Ariana Grande | Good Hang with Amy Poehler

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 just a dear, dear,

open-hearted and tender and nice person. So 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. And we're gonna, of course, talk about Wicked 2, the film that's out this week, the gigantic hit that she is the star of. But before we get started talking to Ariana, with a person this special we really need a special person to kick us off. And you know I wanted to talk to somebody who knows

Ariana, who is 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 SNL, 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.

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Guest Best Gift Giver Award goes to yours truly. Get the brands everyone loves at prices you'll love at Walmart. Who knew? Go to walmart.com or download the app to get all your gifts this season. Hi! Hi! 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 this won't come as a surprise, but I don't have a lot of that in my closet.

You are the high femme. You don't need adornments for that.

Wow, thank you. She does bring out a real like delicate feminine energy. Daintiness. Yes, a daintiness that's really nice to try to get into. Okay, we're going to 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 Culture, which congratulations on the award show that you created out of nowhere that I hope is very strong and lucrative IP for years to come. 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 receive 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 like leapt out of bed. I was like supine in bed, maybe flirting with seasonal depression.

And then I, y'all cured me right quick.

God, seasonal depression is a funny drag name for.

For, I don't know, anyone.

Yeah, ladies and gentlemen, seasonal depression.

Coming to the stage.

By the way, 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.

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, and I don't think so many 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. Have some

respect for me. I have 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 man and somehow you're underlit.

Like fix it.

But congrats on your background. It's beautiful.

I love it.

Thank you., 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 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, Lorne Michaels was like, you can't miss shows. If you're going to fly back and forth to London, 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 them 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 imagining that conversation, like to be a wiretap fly on the wall for that phone conversation is really

thrilling to me just like hearing the two of them talk to each other. I mean, they have a great relationship too because she's been at the show, she hosted the first time. I thought that was a gangbusters episode for 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, Ariana, Ariana, I get it. I get it. I get it. It's that thing where you're trying to balance.

Friendship and your dreams. Are you going to Wimbledon? Are you going to Wimbledon? Are you going to Wimbledon? You know, I was at Tom Stoppard's birthday.

Yes.

He's written some of the best plays ever. And I think, you know, Wicked is, I think Wicked's a play. Wicked is Wicked.

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.

And she closed the deal. And, um, then that's began this like really organic. And I was very, this thing that I've learned from working at SNL is like, you never 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. And so I went into that experience being like, I'm going to be boundaries king, mutually respecting other people's and honoring my own. And I was not forcing this friendship necessarily, but she was just so warm and

inviting. And somehow, within a couple of weeks, we were like watching Mommy Dearest together and like playing Rummikub and like baking cakes. And it just happened in the most unforced way, I think. And that also speaks to like the tone of the friendship 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 Ariana or would be an interesting question for her to speak about or, 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. 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 French. 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 dumb question, what's the best note to sing? Ooh. What's the best note to sing?

Oh, that's such a good.

It's so good because, I mean, I'm sure you are the same. I mean, I just love music and watching the way singers sing. I feel that way about when dancers dance. Like it's just like, wow, how did you do that? I just can't.

It just feels like magic. There's so many notes that she can sing.

Right.

She must have one that she loves.

She must be like, let's do an A. Let's keep it in G.

Keep it in G. Let's do G5 or whatever the octave is. It's like the letter and the number because it's the octave on the piano or whatever. I'm not a music theorist, but 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.

That old chestnut. 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 soon.

Same, same, same, same. Thank you so much for your time. Bye guys! Bye! Bye! This message is brought to you by Apple Card. Apple Card members can earn unlimited daily cash back on everyday purchases wherever they shop. This means you could be earning daily cash on just about anything, like a slice of pizza

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I feel like you pick up on the way other people talk.

I think 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 most people do, but I am 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 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 am, yeah, I'm shitting. That's what 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 like a student of yours. You're so funny.

I adore you. What is your relationship to comedy? Like when you were growing up, what were you watching? What did you like?

My favorite movie was Best in Show. Yeah. From a really young age. I, which is so strange, you know, to be a child and to really love that. I don't know. I was really young. Did you love that style of you know that like mockumentary style? I did. I did.

