasn't it that was would that be considered a blooper? I don't I don't know. I think that's like PTSD. Yeah, that's P T S D but that's like a different folder. But I love it. I'm glad I know.

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I w do want to talk to you about musicals because I know you love musicals, of course. I do. I fe I like them very much. I do. I like them very much. I feel They are I can also admit they're ridiculous. Well what I what I love about them is when I feel transported to me that is

the best feeling ever when I watch anything or but it's harder for me to get transported in musicals than in other things. And I get uh like you know, it's kind of like improv. Like there's a vulnerability in that moment and if it's good, you're psyched. And if it's not good Tough. It's tough. It's g it's take a

Yes. How do you when you're you've done many musicals, you're you're you're currently making a film about probably the most famous musical, Wicked. Like when you're when you have that moment right before the actor sings. Right. It's just like jumping off a cliff kind of. You have to Stay in the acting moment and then switch into song. Do you know what I mean? What do you do in the preciousness of that moment? Well, f for wicked, mm-hmm, thankfully

I do feel like it's really well written for the characters and for the moment. So it feels like they have to sing The Next Thought, you know, but I think so that it can be as honest as possible and feel like it's just acting and like the singing, whatever it's vocal training bef way long before you get there. So that it doesn't even feel like a thought.

Like I trained my voice for months before my first audition because Glinda's vo voice is so different than mine. How did you train it? I trained with my vocal coach Eric Vitro and just take uh muscle memory. So for weeks and weeks and weeks I'd go every day. I was uh I was a coach on the voice at the time and I was going in the mornings to Eric and then my acting coach Nancy Banks and we would work on

random things, not even Glinda related things, just to sort of get the muscles moving and I hadn't acted in a long time and I it was important to me to get ready for the audition. And um, you know, I just spent Every day going to re train that falsetto operatic area of my voice because I wasn't using it for a long time and um

you can hear the quality change if you look through like the voice notes from way back then. Like the first week I went there was so much air seeping out. And then slowly but surely, like week after week, there was more purity and more clarity to do it. When you get higher does there have to be less air? Like everything has to be tighter in the vocal cords? No, I think it just sounded I guess what what I mean by that was that you could hear like more raspic.

In my voice. Right. So the same amount of air, but just the quality became clearer and more pure as time went on. And Glinda doesn't have a rasp. No, I I mean unless there's like an emotional break or something like that. It can be imperfect. But she has a fr a pure tone. Yeah. And it's um more classical and I trained really hard so that that could not be a thought.

on set so that by the time we were in it and had to move seamlessly into the songs, hopefully, you know, that wasn't a stress. That wasn't a thing. No one was worried about are the notes gonna come out right? And if they didn't, it probably made sense emotionally. You know? There are moments where especially in the second one, where w we have breaks and we have like

choked up and you can hear it. And that's kind of like the beauty of being able to do it live on set because you get to honor what's happening in the scene. Yeah. But It's wicked. And I get what you're saying, where like maybe if it was something else it might be I don't know, it's like that back and forth is so hard to do but yeah, you know, thankfully these songs felt so intentional. Every single song in Wicked feels so purposeful. Yeah. For the arcs of the characters and for what's going on.

Did you speak in a different voice, as Glenda? I did, yeah. A higher voice so you could stay there when you sang? I did. It it was kind of um So on days when I'm singing I'll and also most of the time this is kind of where my voice sits. Is like here. Yeah. Um but sometimes it'll move lower and then sometimes it'll move higher. For Glinda when she's Uh younger, it was a little bit pingier and in

the when she's older, it's a little more grounded, a little more lived in. She's like a public figure now. She's supposed to you know, she has this like responsibility. So it's a little more and she's been through more. So it has a slightly different tone. But then when she's with Elfie again and having fun. There's more pep.

Yeah. And um yeah, I feel like people That's incredible that you tracked all that. It was important. Yeah. Uh thank you. But you know, it felt really important and helpful because we were shooting both films at the same time. Yeah. So Just making sure I also I I kept uh track of all of that with color coded sticky tabs. Take a peek at which colour so that I could bounce back and forth.

