12 Actors Who Were Almost Cast In Wicked

While it's taken years to arrive, the "Wicked" movie is finally (almost) here. Divided into two parts, the film adaptation of the classic Broadway musical had big shoes to fill when it came to casting its leading ladies, Elphaba and Glinda. Originated by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, the two witches have a host of experiences together before Dorothy landed in Oz, from how they met at Shiz University to when their lives changed as they had new roles thrust upon them.

In November 2021, the announcement came that Cynthia Erivo would play Elphaba, while Ariana Grande would play Glinda. Grande is known for her work on Nickelodeon and as a singer, and Erivo is a Tony winner best known for starring in "The Color Purple" on Broadway and for playing the titular character in the 2019 drama "Harriet." Other big names joined them, with Jeff Goldblum as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Michelle Yeoh as Headmistress of Shiz Madame Morrible, and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar rounding out the main cast.

However, there were plenty of actors and musicians in consideration for the roles. From Disney Channel ingenues to Broadway stars, plenty of talented individuals auditioned for "Wicked" director Jon M. Chu before he landed on Grande and Erivo. Here are 12 actors who were almost cast in "Wicked."

Dove Cameron is an actress many know from her Disney Channel days, even though her time on TV started with "Shameless." She won an Emmy for her role as twins Liv and Maddie Rooney in the series "Liv and Maddie" and is a part of the lead cast for the "Descendants" trilogy. Both projects let her show off her singing prowess, something she became known for in her post-Disney career.

After her days with the children's network, Cameron went on to appear in a variety of musical projects. Audiences may know her for her characters Betsy McDonough and Jenny Banks in "Schmigadoon!," a musical comedy series from Apple TV+. She also appeared as Cher Horowitz in the off-Broadway production of "Clueless: The Musical" from 2018 to 2019, and as Clara Johnson during the London run of "The Light in the Piazza" in 2019. Cameron's music took off with her single "Boyfriend," which trended on TikTok in 2022, and her debut album "Alchemical: Vol. 1." in 2023.

Rumors of Dove Cameron's involvement with "Wicked" started in 2019, when Entertainment Tonight asked her about the possibility of playing Glinda. "It's a role of a lifetime," the actress said. Fast forward to 2023, when Cameron revealed during a "Schmigadoon!" Season 2 press event that she did audition for the project. "I definitely went out for it," the actress told TheWrap. "I know that for everybody who did go out for it, it was a very long process. It was one of the longer processes I've been a part of."

James Corden, the former host of "The Late Late Show" from 2015 through 2023, was rumored to be cast as Doctor Dillamond, a role that ultimately went to "Game of Thrones" star Peter Dinklage. When Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were announced as the leads, Corden's name began trending as people across the internet hoped he would not be cast in the adaptation. 

This attitude stems from his checkered history of being cast in other screen musicals. He was one of the mice in the 2021 movie "Cinderella," the baker in the adaptation of "Into the Woods," Barry Glickman in "The Prom" adaptation, and was in the ill-fated "Cats" film as Bustopher Jones. Because he's been cast in so many big screen musicals over the last few years — and many of those performances were received negatively, especially from established Corden haters — "Wicked" enthusiasts were worried he would make the cut for the Elphaba and Glinda story as well. It isn't known if he auditioned for Doctor Dillamond or any other character.

Cooper Hoffman, son of the acclaimed actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, started his film career in the 2021 film "Licorice Pizza" opposite Alana Haim. The role earned him the breakthrough performance award from the National Board of Review. His other projects include the films "Wildcat," "Old Guy," and "Saturday Night."

Rumors began to swirl in 2022 that Hoffman would be in the "Wicked" adaptation after a blind item was sent to the gossip podcast Deuxmoi. As archived on Reddit, the submission said that a "nepo baby of a late actor who had his big breakout last year is currently in talks to play the main munchkin in a highly anticipated movie musical." Redditors were quick to realize the movie in question was "Wicked," and that Cooper Hoffman was likely who the comment was referring to. Ethan Slater, known for his work in the "SpongeBob SquarePants" musical, was cast as Boq, the munchkin in reference, instead. Hoffman has not commented on the rumor. 

Joe Jonas is one third of the Jonas Brothers, alongside his brothers Kevin and Nick. While many know him as a singer, he also has several acting credits under his belt. He was in "Jonas," "Camp Rock," and "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam," with his brothers, but he also had roles in "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation," "Devotion," "Grease Live," and "Hot in Cleveland." Additionally, he appeared as himself in "The Voice," "Zoolander 2," "Songland," and hosted the Quibi original series "Cup of Joe." Almost a superhero, Jonas auditioned for "Spider-Man," but they went with Andrew Garfield instead.