I loved like dry humor and it made me feel so close to my family like laughter. My dad and I bonded over our favorite movies and...

What's your dad's sense of humor?

We love Jim Carrey. We love you know all the Adam Sandler movies and you know that kind of thing. The Christopher Guest of course 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 actually, wow, 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 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 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 don't know exactly know what it is.

I think so. 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 safe and like I can relate to the person. You learn a lot about somebody by what they laugh at. Yes, you do. And when you find someone who 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 my god, we should do things like that someday.

You guys are so funny together. What I love about 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 like being stupid basically. We love to be stupid. 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 SNL is that you're not afraid to be stupid and you kind of like it. It's the best. It's the best. And it's it's so

vulnerable but you can't be afraid. It's like, it's just the most thrilling thing. You really have to be down.

You do, you can't go in halfway.

No.

And it is, whether it's you impersonating someone or you're doing some stupid idea, it's, 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.

You have to see it through.

Totally.

It doesn't matter.

And if you're on the end, 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 we have to be safe with each other. Totally. It really is where love blooms.

It really is. It really is. It's true.

It's true because if you hang in there with each other, then you're kind of friends for life.

Yeah, it's true. We've kind of had some really extraordinary circumstances with slime and bald caps and things.

Did you ever have any things on SNL 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 stream come true. Did anything ever happen there when you were there?

First of all, I am dying for your stories. 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? Let's switch seats. But no, I thankfully, other than breaking a couple of times, there was this sketch that didn't air that we did with Taron Killam. And he had this big, big 70s hair

and he played this weird musician person and he wrote this song that was so long and so strange. And I don't think Lauren loved it at the end of the day.

But I loved it.

Sure, and the audience was like, hmm.

I loved it so much.

You were fighting for it.

And I thought the audience was on our side as well, but 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 because there's nothing better than when the host fights for something of yours, even if it doesn't make it, it means something

that they do.

I cherish it. My dad watches it every day. It's on YouTube and he watches it every single day without, 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 he was like a 70. So he made the show.

We told her, we were a sip of water, and she smiled too big for her face. And everyone's like. But we were, we loved it.

We loved it. We loved it. Oh my god. I mean, one of the people that became a friend to you is Bowen.

Bowen, yes.

Such a talented, nice person.

The most brilliant, the kindest, most caring, so ridiculously otherworldly smart, and just so funny. I love him so much.

Well, we do this thing on this pod where we kind of ask people, we have guests who know our guests to come on 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. Yes.

Bowen was your person. No. Yes. And Bowen had such amazing things to say about you. And just you, that sketch when you two were together as the, that was your idea, right? When you were basically playing some version of your mom?

I was, I was.

A version of my mom.

So for people that don't remember, it was kind of like a game, a version. Yeah, sure. 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 a- Yeah, so what is your mom like? Tell us what your mom is like, like that sketch.

I mean, just sometimes, just sometimes. That's a side of her. She's a beautiful, gorgeous soul. I love her so much. But she was very 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 since it is your hair, you do have to know I'm you, in a sketch. 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. That's great. But we were having a family game night and my brother's husband's brother was a guest. We were playing games and you know, I don't have, I didn't get this thing that my brother and my mom have where playing games is really, is really, really competitive.

Okay. You don't, 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, they're going for it. Yeah, and they're really grateful too. And it's good vibes until, you know, someone's losing. And then, yeah, my mom just said like under her breath, like, tiny dick syndrome or something.

And I was like, whoa, mommy, excuse me. Mommy, wait, wait, mommy, your me. Mommy. Wait, wait, wait. Mommy, your inside thought went outside.

Yeah, ma'am.

I was like, 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, Bowen, hi. So something has just happened at some point in our lives,

we have to use this.

And you were so funny in it. I mean, you're so funny in so much stuff that you did. I mean, 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. It was like, as I said, it started really subtly. But no, but with Game Night, I had to fight for that one. Like you said, sometimes it's the most gratifying when you fight for it and then finally people believe in it.

