Culture November 5, 2024

Ariana Grande shares meaningful reason she used her full name in 'Wicked' credits

WATCH: The story of Ariana Grande

When the "Wicked" film opens in theaters later this month, you'll see Ariana Grande credited under a slightly different name.

The "we can't be friends" singer, who plays Glinda in the film, is credited onscreen with her birth name: Ariana Grande-Butera. Butera is her father's surname; Her mom's last name is Grande.

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While doing press for "Wicked" alongside co-star Cynthia Erivo, Grande told reporter and podcast host Justin Hill her decision to use her full name was a way to mark what a full-circle moment the movie is for her.

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Ariana Grande attends the "Journey Through Oz" Tour to celebrate the Australian premiere of "Wicked" at State Theatre, Nov. 3, 2024, in Sydney.

"Technically, it's my little girl name," she said when asked about using her full "grown-up" name. "I just feel like this experience was such a homecoming for me. I feel like I came home to myself in a lot of ways through what I learned from Glinda, from Elphaba."

"You know, that was my name when I went to see ['Wicked' on Broadway] when I was 10 years old," she continued. "And it felt like a really lovely way of honoring that. It felt really full circle and it just felt like something I wanted to do."

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The moment has been shared to Hill's TikTok account and has since gone viral with over 147,000 views and counting.

"Wicked" arrives in theaters Nov. 22.