When the brothers' band was on hiatus, Joe Jonas explored a solo project, creating the band DNCE with JinJoo Lee, Jack Lawless, and Cole Whittle. Their debut single, "Cake by the Ocean," debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 Hits, boasting 46 weeks on the chart. The band went on hiatus after Joe reunited with his brothers and their band.

While being interviewed on "Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard" in 2024 with his brothers, Joe Jonas revealed he auditioned for the "Wicked" movie alongside his younger brother. While the duo don't state which character they were auditioning for, it's speculated that it was Fiyero.

Nick Jonas is one of the three Jonas Brothers, but he's also the sibling with the most acting experience on his resume. While he appeared in the Disney Channel projects "Camp Rock," "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam," and "Jonas" alongside his brothers, he was also a part of franchises like "Scream Queens," "Jumanji," and "Hawaii Five-0." He's had a healthy career on stage as well, with roles in "Hairspray," "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," and the upcoming Broadway production of "The Last Five Years."

During the hiatus of the Jonas Brothers, Nick Jonas pursued a solo career in music, with singles like "Chains" and "Jealous" hitting 13 and 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, respectively. He released two solo albums, "Nick Jonas" and "Last Year Was Complicated," before the band's reunion in 2019.

While on "Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard" with his brothers, Nick Jonas confirmed that he and Joe both auditioned for "Wicked." "Most recently, and we've never talked about this publicly so I'm going to say it here, but we both auditioned for the same role, Joe and I, and it was for 'Wicked,' actually," he said. "That being said, never got that call." Nick told Dax Shepard that they both supported each other in the process, just hoping one of them would land the role.

The casting team looked to the Broadway stages as they cast their leading witches. Tayler Louderman, best known for originating Regina George in the "Mean Girls" musical on Broadway and landing a Tony nomination for her performance, made the cut, sharing in a now-deleted Instagram story that she auditioned for the movie. Fans speculate she auditioned for Glinda.

Louderman has spent most of her career on stage, taking on characters like Sandy in "Grease," Amber Von Tussle in "Hairspray," and Lauren in "Kinky Boots." She's also been a part of several on-screen projects, including a main role in the series "Kenan," playing Wendy in "Peter Pan Live!," and guest roles in "Evil" and "The Good Fight."

In the Instagram story, as archived by X user bejulesd13, the actress included a screenshot of the Deadline article announcing Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's castings with the caption "Yyyy did I even audition 🤣 or think I had a chance?!" She followed the story up with a second, featuring an image of herself and the caption, "This business...you can't care too much about any role you're auditioning for (or you could get hurt & won't come back) but you have to care enough to give it your all," she wrote. "I cared too much this time."

Another Disney Channel actor on the list, Ryan McCartan appeared in "Liv and Maddie" with Dove Cameron. After his days as Diggie the basketball player and aspiring sports announcer came to a close, he moved into legacy properties. He played Brad Majors in the TV movie "The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again" and had a recurring role in the "Supernatural" spin-off "The Winchesters."

In addition to the screen, McCartan has plenty of stage credits to his name. He portrayed Fiyero from 2018 to 2019 in the Broadway production of "Wicked," followed by taking on Prince Hans in "Frozen" as a part of the 2020 production on Broadway and the 2022 U.S. National Tour. McCartan also played Tony in a production of "West Side Story" in Chicago.

In a "Wicked" trailer reaction for The Stage Door, a YouTube channel the actor runs with author and content creator Samantha Fekete, McCartan revealed he auditioned for the film. "You didn't cast me in the movie even though I worked so hard," he says in the video as the two joke about being invited to the film's premiere. "Confirmed, I did audition." While he doesn't explicitly say it, it is likely that McCartan auditioned for Fiyero, since he played the role on Broadway.

Lea Michele, known for her time on Broadway and as Rachel Berry on the iconic musical comedy series "Glee," has long been rumored to play Elphaba in a "Wicked" adaptation. The actress and singer started on Broadway as a child, first portraying Young Cosette in "Les Misérables" from 1995 to 1996. She's best known for playing Wendla Bergmann in "Spring Awakening," as she was part of both the off-Broadway and Broadway cast from 2006 to 2008.

The actress's name has been on the list of casting predictions for the "Wicked" movie for years. Though she has never appeared in the stage show, she did voice Dorothy in the 2013 animated film "Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return," giving her a connection to the universe. When "Wicked" was scheduled for a 2019 release, Michele was included on fan casts and lists from outlets like Teen Vogue, saying she would make a great Elphaba because of her voice.

Those thoughts have not let up. While on "Watch What Happens Live After Show" in 2019, a fan asked if she had been contacted to audition for Elphaba for the movie. "That would be incredible. I don't think they've gotten to the point of talking to people about it yet," Michele said. "I'm like backstage painting myself green just waiting for them to call."

