Ethan Slater Takes on Triple Role in ‘Wicked’ Audition Tape, Playing Boq, Glinda, and Nessarose

It was only Ethan Slater at his ‘Wicked’ audition! By playing several parts on his audition tape, the 32-year-old actor, who will play Boq in the upcoming movie adaptation, went above and above. He played Boq, but he also played Nessarose (Marissa Bode) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) alone.

When Slater disclosed that he had no one with whom to read, he decided to handle things alone. The choice to act against a video of himself was made when he recorded himself in all three roles, including reading off-camera lines for Glinda and Nessarose. Although he was shocked that it worked and referred to it as a brave move, he knew he wanted to take his time during the audition, which is why he improvised in this inventive fashion.

Slater’s first significant cinematic role is in ‘Wicked’. Despite not getting the part in his prior Broadway audition for Boq, he eventually gained recognition for his portrayal in ‘SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical’, which earned him a Tony Award nomination.

Image Courtesy: People

Starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the film adaptation of the well-loved Tony Award-winning musical features a stellar cast that includes Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Bronwyn James Peter Dinklage,  Jeff Goldblum, Bowen Yang, and. Slater talked about how unique it was to collaborate with such a gifted group of actors, highlighting how much each one of them cared about their roles. He praised Grande’s skilful use of comedic timing and body language to bring Glinda to life, saying that her portrayal was so real that it felt more like Glinda than a character.

The first instalment of Wicked’s two-part release will hit theatres soon on 22nd November.

–Farheen Ali