Ethan Slater Played A Very Different Wicked Character Than Boq Many Years Ago

In the hit musical movie Wicked, Ethan Slater took on the role of the optimistic Munchkin, Boq, yet many years before that, the actor played a very different part in the musical. Based on the novel and Broadway musical of the same name, Wicked became an instant hit at the end of 2024. With stars like Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the lead roles, the movie captivated audiences and enveloped them in the colorful yet questionable world of Oz. Slater is one of several actors who made up Wicked’s talented ensemble of supporting characters.

Like many members of Wicked’s cast, Slater got his start on Broadway rather than on-screen. After studying drama in school, Slater began taking on roles in small theater productions, earning himself a nomination for Best Individual Performance at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. In 2016, Slater’s career really blew up when he earned the role of SpongeBob SquarePants in the Broadway musical of the same name. From there, he has appeared in other major productions and TV shows, but Wicked is undoubtedly his biggest on-screen project.

Ethan Slater Was The Wizard In A High School Production Of Wicked

What Other Unique Roles Slater Has Played

Image via Universal Pictures

Although Slater took on the role of Boq in 2024’s Wicked, this was not the first time he had appeared in the musical. In fact, Slater reveals in the Making Wicked behind-the-scenes extra that he played the Wizard in Wicked when he was in high school. Most will remember that the Wizard was portrayed by Jeff Goldblum in the Wicked movie. Slater’s role as the Wizard is pretty surprising, not only because of his recent performance as Boq, but simply because of who he is as an actor.

Boq (Ethan Slater) smiling and Glinda (Ariana Grande-Butera) looking fabulous in Wicked

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Why Glinda Always Gets Boq’s Name Wrong In Wicked

Glinda has a habit of calling Boq by the name of Bick in Wicked, with the reason behind this tying into the tragic trajectory of Boq’s story.

Based on his most popular roles, one would assume that Slater is typically cast as the hero or the joyful sidekick. SpongeBob and Boq certainly fit these labels, whereas the Wizard is a much darker and more cunning character. However, as it turns out, Slater is no stranger to playing the villain. When he appeared in the 2019 production of Camelot, he played King Arthur’s vengeful son, Mordred. Furthermore, in the musical Assassins, he took on the role of Lee Harvey Oswald.

Ethan Slater Was A Much Better Choice For Boq In Wicked Than The Wizard

Slater Should Explore His Villainous Side After Wicked

Despite Slater’s experience playing the Wizard, it is a good thing that he portrayed Boq in 2024’s Wicked. The main problem would have been that Slater is not the proper age to play the character. However, there is also the fact that the Wizard is the type of character who should be played by someone exciting because of how he is revealed to audiences. In this instance, Goldblum has the reputation and the talent to pull off this charismatic character, whereas Slater isn’t quite at that level of star power.

If anything, Wicked has proven that casting real Broadway actors for movie musicals is an ideal choice, so perhaps Slater could bring more musicals to life on the big screen.

Of course, Slater’s casting as Boq should not define him forever. After appearing in Wicked, it would be great to see Slater take on even more on-screen roles. If anything, Wicked has proven that casting real Broadway actors for movie musicals is an ideal choice, so perhaps Slater could bring more musicals to life on the big screen. In this way, he can show audiences the dark side that he has already presented on Broadway. Either way, Wicked seems to be a solid start for the actor.