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Michelle Yeoh is spilling the tea on her Wicked co-stars, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Jeff Goldblum.
Talking with ET’s Deidre Behar from the 10th annual Breakthrough Prize Awards on Saturday, the Oscar-winning actress, 61, shared that the cast’s recent reunion at CinemaCon was more emotional than she could have ever imagined.
“Oh my goodness, you know, it was a first reunion for us since we wrapped,” the Malaysian-born actress shared. In January, ET confirmed that the highly anticipated film — an adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical — had completed filming, more than two years after shooting began in England.
Yeoh added, “There were too many hugs and kisses and we were all holding hands the entire night.”
As for which of her on-screen companions went the hardest during the CinemaCon festivities, the Everything Everywhere All at Once star said that Goldblum, 71 — who is playing the Wizard of Oz in the film — was the clear answer but that his version of “turning up” just included giving everyone their fair share of hugs.
In case it wasn’t clear from Yeoh’s response, the Wicked cast has gone far beyond friends and co-workers during the two-year filming period. While they’ve created ever-lasting relationships and romances — Grande, 30, is now dating Ethan Slater, who plays Boq, her on-screen admirer — it’s clear that some friendships have evolved into family bonds.
“But Cynthia and Ariana, they’re like the yin and yang. They’re just like the perfect little couple,” Yeoh said.
Back in January, near the end of the production, Erivo, 37, and Grande — the film’s Elphaba and Galinda — went so far as to forever mark their time together not with a handprint on their heart like the sheet music would suggest, but with “For Good” tattooed on their palms.
Yeoh — who plays Madame Morrible, the press secretary to the Wizard — said that the photos circulating on social media of the cast and crew enjoying their time together in Las Vegas during the film-centric week are true in nature and depict the “real joy” of their love for one another.
“You know, when you see love — it’s such a warm feeling and it’s real,” Yeoh shared.
On the other side of the coin, the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon star said that their “real joy” certainly does not stop them from bringing emotion to the silver screen for the film. She shared that one particular moment in the film that made her cry involves the story’s main protagonists, Elphaba and Galinda, at a crossroads in their relationship and search for purpose. That moment can only be rivaled by Erivo’s show-stopping number, presumably at the end of Wicked: Part 1.
“Oh my god, ‘Defying Gravity,'” Yeoh told ET of which moment she thinks will receive the biggest reaction from the fans. “I think it will blow you away, it will move you to tears.”
During CinemaCon, director Jon M. Chu revealed additional footage from the film and announced the casting of Game of Thrones and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes star Peter Dinklage, who will play Dr. Dillamond, a talking goat at Shiz University and close companion of Elphaba.
Wicked: Part 1 hits theaters on Nov. 27, 2024, while Wicked: Part Two will be released on Nov. 26, 2025.
Aside from Yeoh, Saturday night’s Breakthrough Prize Awards featured appearances from Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Alicia Keys, Jessica Chastain and more. The annual event recognizes scientific achievement and brings together luminaries of science and mathematics with leading figures from the worlds of entertainment.
For more from the event, check out the video below.
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