From ‘Goth’ Child to Good Witch: Ariana Grande’s Unexpected Journey to the Emerald City

Before she became a global pop icon and soon-to-be movie musical star, Ariana Grande was, according to her mother, a very unusual child — one whose childhood revolved around a year-round obsession with Halloween. Joan Grande’s recent recollections of her daughter’s early years paint a portrait of a young girl with a flair for the eerie, a fascination with the fantastical, and a streak of creativity that has followed her all the way to Hollywood’s biggest stage — Wicked.

💀 A 365-Day Halloween Childhood

In an interview reflecting on her daughter’s upbringing in Boca Raton, Florida, Joan Grande revealed that Ariana’s childhood could best be described as “goth before goth was goth.” While most children might count down to Halloween once a year, Ariana lived it every day.

“She was a very strange child,” Joan joked. “Our house was decorated with things that would give normal children nightmares.”

The Grande household reportedly transformed into a haunted home year-round, complete with spooky props and dark décor. Ariana’s fascination with the macabre wasn’t limited to Halloween itself — it extended into her birthday celebrations.

When she turned four, her party theme was inspired by Steven Spielberg’s Jaws — the 1975 thriller famous for terrifying generations of moviegoers. “We had Jaws playing on a big screen in the backyard,” Joan recalled. “Most of the kids were running and screaming, but Ariana loved it. It was her favorite movie.”

🕸 A Family with a Dark Sense of Humor

Joan’s stories also highlight the playful eccentricity that defined their family life. With a mix of gothic humor and Italian family flair, the Grandes leaned into theatricality and exaggeration rather than fear. “That dark sense of humor was just part of our family culture,” Joan explained.

While Ariana’s fascination with the darker side of imagination may have set her apart from her peers, it also nurtured her early creativity — the same artistic spark that would later define her music and stage persona.

✨ From Haunted Houses to Emerald Hues: The Wicked Transformation

Decades later, Ariana Grande’s lifelong love for all things otherworldly finds a fitting outlet in her most ambitious project yet: starring as Glinda in the film adaptation of Wicked. Directed by Jon M. Chu, the two-part cinematic event reimagines the origins of the witches of Oz — a world where magic, morality, and identity intertwine.

Grande stars opposite Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West. The first part of Wicked is slated for release on November 27, 2024, with the sequel following in November 2025.

The casting, while initially surprising to some fans, makes poetic sense when viewed through the lens of Grande’s childhood. Her role as the dazzling and optimistic Glinda contrasts her early “goth” tendencies — a transformation from the child who loved Jaws to the adult embodying the radiant good witch. Grande herself has acknowledged the responsibility of taking on such an iconic role, saying she knew she had to “earn it.”

🎤 Reinvention as a Defining Trait

Ariana Grande’s career has been marked by constant reinvention. From her Nickelodeon beginnings to Grammy-winning pop dominance with albums like Thank U, Next and Positions, she has continually evolved as an artist. Her move into the world of musical theater and film is the latest chapter in that evolution.

What ties it all together — from the spooky decorations of her youth to the glittering halls of Oz — is imagination. Grande’s childhood fascination with the dramatic and the uncanny helped shape an artist unafraid of transformation, performance, and emotional depth.

🌙 The Child Who Loved Halloween Became the Star Who Embraced Magic

In a sense, Ariana Grande’s story has come full circle. The little girl who found comfort in the thrills of Halloween now steps into a world of witches and wonder — this time, under the bright lights of Hollywood.

Her mother’s stories reveal not just a “strange child,” but a visionary one — someone who has always found inspiration in the extraordinary. And as the curtain rises on Wicked, it’s clear that Ariana’s lifelong love for fantasy has led her exactly where she belongs: center stage in a world of magic.