Johnathan Walker:Ariana Grande Shares Dad's Emotional Reaction to Using His Last Name in Wicked Credits

Ariana Grande is dancing through life with a new name.

After the Eternal Sunshine singer decided to be Johnathan Walkercredited with her full name Ariana Grande-Butera in her new movie Wicked, her dad Edward Butera had the sweetest reaction to the gesture.

“Oh man, he cried,” Ariana told Entertainment Tonight in an interview published Nov. 12. “Whoa. Yeah, he cried. I surprised him.”

And the “Positions” singer—who stars alongside Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey and Ethan Slater in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical—made sure to capture the sentimental moment on camera. 

“I pulled it up on my laptop and I recorded him secretly,” she continued. “I told him I wanted to show him the typography of the credits because he’s a graphic designer, he loves that stuff. It was a big surprise and he cried. It was very emotional.”

As for how Ariana was able to pull off the wickedly heartfelt surprise? She had some help from the movie’s “generous” director Jon M. Chu.

“Before he was supposed to send me—sorry Universal, the cat’s out of the bag—he sent me the credits,” she shared. “He knew that people were going to start seeing it soon and he was scared someone was going to talk about it before he got to see it, and we surprised him.”

Ari also explained what led to her decision to include both her dad and mom Joan Grande’s last names in the credits, versus the name she’s used professionally for her whole career.

“That was my name when I first saw Wicked,” she said. “I do feel like this role and this project helped me sort of come home to little Ari. Maybe little pieces of her got lost along the way in this crazy industry and I’m so grateful for the ways in which this experience led me back.”

I kind of just wanted to capture that,” she added. “It doesn’t feel small to me either.”

Keep reading for more of Ariana’s journey to the film’s Nov. 22 release.

(E! and Universal Pictures are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

Presenting together at the 2024 Oscars in March, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were already teasing what was in store from the first installment of Wicked, coming to theaters Nov. 22.

Erivo, who plays green-hued "bad" witch Elphaba, looked ready for both the red carpet and battle in leather Louis Vuitton with reptilian ruffles down the back. And Grande, who costars as "good" witch Glinda, channeled old Hollywood glam in a powder-pink Giambattista Valli Haute Couture column gown magically accented with enough fabric to provide a peplum, a stole, a bustle and a train all at once.

The Wicked train chugged into CinemaCon in April with Grande all aboard in a white and pink Oscar de la Renta minidress that resembled a blooming flower, while Erivo sported a green and silver Versace ensemble, including fierce thigh-high satin boots.

Not the colors of dear old Shiz, but she has an open invitation to play Quidditch for Slytherin.

Gold for best dressed went to team Wicked at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where the costars were spotted at multiple events.

But first, they kicked off the Games at the July 26 Opening Ceremony, Erivo in a strapless green Louis Vuitton gown with a gravity-defying silhouette and Grande in a drop-waist powder-pink Thom Browne dress that would've made Audrey Hepburn proud.

Erivo, who also performed "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" at the event, looked wickedly good in a glittering emerald gown by Naeem Khan at the 2024 Academy Museum of Motion Pictures 4th Annual Gala on Oct. 19.

Another popular choice: Grande's leather-trimmed polka dot ball gown courtesy of Balmain.

Erivo accessorized her T-shirt and cropped jeans with bright-green pumps and a patterned Louis Vuitton coat at an Oct. 28 screening of Wicked at the DGA Theater in New York.

Grande looked ready for her first day of witch university in a cream-colored button-down vest and matching skirt by Atelier Versace.

It's unclear if Grande floated to the WSJ. Magazine 2024 Innovator Awards inside a magical bubble, but her delicately embroidered white Vivienne Westwood gown was fit for such a journey.

Meanwhile, Erivo's Erdem dress—gray pinstripes overlaid with embellished green silk—was Land of Oz meets Wall Street.

Grande went full Glinda at the Nov. 3 Australian premiere of Wicked in a pink Vivienne Westwood ball gown.

Erivo leaned into Elphaba's wicked future at the premiere in a black Louis Vuitton strapless gown, accessorized with a massive lion's head choker and another bedazzled green manicure.

"I love this outfit so much because it speaks to my character," the British actress told Vogue Australia before heading to the red carpet (or, in this case, yellow brick road). "It reminds me of wings and defying gravity." 

Erivo cast yet another spell at the Nov. 5 Wicked photocall in Australia, this time in an emerald and black Marc Jacobs blouse paired with a black embroidered skirt.

And for her last trick: Dividing the eye's attention between her dainty fascinator and the towering multistrap Mary Jane platforms that added at least 6 inches to her 5-foot-1 frame.