Every Ariana Grande Acting Role, Ranked From Worst To Best

As one of the biggest contemporary interdisciplinary artists in the world, it's hard to remember a time when Ariana Grande wasn't a household name. In 2024 alone, she released seventh studio album "Eternal Sunshine" to a red hot commercial reception and solid reviews from critics, before turning in an Academy Award-worthy performance in the blockbuster Universal Pictures musical adaptation "Wicked," which is nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.

Grande's rise in popularity over the past decade has indeed been something to behold, given that she was once one of countless child stars struggling to break into the mainstream entertainment industry. After making her Broadway debut in the musical "13," this lifelong theater kid would find success on the Nickelodeon network before breaking out into a solo recording career that would turn her into a global icon virtually overnight. As we await the release of "Wicked: For Good," we've taken a trip through the 2000s and 2010s to rank every Ariana Grande role from worst to best.

Regardless of the context, there's never much to say about 2019's "Men in Black: International." The legacy sequel was an intergalactic misfire in just about every way, somehow managing to turn the dual talents of Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson into vehicles for rote sci-fi sludge (though "Thor: Love and Thunder" would achieve a similar feat just a few years later).

As for Ariana Grande's role in the film, it's just as uninspired as everything else on screen. She appears via repurposed red carpet footage as one of the aliens being monitored by Men in Black HQ. Hemsworth and Thompson got to help choose which celebs were featured in the snoozy introductory scene, including J.J. Abrams, Donald Glover, and (heaviest of heavy sighs) Elon Musk. If you ever needed yet another reason to avoid this movie like a Boglodite plague, you're welcome.

In 2008, actor and aspiring director Jake Wilson began producing the YouTube web series "The Battery's Down," a musical comedy that dramatized his own artistic struggles in New York City. For theater kids like Ariana Grande, the low-budget series was a quiet treat featuring a who's who ensemble of Broadway favorites. The cast included Andrew Keenan-Bolger, John Gallagher Jr., Cheyenne Jackson, Matthew Morrison, Will Chase, Michael Arden, Jonathan Groff, Jesse Tyler Fergusson, Allison Janney, and Titus Burgess, to name a few.

Grande and her "13" co-star Elizabeth Gillies played guests at a Bat Mitzvah, with Grande providing vocals for a musical number at the party. It's not her meatiest role, but it does showcase how impressive her voice was, even at a young age.

"Snowflake, the White Gorilla" is an American-language dub of a Spanish-language film, in which Ariana Grande voices the titular animal. The story follows her attempts to feel comfortable in her own skin despite how it makes her stand out from her fellow gorillas.

It's one of those uncomfortable films that limply attempts to tackle physical othering while unintentionally creating harmful narratives through ham-fisted allegories. The film was even brought up in a scholarly essay about how the depiction of animals in media reflects perspectives on race, with the author citing a particularly awkward scene where Grande's Snowflake attempts to darken her fur with mud. Given that it's also a mostly empty movie visually and dramatically, we can't in good conscience recommend even Grande's biggest fans give "Snowflake" a chance.

If you don't remember Ariana Grande's cameo in "Family Guy," it's because it only stands out as one of the show's most underwhelming. In season 12, episode 12, "Mom's the Word," Grande voices the daughter of an Italian-American family who lives next door to the Griffins and from whom Stewie (Seth MacFarlane) learns new, tougher ways of talking.

That's essentially all there is to the appearance, with Grande's character being constrained to a disembodied voice delivering the set-up to a relatively weak joke. Clips of it are all over social media, where the "bit" is probably best enjoyed as the mind-numbing reels content it now bolsters.

The only striking aspect of 2013's blandly animated family sports comedy "Underdogs" is that the U.S. dub has a bizarrely stacked cast. Alongside Ariana Grande are Matthew Morrison, Shawn Mendes, Taran Killam, John Leguizamo, Katie Holmes, Nicholas Hoult, and Mel Brooks.

Sure, a low-budget kids movie about foosball pieces coming to life was probably the furthest thing from a passion project for all involved, but there's enough charisma in the ensemble to give the movie some semblance of life. Otherwise, there's not much about "Underdogs" to root for.

Of Ariana Grande's celebrity cameo appearances, "Zoolander 2" is probably her best by default. The sequel to the beloved cult fashion comedy isn't particularly well-remembered a decade later, and its critical and commercial failure at the time were enough to make Ben Stiller question his future as an actor and filmmaker. One could accuse the film of relying too heavily on schlocky celebrity cameos in lieu of actual comedy, and ironically, Grande appears in the most egregious example of this misstep.

In Hansel's (Owen Wilson) star-studded and cringe-inducing, self-referential orgy, Grande makes an uncredited appearance as a fetishist, sporting a latex outfit. Her reaction to being called a "basic b****" may get a chuckle, but this role is honestly only this high because it's an actual character in a real movie (which we can't necessarily say for any of the projects mentioned so far). It's also worth noting that Grande was a massive fan of "Zoolander" prior to appearing in the film.

