What did David Corenswet say to Jonathan Bailey in Actors on Actors? Controversy explained

David Corenswet and Jonathan Bailey’s joint appearance on Variety Studio: Actors on Actors is arguably the most talked-about segment of the season. The conversation that was supposed to revolve around their characters in the forthcoming movie Wicked: For Good ended up being noticed because of just one single exchange that sparked debate online.

While sharing memories of their scenes, a statement by David Corenswet regarding an on-screen moment of Jonathan Bailey made the audience both laugh and get puzzled, and as a result, discussions about the tone, intention, and performance in physical stunts were sparked.

The entire exchange, however, between the two actors, as shown in the video, depicts them as having a good time and a great relationship, and they are both very open in this regard when they talk about the different sides, which are technical and emotional, of their scenes.

David Corenswet told Jonathan Bailey in Actors on Actors that Bailey managed to look powerful and masculine while being levitated by Cynthia Erivo during their Wicked: For Good scene, a moment Corenswet called amazing.

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Details explored on David Corenswet and Jonathan Bailey's conversation during Actors on Actors

Jonathan Bailey (Image Via Getty Images)

During their Actors on Actors conversation, David Corenswet pointed out Jonathan Bailey’s levitation scene in Wicked: For Good, and talked about how hard it must be to still look powerful and make a strong impact on the screen when one is being lifted by someone else.

David Corenswet said to Bailey,

"I don't think there is a single man who, seeing a woman levitate a man, would still hold that the man is showing power and masculinity. However, you managed to keep your masculine side."

After that, he went on to commend Bailey's bodily work by naming the instance "wonderful" and by singling out the dance and emotional aspects of the piece.

Bailey Jonathan made a joke and showed gratitude by pointing out how fortunate it was that two of their co-stars, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, were the ones who lifted him. He furthered that doing the sequence while wearing a harness and singing was a difficult technical task, but at the same time, he called it amazing.

When taken as a whole, David Corenswet’s comment was meant to show his respect for Jonathan Bailey’s work, yet the way it was worded caused people to engage in online conversations about it.

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More details on Wicked: For Good

David Corenswet (Image Via Getty)

The conversation comes after the release of Wicked: For Good, a sequel to the two-part stage-to-screen musical adaptation of Wicked.

With Jon M. Chu at the helm as director, the picture is a continuation of the narrative revolving around Elphaba and Glinda when political unrest, among other things, spreads across Oz.

Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum are some of the actors who will be seen in the new film, along with the returning characters.

Wicked: For Good is based on the second act of the musical that rules Broadway by uncovering the story of how Elphaba turned to the dark side, and Glinda became Glinda the Good. The movie goes further with the relationship of the two girls while it is also telling their individual stories of power, identity, and sacrifice.

Work on the movie started in 2022, and the filming location was England. After a suspension due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, the shooting resumed in early 2024.

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Interested viewers can watch Jonathan Bailey's Wicked: For Good in theatres.