Buzz
As many of you know, Ariana Grande recently returned to acting with a highly praised performance in Wicked, which premiered in November.
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The star portrays Glinda in the movie adaptation of the 2003 stage musical, which is based on the 1995 book 'Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.' Ariana’s portrayal has garnered widespread acclaim, earning her Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations.
Before landing the role, Ariana, who was more widely known for her music career, openly expressed her aspiration to play Glinda in a film adaptation one day.
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Over the years, Ariana has consistently shared her dream role in interviews and on social media, and didn't try to hide her excitement while auditioning for it. She even revealed that she made sure to be the first to arrive for her auditions and trained daily to prove to the producers she was the perfect fit for the part. Ariana also went so far as to wear Glinda’s signature color, pink, during her auditions.
After achieving her dream role as Glinda, fans started to wonder if Ariana had set her sights on another high-profile film role.
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In recent months, several viral tweets have suggested that Ariana is 'campaigning' to portray the beloved Hollywood icon Audrey Hepburn in a biopic, with many fans noticing similarities between Audrey's iconic style and Ariana’s fashion, hair, and makeup choices.
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The speculation reached new heights last week when Ariana wore a strapless Louis Vuitton ballgown to the 36th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards, with her hair styled in a bun and short, swooping side bangs.
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One viral tweet shared photos of Ariana from the evening, reading: 'her subtly campaigning for that audrey hepburn role….i see you ariana.' Another tweet added: 'I may be completely delusional, but Ariana is obviously subtly campaigning to play Audrey Hepburn in the biopic that is already written. Her dresses and hair have all given her a nod. Walk with me here. The hair is in a bun for a reason!' comparing photos of Ariana and Audrey.
The speculation continued at Sunday’s Golden Globes when Ariana wore a pale yellow Givenchy gown from 1966 to the event, once again highlighting her signature new bangs.
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Givenchy was Audrey's go-to fashion house throughout her career, and in 1956, she even signed a contract stipulating she would be dressed by Givenchy in all of her contemporary-set films.
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Responding to a photo of Ariana at the Golden Globes, one person asked: 'Why is she campaigning to play Audrey?' Meanwhile, another person claimed: 'She kinda hasn’t been subtle about campaigning for the Audrey Hepburn biopic.'
However, Ariana has now directly addressed these rumors, denying them and stating that she has no idea where this speculation even originated from.
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In an interview with Entertainment Tonight on Tuesday, Ariana was asked about the subtle nods to Audrey in her recent looks. She responded, 'I love the '50s, '60s glamour; that’s just kind of my favorite — Marilyn, Audrey, it’s just my favorite.' When asked if she was planning to 'manifest' the Audrey role as she did with Glinda, Ariana appeared surprised, saying: 'Oh my goodness, oh my goodness. I have no idea.' She continued, 'That would have to be done so well and so perfectly... I don’t know. No way I could.' Responding to someone who said she could do the role justice, Ariana humbly replied: 'That’s very kind.'
Later that night, in a separate interview with Access Hollywood, Ariana was asked a similar question, prompting her to respond: 'Oh my goodness, why is everyone asking me this?'
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Ariana responded to a reporter’s suggestion that she could play Audrey, saying, 'You're insane, you're insane, you're insane. You're insane. I love you.'
Though there have been rumors circulating for years about an Audrey Hepburn biopic, significant progress on the project has yet to be made.
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Rooney Mara was once set to portray Audrey in a Luca Guadagnino-directed film about the icon, but in February 2024, Rooney revealed that Luca was no longer attached to the project. She clarified, 'The project is not completely dead. Luca is no longer going to be directing it, but the project is still very much alive… I can’t say more than that right now.' No further updates have been shared since then.
