Before-and-after photos of the Wicked: For Good cast exploded across social media this month, with numerous fans shocked by how dramatically several stars appeared to have changed during the two-part musical’s demanding production.
The viral comparisons reignited conversations about the film’s intense schedule, from COVID interruptions to labor-strike delays and nonstop press commitments.
As fans debated the cast’s transformed looks, their observations of actors like Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and Michelle Yeoh, have become tinged with concern.
Fans said the cast looked transformed as before-and-after photos went viral
While Wicked: For Good is catching a lot of headlines for its ambitious premise, the drastic changes in the appearance of its stars have caught the internet’s attention.
On X, a post showing a side-by-side comparison of Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and Michelle Yeoh before and after Wicked went viral, garnering over 12 million views and thousands of replies and reposts. “It is a global pandemic,” one commenter wrote.
Numerous commenters were quite shocked by just how different the actresses looked, especially Yeoh, who is known for acting in action films that demand a lot of physical stunts.
Yeoh’s appearance at the Wicked: For Good Singapore premiere caught a lot of attention, and while her sculptural Iris van Herpen gown was a stunner, some netizens noted that she looked “drained” at the event.
A viral TikTok clip showed Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and Jeff Goldblum reacting in real time to Yeoh’s transformation. Grande could be heard exclaiming, “You’re blond!”, before hugging her co-star as Erivo joined in.
Grande also caught a lot of flak during Wicked: For Good’s red carpet events. Immediately after her appearance at a Wicked event at the ODEON Luxe Leicester Square, many fans expressed concern.
One commenter wrote, “Y’all talking about ‘Wicked healed her,’ looks like it sucked the life outta her.”
Others echoed similar concerns about Erivo, saying she looked exhausted and drained in Wicked: For Good‘s events. According to The Standard, Erivo was an avid gym bunny and a self-proclaimed fan of potato chips.
So notable were the changes in the actresses’ appearance that some commenters speculated that the film’s schedule must have been insane. “The production of this film should be reported,” one fan wrote.
Wicked’s difficult production schedule and recent stars’ announcements became a major point of discussion
Much of the viral conversation shifted from appearance to exhaustion, something the cast themselves openly described long before the premieres.
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo previously told The New York Times that filming Wicked had been incredibly demanding, with both contracting COVID at critical points in the film’s schedule.
“We’d worked ourselves to the bone,” Erivo admitted, explaining how the intense shoot pushed them physically and emotionally.
Grande echoed the same feeling. “We only got sick once each, but both were before some of the most important works of the whole movie,” she said.
She described returning to the set, still recovering, mask on, to learn the “hallway finale” for “Popular.”
Labor strikes later shut down production entirely, something Erivo confessed she was secretly grateful for because it provided her with some rest.
With Wicked: For Good now rolling out, some of the film’s stars seem to be quite ready to breathe. Just recently, Ariana Grande teased about possibly stepping away from performing altogether.
During a recent appearance on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast, Grande noted that her upcoming small tour would be the last one for a “long, long, long time,” a “last hurrah” of sorts.
Two male Wicked stars sparked their own viral reactions
It’s not just Grande, Erivo, and Yeoh who caught the attention of netizens. Wicked’s male stars, Jeff Goldblum and Jonathan Bailey, also went viral for their own reasons.
Jeff Goldblum, who plays the Wizard, also looks a bit different these days, though he revealed on This Morning that working on Wicked changed not only his mindset but his diet itself, according to NBC News.
“It’s changed me,” he said. “After doing this movie, we talked about the animal cruelty. I stopped eating meat and poultry.”
Image credits: Good Hang with Amy Poehler
He added that even the holidays would look different now. “This Christmas and Thanksgiving, I may be having something else.”
Jonathan Bailey, meanwhile, didn’t make headlines due to his appearance, but his exhaustion was clear in what he actually said.
After wrapping Wicked, Fellow Travelers, Jurassic World: Rebirth, and seasons of Bridgerton, he told British GQ, “I’ve been working solidly for about three years now… I’m going to stop acting for a bit next year.”
Bailey stated that he is planning to focus on The Shameless Fund, a U.K.-based LGBTQ+ charity he co-founded, a notable change of pace for the actor.
Netizens shared their thoughts on the Wicked stars’ before-and-after photos on social media
