Forget the Team Pink vs. Team Green debate for a minute. For his Zoom interview with Parade, Wicked: For Good actor Ethan Slater opts for a classic tee — in grey! — emblazoned with the title of L. Frank Baum’s 1903 book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. “Do you like it?” he asks. “It’s my good luck shirt!”
He really doesn’t need it. Last year, the big-screen adaptation of the iconic Broadway musical depicting life in a pre-Dorothy Oz defied expectations (not to mention gravity) by becoming a worldwide blockbuster that earned 10 Oscar nominations.
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In the much-anticipated, second-half Wicked: For Good (which opens in theaters Nov. 21), Slates reprises his role as Boq — a cheerful munchkin in Oz harboring an unrequited crush on the ever-popular Glinda (Ariana Grande-Butera). Alas, the ostracized Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) must cast a spell that renders him into the heartless Tin Man.
“At the start of the movie, Boq feels lonely and isolated trying to find his community,” he tells Parade. “And when you’re isolated in that way, your loneliness turns to hatred and your heart shrinks down. As the movie goes on, that emotion turns physical.”
Offscreen, Slater’s heart is significantly fuller: He’s been dating Grande for more than two years after meeting on the set in 2022. And come 2026, Slater — Tony-nominated in 2018 for playing the titular role in the SpongeBob SquarePants musical — will star as legendary French mime Marcel Marceau in the off-Broadway new play Marcel on the Train. (He co-wrote it, too.)
Now that he’s come to the end of the yellow brick road, Slater, 33, talks all things Wicked and more with Parade.
Parade: So how does it feel to be almost done with the Wicked press tour and the fancy premieres?
Slater: A Wicked promotional week is wild. I don’t think I’ll ever be used to it. We just had the premiere at Lincoln Center, which was particularly magical. One of the things that I've been feeling a lot this past week is just that Wicked is such a staple of New York now. It’s been playing at the Gershwin Theatre for over 20 years, so it’s officially a New Yorker.
For people who haven’t seen the show or just forgot, it may be a surprise that you turn into such an iconic character!
I’ve been trying my best to make the reveal spoiler-free leading up to the release because of that.
Related: All About ‘Wicked: For Good’
Is that really you in that metallic costume? It looks cumbersome?
Yes, and it was very metal-like! That's my face moving. If I lifted an eyebrow, the eyebrow lifted. If I twitched my cheek, my cheek twitched. So I was really acting through the prosthetics, and they didn't have to change it in post-production at all. I think a big question is how much CGI is there, and the answer is just the Tin Man joints.
So how long were you in the makeup chair for?
When it started, it was about five hours a day. By the end, it was under three. [Makeup prosthetic designers] Mark [Coulier] and Stephen [Murphy] and Frances Hannon got really good at it.
I’m sure you know that Buddy Ebsen was supposed to be the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz but had to drop out because he had an allergic reaction to the makeup.
That was constantly ringing in my head. I kept thinking, “Thank God we've had nearly 100 years of testing on these paints to make sure that I'm not going to develop a reaction!”
Related: ‘Wizard of Oz’ Sphere Profits Are Stunning. Are Other Movie Classics on the Horizon?
Boq is fairly isolated in Wicked: For Good. Did you get to be on set for any of the big production numbers?
Yes, I would often ask [director] Jon [M. Chu] if I could just sit next to him at the monitor and learn from him. From the first movie, I remember I got to see parts of “Defying Gravity” because I happened to be working on the stage next door, and it was, like, shocking. And I remember being like, “Oh, this is really going to blow people away.”
I also talked to Jon a lot for his plan for [Glinda’s new song] “The Girl in the Bubble.” The camera moves through all these mirrors to see what’s in the reflected world and what’s reflected in the real world. It was a beautiful metaphor done seamlessly. And the work that Ariana was doing in it, and the collaboration with her performance and, like, just her singing and the cinematic storytelling . . . I was very excited to see it.
Want to go ahead and rave more about Ariana’s performance?
She's incredible. I mean, I could take up our entire interview plugging performances that I think are mind blowing. Cynthia’s “No Good Deed” is everything that you want it to be, and more. And remember that it was live singing 90 percent of the time on the set. Jon did an amazing job at finding people who could sing the hell out of those songs at the highest level.
Could you see yourself ever doing Boq on Broadway?
Oh, maybe. I auditioned for the role like 10 years ago on Broadway, and I didn't get it. But now I have a take on it. But I love Broadway, and I love doing theater. Everybody wants to be in Wicked. What a great show.
Related: Wicked 2 Fun Facts
Let’s hear a little about the Marcel Marceau play. Are you playing a mime?
No, I’m playing him before he was world-famous — when he was a 20-year-old kid in southern France in 1943. He joined the French Resistance and saved Jewish orphans. This is the story of one the train rides from France to Switzerland, when he had the Jewish orphans disguised as Boy Scouts. It’s also the story of how Marcel became Marcel because he was incredibly inspired by Charlie Chaplin and physical comedy. So I’m excited about it. We are starting rehearsals pretty soon and will premiere at the Classic Stage Company.
Will you have time to go to the Oscars again?
Fingers crossed! From your lips to the Academy’s ears.
What stands out about that night?
Oh, it was incredible! It was my first time with the Oscars. I was sitting next to Ben Stiller and I told him that I’ve seen him in everything he’s ever done. That was so cool. And he told me that he went to see Wicked with his family.
Related: 'Wicked' Fans React to Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's 2025 Oscars Performance: 'Mesmerizing'
In honor of the Tin Man, what’s the last heartwarming thing someone has done for you?
The thing is, promoting a movie that you love and are proud of can be a sappy experience. I love all of the people that I got to work with, and we get to travel the world talking about it. It's like, it's heartwarming, and it's beautiful. So it's hard to pick out one thing, because it's been a heartwarming month.
What about the last heartwarming thing you’ve done for someone else?
(Smiles) Oh, I've gotten a couple of nice thoughtful little gifts for people!
Want to be more specific?
I’ll say this: My best friend, Danny Skinner — who played Patrick Star with me on Broadway when we did the SpongeBob musical — came with me to London to celebrate the London premiere of Wicked. We got to spend the day hyping each other up and having a great time and celebrating this thing. It was heartwarming for both of us.
What do you make of the Wicked phenomenon? Its success can’t just be owed to a love of The Wizard of Oz.
First of all, the score is awesome. It’s epic and emotional. But at the end of the day, I think it's the story of two women and this friendship, and the lengths that we go to in order to become our truest selves with a friend. The world is so big and scary, and ultimately, the thing that keeps us grounded are the people in our lives and the people we love. I think that’s the heart of the story, and that's what's makes it so enduring.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity
Next: Is There a Post-Credits Scene at the End of ‘Wicked: For Good’?
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