After the conclusions of popular Nickelodeon shows "Victorious" and "iCarly," the network developed a spin-off project to meld the two worlds together. In "Sam and Cat," Ariana Grande reprised her role as "Victorious" character Cat Valentine, a musical artist with cartoonish emotions. She was joined by Jennette McCurdy, who had previously played supporting lead Sam Puckett on "iCarly." The show's loose overarching narrative follows their attempts to run a babysitting service in West Hollywood.

Unlike the occasionally charming and nostalgic "Victorious," "Sam and Cat" is just plain uncomfortable to watch, never achieving the "Drake and Josh" tone Grande hoped it would. Though she is still showcased plenty, her rising music career in the real world resulted in divided attention and on-set tension between her and McCurdy. Some "Victorious" die-hards may find "Sam and Cat" passingly comforting, but few if any will find it genuinely enjoyable.

What shortcomings "Swindle" shares with the rest of Ariana Grande's Nickelodeon projects, it greatly makes up for by only being about 90 minutes long. The TV movie (loosely adapted from a children's novel written by Gordon Korman) follows a group of kids who attempt to steal back a rare baseball card after an unscrupulous pawn shop owner rips one of them off to the tune of $1.2 million. Grande plays a cheerleader named Amanda, who predictably reveals herself less stereotypically superficial as plot stumbles on.

At the time, Grande was also shooting "Sam and Cat," which featured much of the film's cast in varying capacities (including series regular Jennette McCurdy). "The chemistry is just already there," she told Cambio. "So you don't have to spend as much time getting to know each other... It's a dream come true." While promoting "Wicked" in 2024, she mistakenly claimed that the musical blockbuster was her first time acting in a feature film, until a bemused Cynthia Erivo reminded her of projects like "Swindle."

Arguably the most divisive movie of Adam McKay's career, "Don't Look Up" can at least unite viewers over Ariana Grande's comedic chops. In the admittedly smug disaster movie satire, she plays pop musician Riley Bina, who notably performs a radio-ready love song titled "Just Look Up" about the world-ending comet headed toward Earth. Also featured on the track is DJ Chello, played by Scott Mescudi (also known as Kid Cudi).

"I've been a popstar for a long time, so to be able to poke fun at some of the ridiculousness that is so real... It was really fun and exciting," Grande said in a Netflix virtual featurette. She also found joy in nerding out with fellow musician Nicholas Brittel ("Succession"), who served as the film's composer. While creating the song together, Grande improvised the sung line, "We're all gonna die," which became one of McKay's favorite moments in the entire film. He later revealed that Grande performed the song live while shooting, an impressive skill that surely came in handy when working on "Wicked."

Four years before she released her studio album "Eternal Sunshine," Ariana Grande worked with Jim Carrey on his criminally underrated Showtime dramedy series "Kidding." Carrey starred as the host of a children's TV show who uses the tropes of his fictional world to handle the very real, adult problems he faces in his personal life. In one episode of the show's second and final season, Grande played The Pickle Fairy (one of many magical flying beings on her resume). Expectedly, her role involves an elaborate and surprisingly catchy musical number.

Grande is personally a big fan of Carrey's, and the feeling appears to be mutual — the "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" star gushed about her "Wicked" success during his film's press tour and expressed hope that they would work together again. On the Zach Sang Show, Grande shared that the two of them were infrequent "pen pals." In considering the impact Carrey's artistry had on her own work, she said, "I just am so enamored by his ability to... 'take all of these broken pieces of himself and apply them to these different characters and heal through them and make use of them.'"

It's no "Avatar: The Last Airbender," but Nickelodeon's animated fantasy series "Winx Club" stands out as the only project to really showcase Ariana Grande's strength as a voice actor. The series follows a group of young fairies (collectively known as "the Winx") who train the magical and physical capabilities at a special school — outside their studies, they deal with dangerous threats to their world, as well as those relatable growing-pains that come with one's teen years.

One of several Nickelodeon stars added to the cast to attract American audiences (including Keke Palmer and Grande's "Victorious" co-stars Elizabeth Gillies and Daniella Monet), Grande recurred as the gemstone fairy princess Diaspro. The character is a minor antagonist throughout seasons 3 and 5, as well as the special "Revenge of Trix."

Though it may not exactly be an evergreen TV show, any conversation about Ariana Grande's best roles needs to hold space for Cat Valentine in "Victorious." The Nickelodeon entertainment sitcom followed a group of teenagers (anchored by Victoria Justice's Tori Vega) who attend an elite performing arts high school in Hollywood, California. Grande auditioned for the role of Cat when she was only 14 years old, having just originated a role in the Broadway musical "13" — alongside her future "Victorious" co-star Elizabeth Gillies.

"We were young performers who just wanted to do this with our lives more than anything, and we got to and that was so beautiful," she said in an interview on Podcrushed. "I think we had some very special memories, and we feel so privileged to have been able to create those roles and be a part of something that was so special for a lot of young kids." 

