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Michelle Yeoh was very close to not appearing in Wicked! During her appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday night (January 25), the 61-year-old Oscar-winning actress explained why she almost turned down the role in director Jon M. Chu‘s adaption of the Broadway musical. Keep reading to find out more… When Jon – who Michelle previously worked with on Crazy Rich Asians – first approached her to play Madame Morrible in the movie, Michelle said that she was hesitant to take on the role because she would have to sing. “I read the script. I call him, ‘Jon, you realize she sings, right?’ And he goes, ‘Uh huh.’ I don’t sing! He’s like, ‘Eh, don’t worry,’” Michelle recalled. “Then, the next day, I get this video, and I look at it, and it’s like, ‘Hi, Michelle. I just have two people here who really want to talk to you and tell you why you should be here.’ And it was Ariana [Grande] and Cynthia [Erivo].” Michelle went on to say that not only did Ariana and Cynthia essentially beg her to join the cast, they also said that it was “imperative.” “Imperative was the royal word,” Michelle said. “Cynthia and Ariana are like angels — when you walk on and you hear them sing, it’s like you’ve gone to heaven.” When Jimmy asked if she felt “more pressure” being on set with “angels” Ariana and Cynthia, Michelle responded with a laugh, “Oh, no, hell no. Like you’re not gonna try and outdo that.” The Wicked movie adaptation is scheduled to be released in two parts with Wicked: Part One releasing on Nov. 27, 2024, while Wicked: Part Two will be released on Nov. 26, 2025. If you missed it, Ariana recently shared a new glimpse of herself in character as Glinda!