Cristin Milioti may not be on everyone's radar, but she was certainly on the "Wicked" casting team's. Known as the Mother from the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother," the actress has had quite the career since the sitcom. While she's appeared on our screens plenty of times, including in the "Black Mirror" episode "USS Callister," the 2022 series "The Resort," and as Sofia Falcone in "The Penguin," her stage projects can't be ignored.

In the theater world, Milioti is known for her Tony-nominated performance in "Once," a musical based on the 2007 film of the same name. She played the lead character Girl, starting with the show during its workshop period at the American Repertory Theatre and the New York Theatre Workshop. She continued with the cast when it transferred to Broadway in 2012.

Milioti first shared that she auditioned to play Elphaba in "Wicked" in 2023 during a cabaret show. While showing off her talents, she told stories, including how her audition went for "Wicked." The actress further described this experience while promoting "The Penguin" on "The Tonight Show." "And they called me and asked if I would want to audition for Elphaba," she said. Milioti immediately agreed, but was incredibly nervous about singing the ending riff in "Defying Gravity." While the other songs went great, "Defying Gravity" did not go as she hoped. "The sound that escaped me is something I will hear on my deathbed," Milioti told Jimmy Fallon. She didn't book Elphaba, but at least she can laugh about the experience now.

Reneé Rapp is known by audiences for her role Leighton in the HBO series "The Sex Lives of College Girls." However, her acting career began on stage. She won a Jimmy Award in 2018 for best performance by an actress for her role in her high school's production of "Big Fish" before turning to Broadway, where she played Regina George in "Mean Girls," the role originated by fellow "Wicked" auditionee Taylor Louderman from 2018 through 2020. Rapp went on to portray the character in the film adaptation in 2024.

The actress also has her hand in music, with the EP "Everything to Everyone" released in 2022 and the album "Snow Angel" in 2023. She was nominated for Best New Artist in 2023 at the MTV Video Music Awards and was awarded the GLAAD award for outstanding music artist in 2024.

While on the "What Happens Live After Show" in 2022, Rapp shared that she auditioned for "Wicked." After a fan asked if she was cast as Glinda, she encouraged them to start the rumor that she was in the film. "I did," she said when asked if she auditioned for the role. The actress complimented Ariana Grande, commenting that she is "so excited" to see the fellow singer in the movie.

Actress Amanda Seyfried has several musical roles under her belt. The most well-known is her portrayal of Sophie Sheridan in "Mamma Mia!" and "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again," but musical theater fans will also recognize her as Cosette from the 2012 film adaptation of "Les Misérables."

Seyfried's resume includes iconic movies like "Mean Girls" and "Jennifer's Body," alongside popular dramas like "Dear John" and "The Art of Racing in the Rain." She's been on the small screen as well, starting with a regular role in the soap opera "As the World Turns" from 1999 to 2001. She even had a part on "CSI" everyone forgets about. Her time on television continued with lead characters in the HBO series "Big Love," the Hulu miniseries "The Drop Out," and the Apple TV+ miniseries "The Crowded Room" opposite "Spider-Man" actor Tom Holland.

While speaking to Backstage, the actress shared she auditioned for Glinda in the "Wicked" movie. "I have dreams that I'm still auditioning for 'Wicked.' Last summer while I was playing Elizabeth [on 'The Dropout'], on the weekends I was auditioning in person to play Glinda in the movie version of 'Wicked,'" she told Backstage. "I literally bent over backwards while playing the hardest role of my life. But I think it also taught me how far I've come as a singer, which I really wanted to prove." She wasn't cast as Glinda, but Seyfried is happy with her growth as a performer and feels that she's "finally prepared" for the next musical to come her way.

Spencer Sutherland is a musician with two albums under his belt. While his first wasn't released until 2023, the singer-songwriter has singles dating back to 2015 available on Spotify. A deluxe version of his debut album, "In His Mania," features Meaghan Trainor and JESSICA.

Sutherland does have a few acting credits to his name as well. He was in an episode of the CMT sitcom "Still the King" in 2017, four episodes of Prime Video's "I Know What You Did Last Summer," and he voiced Lincoln in the "Vote for Love" podcast series. The musician also starred alongside Victoria Justice in the 2021 Netflix movie "Afterlife of the Party," contributing four songs for the film's soundtrack.

While on the "Zach Sang Show" in 2023, Sutherland revealed he was on the short list for the leading male role in "Wicked." "I got a callback for 'Wicked,'" the musician said. "I thought it was a great audition." He confirmed it was for Fiyero, and that he had what he referred to as a "double callback." Sutherland wasn't sure how many actors were left in the audition process, but he was proud of how far he made it.