“Wicked’s” Ethan Slater on “Dumb” Self-Tape Audition for Boq and Therapy”

Ethan Slater tries to adjust to the attention he receives both professionally and personally.

He makes his film debut as the lovesick Boq in Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked” alongside Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Baily, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum and Marissa Bode. Last year, Slater and Grande came under scrutiny when rumors about their relationship spread online, coinciding with reports of their respective divorces from previous partners.

“Definitely my therapist,” Slater says when I ask who he leans on to cope with the intense spotlight. “He was really helpful.”

Previously, the 32-year-old Washington native was best known and loved by Broadway fans for his Tony-nominated work in “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical.”

“At the end of the day, in so many areas of life, be it fame, career, whatever, just having a good group of people around you is so important,” Slater says on the latest episode of the Just for Variety podcast . “I am really lucky to have great friends and a wonderful family who are down to earth, helpful, loving and caring. This is kind of a crazy ride that’s just beginning. “Wicked” won’t be released for another two or three days. So it’s all just beginning, this whirlwind. But I was really grateful to have good people to lean on, and hopefully me too.”

He asked Goldblum, who plays the magician, for advice. “I was just like, ‘Hey, what can I expect? What’s coming?’ And I found his answer really funny. He was like, “Oh, I don’t know.” “I’ve never done anything that big,” Slater remembers. “First of all, that can’t be true. And he said, “Well, I think everything always feels like this, it always feels bigger. Find the ways.” …It was actually a huge relief that he didn’t really have any advice to give beyond the normal “take it day by day” kind of thing, because there’s something outrageous about promoting a film and being a part of something that so many “It’s something people care about, and I don’t think it’ll ever feel completely normal… But it’s definitely an exciting roller coaster ride.”

The following questions and answers have been edited and condensed for clarity. Listen to the full interview on Just for Variety above or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

Are you going to do a “Glicked” double feature?

I hope so. I try to fit it into the schedule so I can set aside seven hours and go to IMAX to get the full experience. I would really like to do that.

This is your first big film. Are you the type of person who wants to go to the theater and sit in the back with your hat pulled down so you can see the audience’s reaction?

I have two opinions. On the one hand, I feel like I enjoyed being at these premieres and being able to see the film with people. I’m so proud to be a part of this film and I’m so proud of everyone’s work in it that it’s really nice to see it being shared with people. And I love going to the movies, and I think that maybe there’s something really special about going to the movie theater where I can see everything. On the other hand, I’m also a little embarrassed.

It is It’s not like you and Ariana can just sneak in on a date night and no one can see you.

We will wear hats and masks. There’s a buddy of mine (Danny Skinner) who I did “SpongeBob” with, and we watched every “SpongeBob” movie, and we also watched our movie when it was being made. We couldn’t be more striking. We really look like SpongeBob and Patrick Star next to each other. It’s just the craziest silhouette. We were watching the tour in Philadelphia and trying to stay incognito and everyone was like, “Oh, hey, Ethan. Hey, Danny.” We ask, “What do you mean?”

Tell me about how you first saw “Wicked” on stage? How old were you?

I was in sixth grade, so 11 years old. It was the original Broadway ensemble, spring 2004. I think it was May, before the Tony’s, and I went with my school. We went on a field trip, a day trip, to see “Wicked.” And look, I don’t generally have the clearest memories of my childhood, but I remember what it felt like and I remember the bus ride. I think the cast album must have been out and we were just singing the whole time. And honestly, I think it’s kind of crazy, 21 years, 20 years later, working on the movie Wicked, to say, “This is one of the things that I fell in love with.” Theater and made me do it , falling in love with music is Stephen Schwartz’s music in this and The Prince of Egypt. But it’s true. It has truly changed my life in small ways and now in big ways.

What was it like stepping onto the “Wicked” set for the first time?

The first day I arrived in London, Jon – and he did this with everyone because he’s amazing – we sat there for two and a half hours and talked about what it means to be a munchkin, what the culture of Munchkin Country. He had some ideas, but he wanted me to bring what I thought based on my research and just respect the most acting impulses that actors sometimes have. It can be embarrassing and vulnerable to admit sometimes, but he was like, “No, I love it.” Tell me more. What did you think?” So we talked a lot and it was really nice.

How was your audition?

I really wanted to do a good job, but I didn’t have anyone to read with me and it was a self-recording. I recorded myself singing all of Glinda’s lines, and I recorded myself singing Nessa’s lines, and then I read to myself, off camera. There’s a lot of Ethan on one tape… It was so stupid. It was such a stupid decision. And I remember thinking afterwards, “I can’t believe I’m sending this in, but now it’s the deadline and I think I’m doing a good enough job and whatever.” I sent it in, (but) I thought, “Well, there’s no chance.”

Did you know Cynthia and Ari personally before you got the role?

No, actually not at all. I had worked with Cynthia, but we hadn’t really met or spoken to each other that much until then.

What was it like seeing yourself with full boq hair and makeup for the first time?

Boq has a lot of hair similar to mine, but to make it architectural and get that look, I incorporated hundreds and hundreds of extensions.

It wasn’t a wig?

No, my hair plus extensions. Yes. So I think I had it up in a bun a lot throughout the year, but when I didn’t, I had to style it properly or it would fall down and look absolutely ridiculous. It was a crazy way to live, but it was really fun.

Did you keep the extensions when you weren’t filming?

Every six weeks we had to remove them and then reinsert them, and that was a three-day process. They had to remove it, have my scalp readjusted, do a small haircut and then put it back in for two days. The first day it took seven hours, and the next day it took another three hours to put it back in place. We also had to get another haircut. Once everyone was inside, we had to get a haircut.

When are you going back to Broadway?

I don’t know yet. No plans. Hopefully soon. I love doing Broadway and I love the Broadway community, so we’ll see.

What is your dream musical?

I have a little idea, which is that I think Tevye the dairyman would probably be around 38 years old, maybe close to 40. So I think I want to play Tevye in my late 30s and 40s (in “Fiddler” ) on the roof”).

It doesn’t have to be Broadway. They could make a movie, Jon Chu’s “Fiddler on the Roof.”

Jon Chu’s “Fiddler on the Roof” – that’s a stunning idea.

I want 10 percent.

You know what? If we can put this thing together, 10 percent is yours.

Check out my interview with Slater at the “Wicked” premiere in Los Angeles below. Find out what he has to say about childhood bullies who teased him about his red hair.