I’m very disappointed thatAriana Grandedidn’t win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar at the 2025 Academy Awards, especially since I’m not very confident in her winning forWicked 2. Before the release ofWicked, Grande being an Oscar nominee was something that never would have been on my bingo card. However, I was so impressed by her performance inWicked. In fact, I think Glinda is by far the bestcharacter inWicked. Grande consistently stole the show in the musical, which is why she was my pick towin Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards.
At the Oscars, Grande was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category alongside Zoe Saldaña, Monica Barbaro, Felicity Jones, and Isabella Rossellini. Despite Grande receiving praise for her performance inWicked, Saldaña ended up winning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role inEmilia Pérez. Grande still has a chance to win the Oscar for her role in theupcomingWicked: For Good, which will likely receive a lot of attention during awards season next year. However,based on Academy Awards history, I am not confident that Grande will win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar forWicked: For Good.
Ariana Grande’s Chances At Winning An Oscar For Wicked 2 Isn’t Likely Based On Academy Award History
Only One Actor Has Won An Oscar After Reprising A Role In A Sequel
To be honest, I’m not particularly a huge fan of musicals and was somewhat shocked at the awards buzzWickedwas receiving after its release. However, after watching the film, everything made sense. Grande, Erivo, and the rest of the cast ofWickedgive amazing performances in the film. I specifically found myself laughing so hard at everything Glinda did in the film. Not only is Grande an amazing singer, butshe also makes a lot of subtle choices throughoutWickedthat add so much depth to Glinda.
Glinda Might Not Be Able To Do Magic, But Don’t Underestimate Her Power In Wicked 2
Wicked shows that Glinda can’t do magic despite her attempts and desires to do so, but her journey to find her real powers in Wicked 2 is still key.
Therefore, since Glinda is a standout character inWicked, I have been hoping for months that Grande would win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. While all the nominees gave great performances in their films, Grande has so much charm inWickedand commands every scene she is part of. Furthermore, Grande sings some of thebest songs inWicked, such as “Popular” and “Defying Gravity,” which is an emotional duet with Erivo’s Elphaba. However,based on Oscars history, it doesn’t seem like Grande has a strong chance at winning the Best Supporting Actress award forWicked: For Good.
Has Any Actor Won An Oscar For A Reprising Role In A Sequel?
Paul Newman Won Best Actor In 1987 After Starring In The Color Of Money
In the entire history of the Academy Awards, only one actor has won an Oscar for a performance in a sequel. In 1987,Paul Newman won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in Martin Scorsese’sThe Color of Money, which is a sequel to the 1961 filmThe Hustler. InThe HustlerandThe Color of Money, Newman plays Eddie Felson, a pool hustler. Years after the events ofThe Hustler, Newman’s character decides he wants to return to billiards inThe Color of Money.
Newman was also nominated for Best Actor for his role inThe Hustler.
The Color of Moneyis actually the only sequel that Scorsese has ever made in his career, and has an impressive score of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes (viaRotten Tomatoes). Newman was also nominated for Best Actor for his role inThe Hustler, but lost to Maximilian Schell, who starred inJudgment at Nuremberg. It is amazing that Newman was not only nominated for playing the same character 25 years after the first film, but also won the Best Actor Oscar forThe Color of Money.
Why Ariana Grande’s Role In Wicked 2 Is Still Exciting
Grande Could Still Find Oscars Success For Her Wicked 2 Performance
Since Newman is the only actor to ever win an Oscar after reprising a role for a sequel,the chances of Grande winning an Oscar forWicked 2are not high. However, it is not impossible. After all,Wickedis still considered a huge success even though it didn’t win any of the major awards at the Oscars. Therefore, the franchise still has a lot of good faith with Academy voters. If reviews forWicked: For Goodare higher than the first movie’s, then there’s a chance that the sequel could be way more successful at the 2026 Academy Awards.
Wicked 2: What Glinda’s New Original Song Means For The Sequel
Glinda’s character arc may change drastically from the original Broadway production, with the addition of two new songs in the movie’s sequel.
Even if Grande doesn’t win the Best Supporting Actress award forWicked: For Good, there’s still a chance that she could find success at the Oscars. Unlike in the first film,Grande’s character will sing an original song inWicked 2. This means that she could also be nominated for a Best Original Song Oscar, in addition to Best Supporting Actress. Therefore, there’s still a chance thatAriana Grandewill win an Oscar at the 2026 Academy Awards.
