Pop superstar Ariana Grande, who stars in the highly anticipated film adaptation of "Wicked," recently appeared on the cover of "Vanity Fair" alongside her co-star Cynthia Erivo.
Grande portrays the kind "Glinda the Good Witch" in "Wicked," and her decision to alter her speaking voice for the role has drawn significant criticism. In the interview, she lamented that the backlash and misunderstanding surrounding vocal performances reflect a societal double standard.
"There's still a large part of the world that isn't familiar with what it takes to transform your voice, whether it's singing or taking on a different dialect for a role or doing a character voice for something," Grande noted.
She expressed frustration that male actors often receive praise for similar accent transformations: "When it's a male actor that does it, it's acclaimed. There are definitely jokes that are made as well, but it's always after being led with praise: 'Oh, wow, he was so lost in the role.' And that's just a part of the job, really. Tale as old as time being a woman in this industry. You are treated differently, and you are under a microscope in a way that some people aren't."
Reports indicate that criticism of Grande's accent in the "Wicked" trailer peaked around this past summer. She responded assertively on TikTok, stating, "I intentionally change my vocal placement (high/low) often depending on how much singing I'm doing. I've always done this BYE."
"I'm very proud of my voice," Grande recently told "Vanity Fair." "Part of why I wanted to speak out on TikTok was because I'm very proud of the work I put in, and I really gave my all, including my physical self, to this role. I'm proud of it, so I wanted to defend it."
"The ups and downs of my career have been psychologically difficult to deal with," Grande shared. "I started as a kind, funny redhead on Nickelodeon, and everyone loved me. Then, after I had a few hit songs, people suddenly thought I was a malicious diva. Then, other terrible things happened, and suddenly, I was simultaneously a hero and a victim."
"Honestly, I've worked very hard to get to where I am today and have healed some of my issues with fame and my relationship with my work. Since I was 19, some trashy media outlets have repeatedly tried to tear me down, but you know what? I'm 31 now, I'm not a perfect person, but I'm certain I'm a kind person at heart, and I'm proud of the person I'm becoming. I will never let those dishonest, evil rumors ruin my life or my perception of all that is real and good."
via： Vanity Fair