And then, you know, there were a lot of little tools that helped with the mindset shift between both films, but that was um one of them and singing voice and speaking voice, feeling a little different.

were w that was a really fun thing to sort of figure out um some of her songs in the second movie. You get to hear her open up a little more. Mm. Whereas like everything in the first movie is so Um controlled and prim and proper and bubbly. Um yeah, you get to kind of like peel back so many different Layers of the She grows a lot in the first movie. Her arc is it she has a a big arc in the first movie. And in the second one there's

A lot more to go. Yeah. Because you're so good, you're such a mimic. You do m men's voices very well. I am working on it. Because I'd like to do more male drag and more male voices. Your Eugene Levy is amazing. How did you see that? How have you seen that? From my laptop. Everything is here. No one knows about that. You're can you do a little Eugene Levy? Can you r do you remember? Yeah, I you know I I the thing about that day is I had I went to a place that I've never gone before.

And I don't know if I am able to access branches on the fly but I can't do it. I also had put my gum in my Invisalign. Ooh, that's helpful. We had teeth but they weren't like working, they weren't sticking. So I put gum in my Invisalign, which really hurt. And you were playing the character he played in Bestien Showman. Yes. Eugene is very sophisticated, not this character. Jerry Fleck. I was playing Jerry.

And he was sort of like, Hold on, I have to like I have to like relax my body. I don't know how to drop into this on the other. Um I'd like to think that Cookie and I It's not as low as I'd like today. I don't have my basement today. It's so good. Uh work as a team, though I do nothing. She does all the work with Winky. Uh back to uh I don't know. Back in the day when I w I was at Ponce de Leon Junior High. Well uh

I wish you could I wish people listening could look at Ariana's face. What is it doing? I never have any idea. Transforming. It's really good. I never have any idea. But you have a v you have a way to get pretty you can get pretty low. I sometimes can, yeah. And you do have that I mean I l I love I I love I want I w like I feel like there's a lot of men's voices you could do well. Oh my god. Because you're very you're very you're very high femme, as people like to say. I don't know.

And uh High Femme. High Femme. I think. And um but I think we both are. I I w I didn't think I was, but Bowen told me I was. I think you are, but you also have such

comfortability doing great male voices and characters. Same. And I and you know, and I think what I love about you is the way in which you're very like open and um uh supportive of the way that gender is its own fluid experience and expression in in in the way you live your life and also the way you support people who are expressing that fluidity.

I think you have a very interesting masculine feminine energy that you're always playing around with and it's cool to see it. It's cool to see it. That's so nice. You have a wide range of how you can play around. That is so nice. Yeah. I'd like to play more men. Yeah. Okay. America? Oh, we should have worn mustaches for this. I love a mustache. It was I love a mustache. I love a mustache as well. With uh with with for Jerry, for my performance as Jerry, I um I had these big eyebrows.

And no other makeup and and um big the yeah, the invisible MIT that was really fun. And then you can do that really breathy You know, and also Judy Garland is up in that world. I know you love Judy. And she and you have y you can do I just I mean I'm just so nice I'm pointing out your range. Coming from you, I feel like I am dreaming. I don't know if anyone's told you you're very talented. That is very kind. You're very, very talented. Well I mean and and you know you

It is pretty it's so fantastic to hear your name up with it's like Celine, Whitney, Mariah, Mariana. You're in that sentence. No. Yes, ma'am. No, no, no. Yes, you are in that sentence. And what Crazy. I it must be, I guess, because I'm talking about people that you love study and completely like are are you know, a huge fan and you're also their peer and you're singing with them, who is someone that you sang with?

that you had to just kind of like keep looking over and being like, Oh my oh my god, like I can't believe I'm singing with them. Mariah. Yeah. Every time I'm I cross paths with her, which has been like a handful now and that feels just like such a dream. I have to pinch myself and um the best part is how kind she has been to me and how she's embraced me and um Just uh she's a wonderful kind person. I I really love her. It's very surreal. What was it about Mariah's music?

growing up that spoke to what was that special sauce about her voice? The vocals and the sense of humor. Mm-hmm. I think her her her pen and her producing ear, I mean Yes, she's the greatest vocalist, of course. But the the other pieces are just so are just what make her her, you know? Yeah. Um uh

Talk about, you know, she's the greatest singer. So many people sing beautifully, but her her point of view and her sense of humor and her um wit in her songwriting and Yeah. And she talk about male drag. Why did she do that? Yes. What is she obsessed video? Let's look it up. You have to see it. She dressed she and and Lady Gaga also does that as well so well. Yes. Oh my gosh. And I

