"I had not seen Wicked the musical before" - Michelle Yeoh opens up on her Wicked experience

"Wicked: For Good!" New York Premiere - Source: Getty
Michelle Yeoh at Wicked: For Good New York Premiere (Image via Getty)

The Crazy Rich Asians star, Michelle Yeoh, recently opened up about her journey on the cinematic adaptation of the beloved Broadway hit, Wicked.

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When director Jon M. Chu approached her for the role, Yeoh was initially skeptical, stating that she hadn't watched the musical before. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter at the film's premiere in Los Angeles on November 9, the Wicked: For Good actress stated:

“and I at that point had no clue what he was talking about because I had not seen Wicked the musical before. I knew Wizard of Oz, who doesn’t, but not Wicked, because I hadn’t been going to the theaters and not doing what I love which is watching musicals, for quite a while I hate to say.”
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However, she embraced the challenge, joining the two-part film series as Madame Morrible, the formidable headmistress of Crage Hall at Shiz University. Morrible becomes a crucial character in guiding Elphaba's powerful magical abilities, a relationship that later strains when the headmistress ultimately turns against her.


Michelle Yeoh on playing Madame Morrible in Wicked film series

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While Yeoh was not prepared for the role, Jon M. Chu reassured her, playing down the difficulty and appealing to her willingness to take on new things. She stated:

“So I read it and called Jon back and said, ‘This is a musical and she sings.’ And he said, ‘Oh easy, you’ll have fun, you’re up for the challenge,” the actress continued. “And then the next thing I knew I get this video call and it was him with Ariana and Cynthia saying, ‘It’s imperative you come and join us now.'”
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Michelle Yeoh explained that while she initially felt more than just nervous, she was terrified about the prospect of singing in the Wicked film. However, the experience ultimately became a positive one due to her work with a vocal coach. The Ne Zha 2 actress stated:

“I was terrified, I was not just nervous. the process of exercising, learning to use the muscles in a different way, was actually very, very good for me because it helps with my voice as an actor. So I had fun.”
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Jon M. Chu's Wicked: For Good is set to hit the theatres on November 21, 2025, featuring Michelle Yeoh among the ensemle cast which features Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jeff Goldblum, Peter Dinklage, etc. Besides the upcoming musical sequel, Yeoh will also reportedly feature in James Cameron's Avatar 4, which slated for a 2029 release.

More recently, Michelle Yeoh featured as the English voice cast of Lady Yin in the Chinese adult animated adventure fantasy action film, Ne Zha 2. Her other upcoming projects include the upcoming Amazon Prime Video miniseries, Blade Runner 2099.

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Stay tuned for more updates.

Edited by Suchita Patnaha
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