Wicked 2 stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo get matching tattoos with secret meaning
As the second instalment of the Wicked film arrives in cinemas this month, its lead stars go for identical inkings with a hidden message
Wicked 2 stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo have revealed they've got matching tattoos in time for the release of Wicked: For Good on 21 November.
The actresses star alongside each other as Glinda and Elphaba in the popular musical and have developed a close bond, cementing their friendship with permanent inkings.
Ariana took to her Instagram page to share a photo of her and Cynthia's hands with the inscription 'For Good' written in a simple black font under their thumbs.
Alongside the post, the singer wrote: "Happy wicked month ♡ 20 days." The two friends chose to get "For Good" tattooed on them in a nod to the second instalment of the Wicked films.
Cynthia and Ariana's friendship began on the set of Wicked and now the pair seem to be inseparable. However, last year their close bond raised eyebrows and created a viral moment which confused fans.
The duo were doing an interview with journalist Tracy Gilchrist who mysteriously informed the film’s stars that fans were "holding space" for the lyrics of "Defying Gravity" which is one of the musical’s most iconic songs.
Gilchrist asked them if they knew that "people are taking the lyrics of 'Defying Gravity' and really holding space with that and feeling power in that," which prompted an emotional response from Cynthia.
Neither of them seemed to know exactly how to reply and Ariana took hold of Cynthia's finger as they looked at one another.
After the clip first went viral, Gilchrist clarified her meaning with Variety, saying, "'Holding space' is being physically, emotionally and mentally present with someone or something," and that people were "finding solace or inspiration" in the song following Donald Trump’s election.
Cynthia and Ariana always stay close whenever they are at any press events.
Speaking about their close friendship, Cynthia said: "I think we found a little piece of ourselves in each other. I think there are little pieces of us that, when we got together to do this together, when we first started, each of us was missing a little chunk."
Cynthia has said that her 'best friend' Ariana encouraged her to follow her dreams instead of becoming a surgeon. She released her second album I Forgive You in June.
The triple Oscar nominee, who has won Grammy, Emmy and Tony awards, said of her pal Ariana: "At the very beginning when we were doing rehearsals, that’s when I sort of decided that, okay, time to write this album. Coaxed by Ariana because she wouldn’t let me get away with it!"
Speaking about her original career plan, Cynthia said: "I decided I wanted to be a spinal surgeon, randomly. Because I was good at biology and I was starting to get the hang of it.
"I was one of those kids that was good at reading, good at doing all those things and good at class work, but I could also sing. So my left and right brain were sort of like, doing a battle."
Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.