I love these divas. I l she's another as well who is just so uh I love the sweetest in the world. You c that uh brain on me is so good. Um Well thank you. And I loved seeing you two together because it just felt like two

professional super talents. Like I could just We're we're theater nerds. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Obsess Mariah Carey. Oh, she's dressed as a um She's at the limousine. She's a limousine driver. She's obsessed with herself. She's playing a pr. Wow, I never saw this. I mean. I'm obs she's one of us. That is so cool. Who are you seeing in music, in film and who who are you saying like, whoa, they're doing something really exciting and inspired by them. I have to say but I'm

Sort of I'm on set right now. I'm filming this movie. I'm filming Can you talk about what you're filming or filming Fokker in law. I know, it's crazy. It's great. Like the fourth Fokker's movie, but it's like It's such a treat and it's such a privilege. I I'm learning so much and working with Ben Stiller and

Robert De Niro and everyone that is in this cast I'm I'm really enjoying my time with and it's such a Who's directing it? John Hamburg, who I'm Oh, he's John is awesome. Yeah, he's wonderful. Yeah, he's great. And it's just so great to um sort of experience a new a new journey and uh like learn from those around me and

I'm very inspired by my cast. I love and Beanie Feldstein is in it and she's incredible. I love her so much. So funny. So funny. So wonderful. And um yeah, I'm learning a lot from my castmates and um Yeah. And it's probably like a lot less physical Um it's probably a lot less physically exhausting than wicked, which most I'm not kidding. I'm not kidding. I don't know if I'm allowed to say this, but I have to say it because you're gonna laugh your ass off. My character's A triathlete.

Oh no So you're always running? I spent yesterday doing Burpee is in high knees with Robert De Niro. And he's like Good job, Olivia. Good job. And it's like the craziest, the most appealing. I'm like, what is this movie? What are we doing? But I'm having a blast. It's like

It's really special, but no, it's bar it's not. It's Liz because it does. Yeah, she's a lot of things. But a triathlete is one of them. There's also a lot of biking in this movie. Like a lot a lot, a lot, a lot a lot of Ben Stiller is is so he's so Olympian. He runs like a couple miles a day before yeah. It's too much. No, it's it's too much. I feel like I'm on the set of the Avengers. Between him and Bob, uh Mr. De Niro, I'm like

Yeah. You guys But Bob Bob's not running in the morning, is he? Oh my god. At like four at like three thirty. They gotta stop. That's not okay. But I do love a good morning Pilates moment. I do. Here's how we feel about running. Yes, yes. You prefer I prefer walking. I prefer walking. There we go. And when people are running, I'm like, w uh too much running

Yeah. What are you running from? I I hear uh it's too much running. But I just ex I just assume that wicked is just so much physical because also the outfits it is, it is, it is. The outfits are a lot of like Well every day was course it is.

The only looks that I had that weren't corseted were my appearance. Pajamas. But it was but it was helpful. Yeah. It kept you feeling Yeah. I I was so eager to get into my corset and her shoes because I wanted to like find her. posture immediately and like her weird stiffness. I wanted to jump into that. Yeah. So I had a rehearsal course in rehearsal shoes and then it was like fine by the time we you know, it was it was great. And John Shoes seems awesome. He's the best

person in the whole entire world. You can just kind of tell right away. I mean, I have to say, in general, the press that you and Cynthia did for the tour was so exciting to watch because There isn't like a you know There is this thing that one always has to push against when you're a woman in the business, which is people are kind of constantly comparing and asking each other like there's just like a little bit of a uh

And electricity in the air that people are looking for conflict. And what you and Cynthia did over and over and over again was so radical, which is you kept getting ahead of it, speaking to it and then in the moment really

reminding everybody about how you made a commitment to each other to support each other through the project. It was really cool. And in doing so, you commented on the bigger idea of like the pressure women feel constantly to be compared to each other and a have conflict with each other. Did you two make that patch together? It feels like you did. Did you say it to each other or was it just unspoken? Well, we did. You know, it was

It was really first of all, thank you. It was it was really hard work, you know? Yeah. Um, not to commit to that, but to kind of um Take care of each other. Firstly through this incredibly huge thing that was making wicked. You know, um, I really wanted to be safe. Yeah. In each other. You know? I I wanted to make sure that she knew immediately. Like I I am a cancer. I jumped in way too fast. I was like, Hi.

