'Wicked Cast Salaries': Truth Revealed About How Much Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Actually Made From Blockbuster — After Viral Rumors Exploded About Mega-Bucks Paychecks
Talk of Grande and Erivo's salary for 'Wicked' left fans raging.
Nov. 29 2024, Published 9:00 p.m. ET
How Much Did Cynthia Erivo Reportedly Earn for Her 'Wicked' Role?
Rumors claimed Grande earned more than her 'Wicked' costar Erivo.
Released on November 22, Wicked — an adaptation of the Broadway musical based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West — stars Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba.
According to reports, Erivo only received a salary of $1million for the lead role.
What Was Ariana Grande's Reported Salary for 'Wicked'?
Grande allegedly made 15 times the amount Erivo received.
While the Tony-winning actress reportedly scored $1million from the gig, rumors claimed the We Can't Be Friends singer received a whopping $15million for her part in the adaptation.
How Much Did the Other 'Wicked' Cast Members Receive?
Grande played Glinda in the adaptation, while Erivo portrayed Elphaba.
The viral reports also shed light on the other cast members' reported payouts.
Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum, who played Madame Morrible and the Wizard respectively, got $2million each. Meanwhile, Jonathan Bailey and Ethan Slater reportedly earned $450,000 and $350,000 respectively.
Marissa Bode and Bowen Yang made $250,000 each, according to the rumors.
How Have Fans Reacted to the Rumors of Unequal Salaries?
Fans expressed their disappointment after seeing the reports about the alleged unequal payouts.
Fans and moviegoers took to TikTok and X, formerly Twitter, to comment on the buzz, with most of them expressing their dismay over the reported unequal and unfair payouts among the cast members.
One said: "Cynthia was paid $1M for her role in Wicked. Ariana paid $15M. This is why they hire overseas."
"How could they pay Cynthia $1-2m for the role in Wicked?? She’s almost an EGOT," a second asked, while a third added, “The disparity between Ariana’s salary ($15 mil) and Cynthia’s is crazy because why is it that much of a difference? And they’re both named leads in the film."
What Universal Said About the Rumors Surrounding Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's 'Wicked' Payouts
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A spokesperson for Universal Pictures set the record straight about the costars' salaries.
A spokesperson for Universal Pictures set the record straight about the costars' salaries.
In response to the hearsay, a spokesperson for Universal Pictures confirmed that Grande and Erivo got the same salaries for their roles in the adaptation.
“Reports of pay disparity between Cynthia and Ariana are completely false and based on internet fodder. The women received equal pay for their work on Wicked,” the spokesperson clarified in a statement to Page Six.
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