Ariana Grande Uses Full Birth Name for Wicked Films; Reverts to Stage Name for Other Projects

Ariana Grande appears as Ariana Grande-Butera in the credits for both Wicked: Part One and Wicked: For Good. Her choice to go with the full birth name applied just to this two-part film adaptation, as she'll use her shortened stage name for what comes next.

"Technically, it's my little-girl name. It's technically little Ari's name," said Grande to Hit Network, per People. "I just feel like this experience was such a homecoming for me. I feel like I came home to myself in a lot of ways through what I learned from Glinda, from Elphaba."

She used that name when she first saw the stage production at age 10. Grande is her mother Joan's surname, while Butera comes from her father Ed. Her parents split during her childhood.

"That was my name when I went to see the show when I was 10 years old, and it felt like a really lovely way of honoring that," she continued. "It felt really full-circle, and it just felt like something I wanted to do."

The performer earned a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Glinda in Wicked: Part One, which was released in 2024. The sequel Wicked: For Good opened in theaters this month.

Universal Pictures announced in a press release that she will appear as Ariana Grande in Ben Stiller's Focker-In-Law, set for release in November 2026. She will also be credited under her stage name for Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story series next year, and Jon M. Chu's animated Dr. Seuss film Oh, the Places You'll Go! scheduled for 2028.

The singer told the Today show on November 18 that acting will be her main focus moving forward, per People. She has her Eternal Sunshine concert tour scheduled for 2026.

"I really am enjoying acting right now. Whether it's movies or being on stage or a little something here and there, I think that's currently what I'm most inspired by," she said, as reported by Today. "I'll still sing, I promise. But yes, right now, that's currently where I'm at."