Time. You were like ready to cry? Yeah I was like hello. Shall we cry together? Yeah, let's start with the the like the darkest scene. But you know, I really did wanna establish that right right away. And I kind of said, Hey We're getting to know each other. I, you know, we're gonna learn a lot about each other very quickly. Yeah. You need to know.

I want you to know there's nothing that we can't talk about. You don't have to face something alone. Um if you need help with something, I am on your side already. I don't even know what it is yet, but we'll get there together. This is um a huge undertaking. Yeah. And I want us to stay connected as much as possible. Mm-hmm. Um every step of the way. And, you know, there were so many challenges in the making of and that w we checked in and we always stayed um

Honest. You did and it we got to see it. It was really cool because you have to deal with a lot of people's energy when they're talking to you about the stuff that you made and the way and also you guys just physically checked in. Like it's really sweet how you touch each other. You like to touch like In a in a non sexual way. In a loving way of like supporting each other. Yes. You like to hold each other's

Like hands and and be there for it's very sweet. Yes. You like to do that with people in my team. I do like I do. I I am very I I I'm I've channel a lot of energy through my hands. Yeah. And so I'm always holding a hand, I'm always like squeezing a something as you've learned.

I'm always reaching for uh something, something like that. We have so many things here that you can squeeze, fake food if you want. That's one No, but it's often it's often like who I'm with and who's yeah. It's like I I like to channel support and energy and like whatever. I didn't even notice that it was a thing about me until that Mm-hmm.

You're talking about when you grabbed Cynthia's little finger. It was so cute. Yeah, because I didn't know what the fuck was going on. Sure. And um And you're like and you just reached over a little teeny tiny girl. I knew it was gender and and sincere and beautiful and I just wanted to be supportive. I was like, oh my God. And it was so sweet. And and it felt sweet. It felt like it's a good thing. But again a great example of in a Uh awkward or

confusing moment. You c you guys kept turning towards each other. Yes. And I think that's something that we've worked hard to maintain. And you know, there's a lot of time that passes between the wrapping of the film and then the press tour happening. Yeah. Um and then, you know, it's a check in

here and there when you can. You know, we're both so busy but we do our very best um to stay connected in that way and to take care of each other. Let's all take care of each other so that we can honor the project as much as humanly possible and do great work. Yeah. Is like the best lens ever. Yeah. And I'm so lucky that John Chu is the king of I mean the fact that he was a at his baby's birth and not at Wicked Premier.

Thank God. I know, but there's a few people that would have made a different choice. I know, but he had three over the course of the whole film, you know. I think he had three babies? Yeah. Well let's let's be clear. His wife had three babies. Yes, yes, Kristen had three babies. Yes. But but But that's how long we've been working. Wow, that's a lot of babies. Isn't that crazy? Yeah.

Yeah. Wow. No twins? No twins. Okay. All right. Um, okay, I have a lightning round for you. Okay, okay. Okay. So I have to disclaim I'm really bad at lightning. Take uh lightning doesn't have to be fascinating. I'm oh I'm like in the middle always because PTSD I build a case for both answers. Yeah. So I I'm like very indecisive th th d due to things. Okay, got it. So I want you to know that this is it's you don't have to worry about being fast because I also don't ask the questions fast. Oh

Thank God. So it's a slow. We're on a slow round. A really slow lightning. Like where it's you kinda see it in the sky and it comes down really slowly and it hits the ground really slowly. Okay. Turtle round. Um so the first thing I'm gonna ask you is kind of a gotcha question. Okay. Give me give me a and this gotcha question is

You say you're five three. I don't say that. That's what the internet says. I say I'm five two. Well the internet says a lot of things. True. I'm five two. That was the question. I'm five two. Are you five two? I'm five two. Is it five two on your license? Do you have a license? I haven't used it in a long time. I'm in New York. Do you have a current driver's license?

She thinks so. I'm kidding, I'm joking. I do, I do. I'm not driving though. Do you like being five two? What what's the pros and cons of being five two? I asked,'cause I am also five two, but my license is five three. Oh, does it? Yeah. No it they measured me or Somehow someone put it down.

