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Ethan Slater talks playing Boq in 'Wicked'
The movie musical ''Wicked'' is turning out to be very ''popular'' with both critics and audiences. Tony Award-nominee Ethan Slater plays Boq in the new film, and he talked to Paul Milliken about how the role was one he was very familiar with.
Last weekend was a bewitching one at the box office, as the big-screen adaptation of the Broadway blockbuster "Wicked" cast a major spell over critics and audiences alike.
And for co-star Ethan Slater, being in the middle of the film’s flurry of publicity is a little like being swept up in an Oz-bound tornado.
"It's crazy; it’s really crazy," says the actor, best known for his Tony-nominated performance in "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical." "In my family and amongst my friends, it’s the biggest movie in the world because I'm a part of it. And then to go to Sydney, Australia, and then back to LA, and then back to New York and London and Mexico City — and everybody is talking about it in, like, the same way as my family — it just feels like a big global family."
And that family is expected to just keep growing and growing, as the movie continues to win over global audiences and becomes a likely awards contender. Experts are tipping the film to score several nominations for the upcoming Golden Globes and Academy Awards.
Slater plays Boq Woodsman in the musical, alongside Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera as the iconic witches of Oz. It’s a role for which Slater had auditioned years ago, as a young performer hoping to score a part in the famed stage production.
"One of my first auditions for a Broadway show was for the role of Boq, and I did not get it," says Slater. "I was so excited about it, and it didn't quite go my way. But I do think that it kind of paved the way to me eventually getting to do it."
"Wicked" is open in theaters everywhere now — and the film’s sequel is set for release in November 2025.