Amanda Seyfried Auditioned Six Times For WICKED Before Losing the Role - "I Worked My Ass Off For Years on That Music"

When the Wicked movie was announced, many people had opinions about who might be good to take on the lead roles. One name that made the rounds was Amanda Seyfried, who seemed like a perfect fit for the role of Glinda. She is a great actress, and she showed off her singing chops in the films Les Misérables and the Mamma Mia! franchise.

As it turns out, Seyfried also thought she’d be great in the role, and she entered a long audition process in hopes to get it. Speaking on Backstage’s In the Envelope podcast (via People), the Oscar nominee revealed:

“I auditioned like six times for ‘Wicked.' Because that had to be really just right. And I like, I loved it. I was busy. I barely had time to do it, but I made it work. I worked my ass off for years and years and years on that music. I’m competitive… with myself in a really healthy way.”

“There’s something really beautiful about auditioning,” she continued. “If you really have the skill, you’re going to show it no matter what. There’s this weird fear when you walk in that you have to make an impression right away, which you do but the only impression that is helpful is to be yourself. The things that people do… the way they behave when they’re nervous can be off-putting. Centering yourself and saying what you feel instead of a bunch of bullshit is helpful.”

Ariana Grande ended up landing the role of Glinda, and earned an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress for the first flim. The Broadway musical was split into two movies, and the second, Wicked: For Good, arrives in theaters this November. Seyfried told People magazine last year that she was loved the “fantastic” first movie even if she didn’t get the role.

“It’s an extravaganza, which is what she [Grande] does really well,” Seyfried said. “And [my kids] have been playing the soundtrack nonstop. And everything is as it’s meant to be for sure.”