You were having a tall day. I was having a tall day. I get it. And I got I got I got like excited. I was like five three. I was like, okay and then you still Yeah. So five two. What do you think about being a a tiny a tiny person? it's fine. I think I'm enjoying my time. Mm-hmm. Things I wish I could reach more. Yeah. I wish I could reach like the water more. I wish I could reach it. Is there anything that you think um you wish you had height for? Like Just I guess reaching.

No, I mean just reaching. Yeah. You know, the highest book, the highest water, the highest whatever it is, but I but I'm okay with it. Do you are you do you I mean I know I know no other way. I know no other way. I know no other way. I mean I have heard that y uh shorter people live longer. But um not to brag. I don't know why. I hope so. I hope so. Well, I hope we all live long.

I don't know what I'm saying. I mean we can't all live longer. Let's give it to the short people. Of course, but let's sh have short people live longer. Um Let's have something. Okay, moving on. Lightning round. Do you think you had a past life? Have you ever felt like you've lived before? Oh God, you're going here? That's so not lightning. I do feel like I've lived before. But is it I don't know. Who? What? Who was she? He? What was? Where did you live? Do you have a sense? I have no sense.

Um so that's what people say. They say an old soul. I I hate I'm not calling myself an old soul. Okay. I think I'm just tired actually. I think I'm just tired you were was tired. I think it was tired and I think I think they might have drowned. Ooh sorry. I'm sorry. I just have a thing with like when people hold their breath underwater.

I don't like that. Okay. Very good to do. I don't like that at all. Great. But back to the thing when you said, is there anything you wish you could do? I just have one more and then if I don't get it out, I I wish I were a person who

like had entomology endless entomology knowledge and I could look at a bug and be like, Ah, Lepidoptera Pieridae. You know that kind of person? Yes. I do wish I had that. Who could classify insects? Different insects. Mm-hmm. I know different like you know the people who do that with birds.

I have the bird app, the Merlin app. Do you have that? No. It's fabulous. You you play you you record the sound of the bird and it quickly pops up what it is. They can tell by their tone of voice. I love that. I feel like you would also probably be able to impersonate a lot of birds. I think you you have a lot of faith in me. They're being really kind to me. Um Best Halloween costume you've ever worn. Oh well or one that you've worn. I think my favorites are

Um, the best in show stuff that I did with Liz that we did together. That's forever my favorite. And I was also the um pig face from Twilight Zone. That was like a food. Yes, I love how to do it. Yes. and it was she woke up from what was like plastic surgery and everyone started screaming and her face looked beautiful. Gorgeous. But they were all pig faces. Mhm.

Fabulous. Chew on that. Fabulous episode. Um, what about uh best bath product? Do you love taking baths? What I love lush. I'm a lush person. You're like a bath bomb? I'm a bath bomb. So you love a fizz? I love a fizz. I love the smell. I love like uh salts and a bath balm and a trickle of oil, like essential oils. And do you take um do you have one of those things on your bathtub like where it goes across where you can put your phone? Do you take your phone to your bath? I do my hands.

I also take my laptop. I get a lot of work done. I'm not kidding. Okay, so I have to talk about this because I'm a big bath person. Did someone tell you to tip you off? Yes, we heard you're a big bath person. Oh my god, I'm a big bath person. I like like it's like a it's like an office. It's a ritual. It's a yeah, it's a ceremony. Yeah. And I talk us talk us through the ceremony. I have my like I have my

I'm in the bath and I have my coffee. I have my coffee here. Got it. Do you have a tray? No, it's just on the edge of the thing and we're Oh, that's true. I know, I know, but it's okay. It's always fine. And you know, I push the bubbles back so that there's not so they're not in the way because this is what this is uh this is when I have time to do like my approvals of stuff before I go to work. Ah, that's good. So I'm able to look at the links of stuff.

In the water. Yeah, look at it. I know. But that's the thing. So he I'm in control in the bath. There's a big control that we're working on. And I'm in control in the bath. Yeah. Um I'm a cancer, so I'm very I'm very aquatic. I love the water. I love to be submerged, but the drowning thing. Yeah. Um, favorite Italian food. Ooh. I have to say pasta. What kind? So many kinds.

