Current:Home > Contact-usWicked Star Ethan Slater Shares Similarities He Has With His Character Boq-LoTradeCoin
Wicked Star Ethan Slater Shares Similarities He Has With His Character Boq
View Date:2024-12-23 14:55:52
Ethan Slater knows Wicked is going to be a popular movie night choice for his son.
For his first major film role, the Broadway actor was transported to the land of Oz in Wicked, and he expressed excitement for the prospect of someday sharing the 2024 film, which hits theaters Nov. 22, with his and ex-wife Lilly Jay's 2-year-old son.
"That's a really special thing," Ethan gushed to E! @ Wicked hosts Zuri Hall and Justin Sylvester at the Nov. 9 Los Angeles premiere of the film. "It's going to be so moving. I'm crying already watching it, I can't imagine."
But Ethan—who for his part first saw the Broadway show when he was just 11 years old—shared that he had a similarly heartwarming experience when seeing the musical with another young family member.
"I got to share Wicked with my niece when she turned nine," the 32-year-old recalled. "And to watch her see that Broadway show, through her eyes, and what it meant to her—I can't wait to experience that again."
In the two-part adaptation of the Broadway smash hit, Ethan plays Boq, the Munchkin love interest of Nessarose, alongside a star-studded cast including Ariana Grande—his girlfriend of over a year—and Cynthia Erivo as Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba, as well as Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh and more.
And while it means so much for SpongeBob SquarePants actor to eventually have his son see the movie, portraying the character has been magical for himself, too.
"It's really cool," Ethan added. "I think the craziest thing is Wicked has been around for so long—for 20 years. Being a part of the legacy of Wicked that so many people love so much and getting to be a part of that love. I've always been a fan, so now being able to talk to people as one of the hundreds of Boqs."
Because the role is extremely meaningful to the 32-year-old, he was able to channel himself into his character seamlessly.
"I love Boq because he's a well-intentioned guy looking for a community and looking for love," Ethan explained. "He would do anything for the people that he loves. And I actually admire that in Boq, and even if he stumbles and trips and makes mistakes—he's trying to lead with heart. So, I'd like to think I connected with him in that way."
Ethan's costars would agree that he shares his character's qualities. After all, Saturday Night Live's Bowen Yang—who plays Pfannee in the film—credited Ethan for bringing the cast together on set.
“There are people in the world who are able to put other people on this accelerated path towards familiarity and friendship and fellowship," Bowen told GQ in an article published last month. "Ethan, I think more than almost everybody I’ve met, has that quality about him.”
Meanwhile, Ariana—who first went public with Ethan in July 2023—echoed Bowen, crediting her boyfriend's ability to put up with the scrutiny the couple faced early on in their relationship.
As she told Vanity Fair in September, "No one on this earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves and cares about."
And the “7 Rings” singer thinks that knowing Ethan has changed her for the good, adding, “There is no one on this earth with a better heart."
As for how Ethan feels about Ariana’s portrayal of Glinda the Good Witch in the film? He is beaming.
“I’m just really, really proud of Ari and the work she’s done on this,” he told GQ last month. “She’s poured herself into it. I’m really excited to be here for this next step of when the world gets to see the amazing thing that she did.”
Read on to see more of the Wicked stars that graced the red carpet.
(E!, Universal Pictures and Fandango are all part of the NBCUniversal family.)
To get your tickets for Wicked, premiering Nov. 22, click here.veryGood! (5)
Related
- Why Jersey Shore's Jenni JWoww Farley May Not Marry Her Fiancé Zack Clayton
- CBS daytime show 'The Talk' ending with shortened 15th season this fall
- What the Stars of Bravo's NYC Prep Are Up to Now
- Benteler Steel plans $21 million expansion, will create 49 jobs
- New York eyes reviving congestion pricing toll before Trump takes office
- Get Gym Ready With Athleta’s Warehouse Sale, Where You Can Get up to 70% off Cute Activewear
- 1 dead after shuttle bus crashes at a Honolulu cruise ship terminal
- Wildlife ecologist Rae Wynn-Grant talks breaking barriers and fostering diversity in new memoir
- 3 Iraqis tortured at Abu Ghraib win $42M judgement against defense contractor
- Suki Waterhouse Reveals Sex of Her and Robert Pattinson's Baby During Coachella Performance
Ranking
- Bull doge! Dogecoin soars as Trump announces a government efficiency group nicknamed DOGE
- 1 dead after shuttle bus crashes at a Honolulu cruise ship terminal
- Chipotle to pay nearly $3 million to settle allegations of retaliation against workers
- French athlete attempts climbing record after scaling Eiffel Tower
- 1 million migrants in the US rely on temporary protections that Trump could target
- Arizona Coyotes players told team is relocating to Salt Lake City, reports say
- Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Coachella 2024 Date Night Will Never Go Out of Style
- 2024 Masters tee times for Round 3 Saturday: When does Tiger Woods tee off?
Recommendation
-
USMNT Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal Leg 1 vs. Jamaica: Live stream and TV, rosters
-
Search continues in Maine as officer is charged with lying about taking missing person to hospital
-
How Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton Took Their Super-Public Love Off the Radar
-
River barges break loose in Pittsburgh, causing damage and closing bridges before some go over a dam
-
Avril Lavigne’s Ex Mod Sun Is Dating Love Is Blind Star Brittany Wisniewski, Debuts Romance With a Kiss
-
Ohio State football's assistant coach salary pool reaches eight figures for first time
-
California man sentenced to 40 years to life for fatal freeway shooting of 6-year-old boy
-
Robert Pattinson Supports Suki Waterhouse at Coachella Weeks After They Welcomed Their First Baby