I was so happy.

Well, 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, I'm good.

But like-

But I feel that about you.

I know what tickles me. And I know that I, I know how it feels like with the players, like to experience. And if it has that like carbonation, that ticklish thing,

then there's a chance, you know? And I am not one to, you know, I would never, but we were in Lauren's office and we were going over the run of the 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 at dress?

Please. I'm so sorry. Like, I promise I owe you forever. Can we just try it at dress?

I'm like, okay. I mean, people don't know 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's so special.

It is. It's really old school and 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 like, oh, because I remember many times where the index card was in a safe zone and then you come in you're like, where did it go? Oh no! Wait, do you have ones that you want to share about? Well, you know what's also fun about those index cards is there's always kind of a collection

at the bottom because the show often runs long. 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 it's just...

You don't know.

Yeah. It really does kind of build your, I think your 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 feel like, well, Bowen, Bowen was so great talking about you because, you know, he's such 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. No, they were, but one was like, what, what would Ariana say is the trajectory of her career? What is the unifying theme?

Oh, wow. I know.

It's kind of, 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 think I just am feeling a lot more connected to myself and my art since I started doing different things. I think, 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 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 because it's a role that 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. And then, you know, from there, there are other things that are different. And I think following those authentic impulses, it feels like a really good idea, like a good

thing. I think it's a sense of like getting older and getting understanding, 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. And when we're doing a lot of work, we're sometimes doing things because we have to do them or we should do them. And then when you take even a second to say, what do I want to do?

What feels right? Yeah.

Yeah. That's something that is learned over time. For me, I, 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.

So that's been a really beautiful thing. I think it will change a lot. I think the first, the last, you know, 10 or 15 years will look very different to the ones that are coming up. And I don't want to say any definitive things. Like 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. You know, so I'm going to give it my

all and it's going to be beautiful. And I'm so grateful that I think that's why I'm doing

it because I'm like one last hurrah. Perfect. Because now for now, never say never. No, no, no, I'm not. And it also, I think, to your point, like when you're able to step away from acting or music or writing, then you really appreciate it when you get to go back to it.

So much more. And like you are able to do better by 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 God. My favorite note to sing.

I know. Okay, I'm going to play you a note. You tell me if you like it.

Okay.

Because we got to get— I mean, I just got nervous when I just named the note G, because I was like, that's a note, right?

Yeah.

I know that G is a note that was the highest note of my ad lib that I sang in 13.

I think G is pretty high.

It was something that I sang in 13, I know that. That's a nice one. Can't tell you, but I love it.

Okay, let's do another one.

Is this what I'm supposed to do?

Here we go.

Here we go.

Here's a C. Oh, beautiful.

And C has never sounded better.

La, la.

Gorgeous.

That's a gorgeous scale.

Okay, so Bowen, we don't know. We don't know the answer. We don't know. We don't know the answer. We don't know.

But I did learn a lot about music theory today. Thank you so much, Amy Poehler, for my lesson.

One of those notes reminds me of Annie, which I know you were in, which is one of my favorite musicals. 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.

One of my favorite songs in any musical is Maybe and Annie. I love Maybe. That is such a good song. Sad one. That's a sad one. No, that'll do it. Yeah, that'll get you going. That'll get you going. And was that fun to be a little kid in 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 musicals that like shaped us and for women my age, you know, I'm in my 50s like Annie was just It was kind of like it was about Annie was just, it was kind of like, 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, 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 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. What's one of your favorite blooper moments?

One thing that comes to mind is one time I was doing a sketch where I think Jason Bateman was the host and there was a monkey in the sketch. Like a, I would say maybe a chimpanzee. Like a formidable... An animal actor? Yes, an animal actor.

How do you feel about animal actors?

I don't like them.

Yeah, not good.

I don't like them. Sad. And it's too stressful for me. And it was like a young chimpanzee, and I'm going like this because I just want to 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 in the middle of a quick change. I think it was like the blonde hair or my vibe. And I started screaming. Oh, that's really traumatic. And chimpanzees are very strong. Yeah, I like, I, 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. Were you okay?

