You could say that Ethan Slater's yellow brick road to getting cast in had an element of magic to it.
On the day he was asked to submit a tape of himself for the role of Boq, Slater was playing the part of actor Christopher Fitzgerald's identical twin in a table read for a potential musical. Fitzgerald originated the role of Boq in âWickedâ on Broadway. âI didnât tell him about it âcause I didnât want to explain when I didnât get it,'â admitted Slater. Instead, he marked the occasion by asking Fitzgerald to take a selfie with him for seemingly no reason, which he still has.
After getting the job, Slater was determined to master the delicate dance of keeping the essence of Fitzgerald in a role that was now his.
âI look up to him so much,â Slater said of Fitzgerald. âI wanted to honor the Boq he created whoâs just, like, a burst of energy. But I also wanted to make him my own because I could never be Chris Fitzgerald. He's too singular and too amazing. It would be a foolâs errand to try to be him.â
In turn, Fitzgerald, who has seen the film, gave Slater's performance a glowing review. Slater says he plans to print and frame a text message that Fitzgerald sent him afterward.
âEthan has this perfect balance of soulfulness and funny bones as an actor,â Fitzgerald said in an email to the AP. âHis Boq is earnest, daffy, and generous of heart. It was such a pleasure and a gift to watch a pal use the spirit of something thatâs come before and spin it into something new and wholly original. He is Boq.â
âWickedâ is a prequel to the events of âWizard of Oz.â and Jonathan Bailey plays a prince, Fiyero, who encounters Glinda and Elphaba at school.
The story was conceived by Gregory Macguire for a novel called âWicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.â
Slater says filming the big-budget movie directed by ("Crazy Rich Asians" and actually felt much smaller. At its heart, the cast is just a bunch of theater kids who love to perform.
âI keep quoting Johnny Bailey who said while we were shooting, âit just feels like a student film until suddenly it doesnât,'" said Slater.
Erivo, Grande, Bailey and Slater all come from a musical theater background. In 2018, he was nominated for a Tony Award for his leading performance in âSpongeBob SquarePants" on Broadway. He was also in the revival of âSpamalot" in 2023.
âWe all cared so much. We cared in the way that theater kids care and want to protect this show and want the opportunity to do it. It was really, really joyful and familial," said Slater.
Because the experience was so magical, Slater said the actors find themselves reminiscing even when they're not promoting it.
âGoing to dinner last night, we were all still talking about âWicked,â and itâs like another theater kid thing, you know, hyper-fixating on this thing that we love so much," he said.
The actors sang live on set which Slater said makes for a better performance.
âYou are using your voice in the same way from scene into song, into scene. And thereâs no break at all. Youâre not thinking about syncing. Youâre not thinking about dubbing later. Youâre just performing it," he said.
âWicked,â premiering Nov. 22, will be released in two parts. The second film is scheduled for a November 2025 debut.
Slater recognizes that breaking up the film is a âcontroversial decision.â
"I empathize with that, but when you see this movie, I think itâs a really full movie with a beginning, middle and end. You get to know these characters and love these characters. I think the first thing youâre going to want to do is watch the movie a second time. Iâm on pins and needles waiting for the second one."
On screen, Boq has an unrequited crush on Glinda. Off screen, Slater and Grande are a couple in real life.
âHer fans are going to be blown away," he said. "Anybody whoâs a fan of Ariana knows how talented she is. They know that she has, you know, one of the best voices, of our generation â or ever â and can do anything with it. I think that her acting is like above and beyond. Itâs incredible. Her comedy is ridiculous."
Slater also stars in the film âLost on a Mountain in Maine," now in theaters. And he's developing âa really beautiful play about humanityâ where he would star as French mime Marcel Marceau.
âThe thing in theater is you canât really celebrate it until opening night and then you really shouldnât until it closes either. But weâre really excited about its future, and hopefully there will be more news about it soon.â
Alicia Rancilio, The Associated Press