Just simple Marinara. Yeah, what my Nona would make. Yes, I'm sorry about the passing of your Nona. She seemed amazing. Marjorie and she was so funny. Tell me about her. My favorite Nona story is Frankie coming out to her. And um So Frankie, you're my brother is Frankie. Um he is gay. Um and he he is very gay. I don't know if you know. Um and he um and he came out to us and, you know, my first question was like, Do you have a boyfriend? Who is he? I want to meet him.

And um, you know, Nona was just trying to figure it out. You know, she very accepting, very loving, very celebratory. But she was just trying to figure it out'cause she couldn't believe it. And, you know, in her mind she had plenty of like boyfri I uh he had plenty of girlfriends and whatever. And um so she goes, Frankie Have you seen a pair of breasts?

And he was like, Ye yeah. Yeah, no and I've I've I've seen breasts, yeah. And she goes, didn't do anything for you. He was like No no no. And she's like, Well You're gay. And that was like, Yeah, I know. He was like, I wasn't asking for you. Have you seen all of them? Just wanna know if you know what you're what you mean. It was just so before you go, I'd like to remind you what you're missing.

And Frankie was like, I'm okay. Yeah, I'm good. I I know, I've already asked this question. I promise. She seems amazing. She was amazing. Your family seems like

it they're like a really funny, like tight group. Like you seem really connected to your family. They are I mean we are. We are. I I mean are you a typical Italian family? Like I think so. I think so. I think like I that's how we kinda grew up in the loud Italian household with Sunday dinners and cards and yeah you know, I learned poker what like I was saying way before I should have probably and yeah, I I was It was beautiful. I do feel like I am so

right smack in the middle between my mom and my dad. Like I think Frankie and my mom are like w uh very similar and then I'm like kind of in the middle. of it all. But yeah, they were amazing. And my grandpa was the best ever. What was he like? He was the best and What did you call him? My grandpa. Grandpa. I called my Nona Nona and my grandpa grandpa because he thought no no sound too sounded too negative.

No no. No no. He didn't like it. He was like no no no no no. Yeah. But he was incredible. Yeah. And he didn't and when Frankie came out to him, he was just like What what the hell? Who cares? What are we gonna love'em any less? We got dinner reservations at Positano, let's go. Perfect. It's like that's what you wish for every kid. You wish for every kid that they have that kind of like loving, yeah, teasing, instant acceptance, instant love.

And just like being seen right away. We need it now more than ever. Amen. Yes. Amen. I wish that for all the kids. Same. And you do you provide that for a lot of people, Ariana. You're just so great. You are. I just love love you so much too.

I was so nervous and excited to come on because I adore you so much. Thank you. Was there anything we didn't talk about that I don't think they're talking about? Okay, great. Thanks so much for doing this. It means a lot. And um congrats on Wicked Two, which is gonna be out this week. And I'm sure

This little indie film is gonna get a lot of people talking. No, but congrats on the huge success of it. And I can't wait to see all the stuff that's coming up for you. And I'm just such a fan. So thanks for doing this. Thank you so much. Thank you, Ariana. It was so great to have you and so great to um hear you talk about all of the good things and

It is time now for the Polar Plunge. Today's Polar Plunge is presented by Visible. When your phone plans as good as Visible, you've got to tell your people. Unlimited data, just twenty five bucks a month. Join today at visible.com. So to plunge into the uh into the interview today, uh I I just wanna say that Ariana talked a lot about game night and how uh how much fun she has playing games and how some members of her family get competitive. And I just

I wanted to just kind of do a public service announcement to remind people that a competitive person at game night can ruin a game night. But as kind of a competitive person myself, don't come if you're not ready to win. So walk the line. Care and try, but don't be, you know, so awful that uh you make everybody quiet.

It's a fine line, but I know you can reach it. So today's Polar Plunge was presented by Visible. It's one line wireless on Verizon's 5G network for twenty-five dollars a month. That's a top-tier network at a budget friendly cost. Tell your people and make the switch. Terms apply, see visible.com for planned features and network management details. Thank you so much for listening. See you again. Bye.

You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman. Amy Polar. The show is produced by The Ringer and Paperkite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaya McMullen, and Alea Zaniris. For Paperkite, production by Sam Green. Lovell and Jenna Weiss Burman. Original music by Amy Miles.