Yeah, it was all fine. It was all fine. But that was, would that be considered a blooper?

I don't know. I think that's like PTSD. Yeah, that's PTSD. That's like a different folder, but I love it. I'm glad I know.

I do want to talk to you about musicals because I know you love musicals, of course.

I do.

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 love about them is when I feel transported to me that is the best feeling ever when I watch anything, but it's harder for me to get transported in musicals than

in other things. And I get, 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... It's tough.

It's tough.

It's ticklish.

Yes. How do you... You've done many musicals. You're currently making a film about probably the most famous musical, Wicked. When you have that moment right before the actor sings, 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 for Wicked, 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 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 voice is so different than mine.

How did you train it? I trained with my vocal coach, Eric Vitro, and it just takes muscle memory. So for weeks and weeks and weeks, I'd go every day. 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. I hadn't acted in a long time, and it was important to me to get ready for the audition. And you know, I just spent every day going to retrain that falsetto operatic area of my voice because I wasn't using it for a long time. And you can hear the quality change if you look through the voice notes from way back then. The first week I went there was so much air seeping out.

And then slowly but surely, week after week, there was more purity and more clarity to the tone.

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 I mean by that was that you could hear like more rasp in my voice. 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.

She's a... does she? No, I mean, unless there's like an emotional break or something like that, it can be imperfect, but she has a pure tone and it's 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 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 know 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, you know, thankfully these songs felt so intentional.

Every single song in Wicked feels so purposeful 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 was kind of... 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. But sometimes it'll move lower and then sometimes it'll move higher. For Glinda, when she's younger it was a little bit pingier and 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 yeah, I feel like people... That's incredible that you tracked all that. It was important. Yeah. Thank you. But you know, it felt really important and helpful because we were shooting both films at the same time. So just making sure I also I kept track of

all of that with color coded sticky tabs so that I could like take a peek at which color 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 one of them. And singing voice and speaking voice, feeling a little different, that was a really fun thing to sort of figure out. Some of her songs in the second movie, you get to hear her open up a little more. Whereas like everything in the first movie is so controlled and prim and proper and bubbly. You get to kind of like peel back so many different layers. She grows a lot in the first movie.

Her arc is, she has 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 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 was amazing.

Thank you.

How did you see that?

How have you seen that? From my laptop. Everything is here. No one knows about that. Can you do a little Eugene Levy?

Can you, do you remember?

Yeah, 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'm able to access that just on the fly, but I can try.

I also had put my gum in my Invisalign. Ooh, that's helpful.

Because we had teeth, but they weren't like working, they weren't sticking. So I put gum in my Invisalign, which really helped.

And you were playing the character he played in Best in Show, but not Eugene.

Yes, it wasn't Eugene.

Eugene is very sophisticated, not this character. Jerry Fleutt. 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.

Yeah, Eugene.

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.

Work is a team, though I do nothing. She does all the work with Winky. Back to... I don't know. Back in the day when I was at Ponce de Leon Junior High.

Well, uh...

I wish people listening could look at Ariana's face.

It's really bad. What is it doing? I never have any idea.

It's transforming. It's really good.

I never have any idea.

But you have a way to get pretty, you can get pretty low.

I sometimes can, yeah.

And you do have that, I mean, I love, I love, I want, I feel like there's a lot of men's voices you could do well. Oh my god. Because you're very high femme, as people like to say. Sure, sure. I don't know. High femme.

High femme. I think. And, um, but I think we both are. I, I, 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 open and supportive of the way that gender is its own fluid experience

and expression in the way you live your life and also the way you support people who are expressing that fluidity. But 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 so nice. It's cool to see it.

That's so amazing.

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 or something like that. Oh, I love a mustache. I love a mustache. I love a mustache. I love a mustache as well. For Jerry, for my performances, Jerry, I had these big eyebrows and no other makeup and big, yeah, the Invisalign on my teeth. It 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 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 so are you. I don't know what else to say. 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, Ariana. What are you talking about? You're in that sentence. No.

Yes, ma'am.

No, no, no. Yes, you are in that sentence. And what…

That's crazy.

