Robert De Niro says he has never seen Ariana Grande in “Wicked,” though he’s already praised her performance in “Focker-In-Law.” In an Entertainment Weekly interview, he explained he plans to watch “Wicked” with his daughter.
Robert De Niro didn’t just tease what he’s seen on screen—he admitted what he hasn’t.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor said he has never watched Ariana Grande in “Wicked.” “I didn’t see her movie, and I still am trying to see it, believe it or not, but I want to see it. I’m going to see it with my daughter. And she’s, of course, seen it.”
It’s the kind of confession that lands with a jolt. partly because Grande is everywhere and “Wicked” has become the kind of cultural event most people claim to have tickets for. De Niro’s explanation is simpler than it sounds: he hasn’t made it to the film yet. Still, he also made clear he’s not completely out of the loop.
He said he’s familiar with Grande because he “had seen her in some stuff with my daughter. some sitcom thing she had done.” When he tried to recall the title. he noted. “I’m forgetting the name.” He added that he was “aware of her then and. of course. aware of her in other ways. ” and called what he’d seen “great.”.
De Niro’s connection to Grande isn’t hypothetical. He worked with her on the comedy “Focker-In-Law.” The film, he said, is set to debut in theaters Nov. 25. In that movie, Grande plays Olivia, the girlfriend of Henry Focker.
When asked about Grande’s work, De Niro praised her as more than a pop star making a cameo. “She was very professional,” he said. “She’s terrific and very quick and got it all. She was very much part of the whole process. I liked her. Nice kid.”
The sequence of admissions leaves a clear emotional contrast: a star who hasn’t yet seen Grande’s biggest blockbuster. paired with an actor who remembers exactly how she showed up on set. One gap is about timing—he plans to close it with his daughter. The other is about craft—he says Grande was “very much part of the whole process. ” and he liked her work.
For now, De Niro’s confession is also a promise. “I’m going to see it with my daughter,” he said, and in his telling, that next viewing can’t come soon enough—despite the fact that his daughter has already seen “Wicked.”
And for audiences waiting to see how Grande performs beyond singing, De Niro’s comments point to a familiar-but-important theme: even when her music leads the headlines, his experience with her in “Focker-In-Law” is that she brought speed, professionalism, and confidence to acting, too.
Robert De Niro Ariana Grande Wicked Focker-In-Law Henry Focker Olivia film debut Nov. 25