As Ariana Grande Revealed How She Helped Bowen Yang Do Wicked And SNL At The Same Time, She Did A Lorne Michaels Impression That I Can’t Get Over

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Bowen Yang is back for another season of Saturday Night Live, which fans are thrilled about! But before returning to Studio 8H, Ariana Grande reached out to him in 2023 about joining the cast of Wicked. Now, both are sharing the story of how that request happened, and it turns out Grande even did a spot-on impression of Lorne Michaels during the conversation.

Following the initial publicity for the film, reports emerged that NBC agreed to let Yang work on the project as long as he continued his commitments to Saturday Night Live during filming. This arrangement was surprising to many, and Yang himself has mentioned feeling exhausted when looking back on that period. Now, as the release of Wicked: For Good approaches, the publicity campaign is ramping up again.

This leads us to the second part of the story – the impersonation during an interview with Vanity Fair’s Lie Detector Test. After the actor from Nora From Queens hinted he probably wouldn’t be in the new John M. Chu movie, the singer of “thank u, next” took the opportunity to share her version of events with the show’s creator, perfectly mimicking his voice.

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It seems like a lot of people in Hollywood can try to imitate Lorne Michaels’ style, but hers is genuinely excellent! While I wish she’d used that approach when hosting, Ariana Grande supporting the Domingo sketch is a highlight. Overall, I’m consistently amazed by Ariana’s performance skills, and Awkwafina’s visibly delighted reaction just makes it even better.

Beyond being funny, Ariana Grande’s question about her friend potentially joining the cast of ‘Pfannee’ was really thoughtful and strategic. The actor from ‘Wedding Banquet’ perfectly played one of Glinda’s snobby friends and is sure to have many more opportunities. It’s easy to see why Ariana and the established comedian had a serious conversation – Yang is a true star. Afterwards, Ariana expressed how grateful she is for Michaels.

Yes, he actually said that. And you know what? He makes a good point. Still, I love him very much and I’m incredibly thankful for everything.

It’s always great to see a successful outcome where everyone benefits, and I’m happy to hear that the cast of Wicked, who had incredibly busy schedules, are finally finished with that initial round of commitments. Though Yang quickly jumped into preparing for a follow-up project, even after flying straight from SNL to the Oscars! Let’s hope the publicity tour for the 2025 film doesn’t cause too much travel stress for anyone involved.

Hopefully, Ariana Grande will deliver another fantastic and unexpected performance soon! For now, this good performance – especially considering how busy she’s been with both Wicked and Saturday Night Live – is definitely satisfying.

Can’t wait for the new Wicked movie coming to theaters November 21st? Watch the trailers for Wicked: For Good or re-watch the first part by subscribing to Peacock.

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2025-11-12 03:08