It must be, I guess, because I'm talking about people that you love, study, and completely are 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 keep looking over and being like, oh my god, I can't believe I'm singing with them? Mariah. Yeah.

Every time 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 the best part is how kind she has been to me and how she's embraced me. And just, she's a wonderful, kind person. I really love her.

It's very surreal.

What was it about Mariah's music growing up that spoke to you? What was that special sauce about her voice?

The vocals and the sense of humor. I think her pen and her producing ear, I mean, yes, she's the greatest vocalist, of course, but the other pieces are just so, are just what make her her, you know? Talk about, you know, she's the greatest singer. So many people sing beautifully, but her point of view and her sense of humor and her wit in her songwriting and yeah yeah. And she talked about male drag.

Wait, did she do that?

Yes.

What did she do? In the Obsessed video.

Look it up.

Let's look it up.

You have to see it.

She dressed…

And Lady Gaga also does that as well, so well.

Yes. Oh my God.

I love these divas.

She's another as well who is just so… Incredible. And I love these divas. She's another as well who is just so incredible. I love her so much. She's the sweetest in the world.

That rain on me is so good. Well, thank you. And I loved seeing you two together because it just felt like two professional super talents. That's so nice. We're theater nerds as well.

Yeah.

Yeah. Okay, obsessed 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-

There's more.

Wow, I never saw this. I know. She's one of us.

That is so cool.

Who are you seeing in music and film and who are you saying like, whoa, they're doing something really exciting. Well, I have to say, 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?

Yes, I'm filming Fokker in Law. Oh, nice! So I'm having so much fun. I know it's crazy. That's great. It's like the fourth Falkers movie. It's such a treat and it's such a privilege. I'm learning so much and working with Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro and everyone that is in this cast I'm really enjoying my time with. Who's directing it?

John Hamburg.

Oh my love. John is awesome.

Yeah, he's wonderful.

Yeah, he's great.

And it's just so great to sort of experience a new journey and learn from those around me. I'm very inspired by my cast. Beanie Feldstein is in it and she's incredible. I love her so much.

So funny. So funny. So wonderful. Yeah, I'm learning a lot from my castmates and yeah. And it's probably like a lot less physical. It's probably a lot less physically exhausting than Wicked which must be

No, it's not. 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 going to laugh your ass off. My character is a triathlete.

Oh no!

So you're always running? I spent yesterday doing burpees in high knees with Robert De Niro. And he's like, good job Olivia, good job! And it's like the craziest, most humiliating.

I'm like, what is this movie? What are we doing?

But I'm having a blast!

It's really special, but no, it's not.

It's not!

Yeah, she's a lot of things. But a triathlete is one of them. There's also a lot of biking in this

movie.

A lot, a lot, a lot, a lot.

Oh, no.

Ben Stiller is so...

He's so fit. He runs like a couple of miles a day.

Yeah.

Before. Yeah. It's too much. I feel like I'm on the set of The Avengers. Between him and Bob, Mr. De Niro, I'm like,

yeah.

But Bob's not running in the morning, is he? Oh my God.

At like 3.30. I love them.

They gotta stop, that's not okay.

I am obsessed with them. But I do love a good morning Pilates moment.

I do, I do, I do. Yes, yes. You prefer I prefer walking. I prefer walking. And when people are running, I'm like, too much running.

Yeah.

What are you running from?

I hear.

It's too much running. But I just I just assume that Wicked is just so much physical because also the outfit.

It is. It is. It is.

The outfits are a lot of like that, like wearing wearing an outfit is heavy. That's just a little, and the- Well, every day was corseted. Oh dear.

The only looks that I had that weren't corseted were my pajamas. But it was helpful.

Yeah, it kept you feeling-

Yeah, I was so eager to get into my corset and her shoes because I wanted to find her posture immediately and her weird stiffness. I wanted to jump into that. So I had a rehearsal corset and rehearsal shoes and then it was fine by the time we, you know, it was great.