At the same time, there's a deeply dark and uncomfortable irony to "Victorious" in hindsight. As the show idealized the journeys of child performers and glorified the industry that could turn them into stars overnight, those involved with creating the show have been accused of creating an unsafe environment in which those same child performers were meant to work and grow. Grande has expressed her support for parents and mental health care professionals being involved in any young artist's career, whether it be in television or music. As for her own experience, she continues to reevaluate what "Victorious" means to her 15 years later.

Of Ryan Murphy's vast and varied TV resume, "Scream Queens" might be his most underrated project. The series starred Emma Roberts as a cartoonishly narcissistic sorority girl, melding the boundary pushing horror of Murphy's "American Horror Story" with the irreverent teen comedy of "Glee" to amusing effect.

Ariana Grande played a notable recurring role in the first season as "Chanel #5" Sonya Herfmann, one of the prime-Chanel's (Roberts) devotees (yes, the series could also be pitched as "'Mean Girls' meets 'Scream'"). The musician is perfectly cast, showing off the comedic timing that would make some of the roles further down this list as memorable as they are.

Sadly, Grande was not able to be part of the show's second season, after which it was abruptly cancelled — apparently at Murphy's discretion. "Scream Queens" still ebbs in and out of online culture as new audiences find through streaming — though it's mostly gone viral so far, thanks to some questionable dialogue (go ahead and look up "Senorita Awesome") and an unbelievably awkward interview between Grande and Roberts that was orchestrated as part of the show's promotional campaign.

Back when it seemed like every television network was on the hunt for the secret to making a great live TV musical, NBC came pretty close with their presentation "Hairspray Live!" Admittedly, the "secret" to their success is totally obvious in hindsight — what show couldn't be saved by casting a fast-rising talent with genuine theatrical bonafides?

In the beloved musical adaptation of the equally-beloved John Waters comedy about acceptance and discrimination in 1960s Baltimore, Ariana Grande played supporting-lead Penny Pingleton. Before she was cast, Grande was already a fan of the musical and had been looking forward to seeing it come to life. From within, she discovered how much the story resonated with her in 2016, particularly through the lyrics of her song "Come So Far (Got So Far to Go)."

"The message in the song is exactly what we need right now," she told E! News. "Because the hook says, 'We've come so far, but we've got so far to go,' which is exactly where we're at right now. It's exactly why we're supposed to be doing this show right now, cosmically. The world needs to hear it in a fun musical way, it's a message that we need to get out there."

There are few, if any, tougher jobs for performers in the entertainment industry than hosting "Saturday Night Live" — except maybe hosting and being the show's musical guest, which Ariana Grande did during the variety show's 41st season. Eight years later she returned for season 50, this time to focus solely on hosting duties (leaving the music to Stevie Nicks), and she pretty much crushed it.

Among the evening's many highlights was a tongue-twisting sketch riffing on "The Twilight Zone" and a charades sketch featuring "SNL" favorite and Grande's new real-life friend Bowen Yang (the pair met while shooting "Wicked," in which Yang plays a supporting role). In the latter sketch, she plays a mom who takes her trash-talk a little too seriously, drawing laughs for her razor-sharp delivery. Many, including "SNL" alum Will Ferrell, praised her work on the show, with Yang noting how deliberate and consistent Grande was in her performance. 

Grande seems to be partial toward her character Antonio in the "Castrati" sketch (seen above), which also featured guest-performers Maya Rudolph and Andy Samberg). She claims that several fans have brought her pictures of her from the sketch — bowl-cut wig and all — to sign at events for "Wicked."

Thank goodness, Glinda (or "Galinda") the Good Witch in "Wicked" is without a doubt Ariana Grande's best acting role to date. For the entirety of its two-and-a-half hour runtime, she impresses vocally, dramatically, and comedically, more than earning her best supporting actress nomination at the 2025 Academy Awards.

Adapted from the long-running hit Broadway musical of the same name, "Wicked" had been on Grande's mind for over a decade before she was cast. She spoke about how badly she wanted to be a part of any production of the show in interviews, and had tweeted about Glinda being a dream role as far back as 2011. Though the years that followed saw her go from Broadway actor to Nickelodeon star to global pop sensation, it was still daunting when she finally got the call to make her dreams a reality. 

"I felt like I had everything working against me when it [came] to this role," she told NPR. "I genuinely felt like I had so much to prove so that I could earn the possibility, like earn the openness from [director Jon M. Chu], from the casting directors, from the producers to maybe see a possible chance that I could disappear into [Glinda]."

"Wicked" was released at the end of 2024 to rabid praise from the theater community, and was generally liked by audiences at large. While the decision to split the show's story into two parts was criticized by some (and praised by others), the film was a massive financial success that not only justified the release of its highly-anticipated sequel, but helped the Broadway show break a major record. As Grande herself said of the film's monumental impact thus far, "I think so many new theater kids have been born."