7 Celebs Who Auditioned for Wicked

#7: Spencer Sutherland

You might know this actor-singer from his 2017 hit “Selfish” or his time on the U.K.’s “The X Factor.” Or maybe you spotted him in the TV series “I Know What You Did Last Summer” or “Afterlife of the Party” with Victoria Justice. While appearing on the “Zach Sang Show,” Sutherland revealed that he had actually landed a callback for Fiyero in the “Wicked” movie! Even though he felt good about his audition, he wasn’t exactly shocked when he didn’t get it. Although, when you come that close we imagine it’s hard not to get your hopes up just a little. Still, he gave listeners a teeny tiny sneak peek of what his Fiyero might’ve sounded like.

#6: Taylor Louderman

Musical theater fans will know Louderman from shows like “Kinky Boots,” “Bring It On: The Musical,” and, of course, as the original Regina George in “Mean Girls” on Broadway. She also set her sights on playing Glinda in Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked” adaptation—but sadly, it wasn’t meant to be. In a screenshot of an Instagram story, Louderman seemed to express her disappointment about losing the role to a bigger name. She opened up about the heartbreak of putting your soul into a project you care about deeply while trying your best to maintain a thick skin. Sounds like someone made the Burn Book. Just kidding! But if she had one, she wouldn’t be the only “Mean Girl” writing in it—more on that later.

#5: Ryan McCartan

This actor is no stranger to the world of “Wicked,” having played Fiyero during the show’s 15th anniversary. McCartan’s range is undeniable! You might recognize him as Diggie Smalls from “Liv and Maddie” or as J.D. from the original Off-Broadway cast of “Heathers: The Musical.” He’s kept busy acting on stage and screen and even co-launched a YouTube channel called “The Stage Door”. It’s there that he revealed he had auditioned to play Fiyero in the movie. In a reaction video to the film’s trailer, McCartan jokingly said he had “no hard feelings” toward Chu. He even hilariously fished for a premiere invite as compensation for the snub!

#4: Reneé Rapp

Her name is Reneé Rapp, and she’s a massive deal! We told you there would be another Plastic on our list! Rapp is instantly recognizable for her powerhouse vocals in both the stage and 2024 screen adaptations of “Mean Girls,” where she played Queen B, Regina George. Maybe you know her from the HBO teen-com “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” or perhaps you’ve been following her music career. During a Q&A segment on “Watch What Happens Live! After Show,” Rapp had to break it to a fan that Ariana Grande had already been announced for the role of Glinda. She also revealed that she auditioned for the part, and while she didn’t get it, she seems pretty content to have lost out to Grande.

#3: Dove Cameron

You know Cameron from “Liv and Maddie” and from “Hairspray Live!” where she starred alongside Grande and the original Glinda, Kristin Chenoweth. She also shared the screen with Chenoweth in “Schmigadoon!” and “Descendants.” Cameron is another star who revealed she auditioned to play Glinda. In 2019, she was already addressing rumors about being cast, sharing that the role was a childhood dream. More recently, she described the audition process as a journey, saying, “It was one of the longer processes I’ve been a part of.” Even though she didn’t land the role, she’s ready to be her friend Ariana’s biggest cheerleader! With her ties to “Wicked” royalty, who knows? Maybe Broadway will come calling, and she’ll still get Glindafied someday.

#2: Joe & Nick Jonas

The competition to land a role in the highly anticipated “Wicked” movie must have been fierce! Now imagine part of that competition is your own sibling! When the Jonas Brothers popped into Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast, Nick shared that both he and Joe auditioned for Fiyero! But no worries—there wasn’t much rivalry since they both wanted “someone with the last name Jonas to win.” Nick also told Variety that he felt he nailed his audition, adding that it was a role he “always thought… would be fun to play.” While the part ultimately went to Jonathan Bailey, it sounds like Nick is excited to enjoy his “Wicked” experience as a fan.

#1: Amanda Seyfried

Many of us first met Seyfried as Karen Smith in “Mean Girls.” But she’s also shown off her musical talent in movie musicals like “Les Misérables” and both “Mamma Mia!” films. Seyfried hoped to add Glinda from “Wicked” to that list, sharing that she auditioned while juggling her role in Hulu’s “The Dropout.” She said she “bent over backwards” for her audition while “playing the hardest role of [her] life.” Seyfried also explained that she wasn’t totally satisfied with her performance as Cosette and wanted to show how much her vocal skills have improved since then. She even joked that the audition still haunts her dreams. As we know, she didn’t land the gig. Well, as Elphaba says, “We can’t all come and go by bubble.”

Do you think any of these actors would’ve been perfect for the role? Do you think they have what it takes to play them on Broadway? Let us know in the comments.