And John Chu 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 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. There's just a little bit of an electricity in the air that people are looking

for conflict. Yeah. 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 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 really, first of all, thank you. It was really hard work, you know? Yeah. Not to commit to that, but to kind of take care of each other.

Firstly, through this incredibly huge thing that was making Wicked, you know, I really wanted to be safe in each other, you know? I wanted to make sure that she knew immediately. Like 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, yeah, start with the darkest. No, I decided, like, but you know, I really did want to want to establish that 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. 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. 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 a huge undertaking and I want us to stay connected as much as possible every step of the way. And you know, there were so many challenges in the making of and that we checked in and we always stayed honest.

You did, and 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 each other yes you like to hold each other's like hands and and be there for it's very

sweet yeah you like to do that with people am and be there for... It's very sweet. You like to do that with people, am I wrong?

I do, I do. I am very... I channel a lot of energy through my hands. Yeah. And so I'm always holding a hand. I'm always squeezing a something, as you've learned.

I'm always reaching for something sometimes.

We have so many things here that you can squeeze, fake food if you want. That's wonderful. No but it's often like who I'm with. You want, yes. Yeah it's like I like to channel support and energy and like whatever. I didn't even notice that it was a thing about me until that thing happened. 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 you were like, and you just reached over a little teeny tiny grab.

And I knew it was tender and tender and beautiful and I just wanted to be supportive. I was like, oh my God.

And it was so sweet.

And it felt sweet. It felt beautiful. But again, a great example of in an awkward or confusing moment, you guys kept turning towards each other.

Yes. 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. 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 to stay connected in that way and to take care of each other. so that we can honor the project as much as humanly possible and do great work is like the best lens ever. And I'm so lucky that John Chu is the king of that exact thing that we're talking about.

I mean the fact that he was at his baby's birth and not at Wicked premiere. Well I mean 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?

He had three babies?

Yeah.

Well, let's be clear. His wife had three babies.

Yes, yes. Crispin had three babies.

Yes.

But that's how long we've been working on this thing. Wow, that's a lot of babies.

Isn't that crazy?

Yeah. Three. Wow, no twins? No twins. Shit. Okay. Alright.

Okay, I have a lightning round for you. Okay, okay.

Okay.

So— I have to disclaim, I'm really bad at lightning. Take—lightning doesn't have to be fast.

I'm like in the middle always because PTSD, I build a case for both answers.

Yeah.

So I'm like very indecisive due to things. Okay got it. So I want you to know that this is not a mess. You don't have to worry about being fast because I also don't ask the questions fast. Thank God. So it's a slow, we're on a slow round. A really slow landing. Like you kind of see it in the sky and it comes down really slowly and it hits the ground really slowly. Okay. Turtle round. So the first thing I'm going to ask you is kind of a gotcha question.

Okay.

Give me it.

And this gotcha question is, you say you're 5'3".

I don't say that.

That's what the internet says.

I say I'm 5'2". Well, the internet says a lot of things. True.

But I'm 5'2". That was the question. I'm 5'2". Are you 5'2"? I'm 5'2". Is it 5'2 on your license? Do you have a license?

I haven't used it in a long time.

Okay, I'm in New York now.

Do you have a current driver's license?

I think so.

She thinks so. I'm kidding, I'm joking. I do, driving though. Do you like being 5'2"? What's the pros and cons of being 5'2"? I ask because I am also 5'2", but my license says 5'3". Oh, does it? Yeah. Was that a choice? No, they measured me or somehow someone put it down. It was a tall day? You were having a tall day. I get it. And I got like excited. I was like, 5'3"? I was like, okay. and then, yeah. So five, two. So what do you think about being a tiny person?

I think it's fine. I think I'm enjoying my time. 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 you wish you had height for? Like just, I guess, reaching.

No, I mean, 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'm okay with it.

Are you, do you have qualms with it? I mean I know no other way.

I know no other way either.

I know no other way. I mean I have heard that shorter people live longer. But 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 long.

Let's give it to the short people.

I hope everyone lives a beautiful long life.

Of course, but let's have short people live longer.

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. And what is it? Who? What? Who was she? He? What was? Where did you live? Do you have a sense?

I have no sense. But I do feel old. So that's what people say.

Like an old soul.

I'm not calling myself an old soul. I think I'm just tired actually. Whoever you were was tired. I think I'm just old.

I think it was tired and I think they might have drowned.

Ooh!

Sorry. I just have a thing with when people hold their breath underwater. I don't like that. Okay, very good to know. But back to the thing when you said, is there anything you wish you could do? I just have one more and if I don't get it out, 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 pierridae, you know, that kind of person.

Yes.

I do wish I had that. I know what you mean. 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 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 have a lot of faith in me.

You're being really kind to me. Best Halloween costume you've ever worn? Oh, well. Or one that

you've worn? I think my favorites are the Best in Show stuff that I did with Liz that we did together. That's forever my favorite. And I was also the pig face

from Twilight Zone. That was like a fun. Oh yes, that's an old classic. Yes, I love Halloween. For people that don't remember, there was a Twilight Zone where a woman woke up from...

Beauty and the Beholder.

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.

Mm-hmm.

Fabulous.

So, chew on that. Fabulous episode. What about best bath product? 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 salts and a bath bomb and a trickle of oil, like essential oils. Do you have one of those things on your bathtub where it goes across where you can put your phone? Do you take your phone to your bath?

I do. I take my phone. 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 tip you off?

Yes, we heard you're a big bath person.

Oh my God, I's a ceremony. Yeah. 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?

And my laptop here.

No, it's just on the edge of the thing.

Oh, no. Oh, that's scary. I know, I know, but it's okay. the bubbles back so that they're not in the way because this is when I have time to do 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, I look at it and I'm able to take notes. But so interesting and yet afraid of drowning.

I know, but that's the thing. So I'm in control in the bath. There we go. It's healing. That we're working on. And I'm in control in the bath. Yeah. And I'm a Cancer, so I'm very aquatic. I love the water. I love to be submerged, but the drowning thing.

Yeah. Favorite Italian food?

Ooh.

I have to say pasta.

What kind? So many kinds.

Marinara.

Just simple marinara.

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

Very accepting, very loving, very celebratory. But she was just trying to figure it out because she couldn't believe it. And in her mind she had plenty of boyfriends. He had plenty of girlfriends and whatever. And so she goes, Frankie, have you seen a pair of breasts? And he was like, yeah, yeah, no, 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 Matt was like, yeah, I know. He was like, I wasn't asking for you to tell me that I'm gay.

She was like, one more time, right before you leave, can I just tempt you one more time?

Yeah.

Have you seen all of them?

She was like, I just want to know if you know what you mean.

It was just so funny.

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 know. I've already asked this question. I promise.

She seems amazing.

She was amazing.

Your family seems like they're a really funny, tight group. You seem really connected to your family. They are. I mean we are. We are. I mean are you a typical Italian family?

I think so. I think so. I think like I that's how we kind of grew up in the loud Italian household. Sunday dinners and cards and you know I learned poker but like I was saying way before I should have probably. And yeah it 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 very similar in that 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.

What did you call him?

My grandpa. Grandpa. I called my Nona Nona and my grandpa grandpa because he thought Nona sounded too negative. No no.

No no.

He didn't like it.

He was like no no to Nona. Yeah.

He was incredible.

Yeah.

And he didn't, when Frankie came out to him he was just like, what the hell? Who cares? What are we going to love them 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, 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 love you so much. I just love, love you so much too.

I was so nervous and excited to come here because I adore you so much.

Thank you. Was there anything we didn't talk about?

I don't think there is.

Okay, great.

Thanks so much for doing this. Congrats on Wicked 2, which is going to be out this week. And I'm sure this little indie film is going to 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.

Me too.

I love you and thank you for having me. Thank you so much. Thank you, Ariana. It was so great to have you and so great to 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 25 bucks a month. Join today at Visible.com. So to plunge into

the interview today, I just want to say that Ariana talked a lot about game night and how much fun she has playing games and how some members of her family get competitive. And I just 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. Be, care and try, but don't be, you know,

so awful that 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 $25 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. See you again.

Bye.