Ariana Grande understands her pop star past is an issue with Wicked casting

Ariana Grande understands the controversy surrounding her ‘Wicked’ casting because of her lack of acting experience.

The 31-year-old singer stars as Galinda Upland in the upcoming musical movie and has insisted she knew it would be a "challenge" to break people’s preconceived ideas about her given her pop music career.

Reflecting on her role during an appearance on the ‘Sentimental Man’ podcast, Grande said: "This is something I loved so much about auditioning for ‘Wicked’. It has to be earned.

"Anything on this scale, being a part of anything, it’s not just given because they know for one thing. So, it’s fun to kind of have the challenge of reframing people’s perception and doing the work to earn your way back into the other spaces."

The ‘Thank U, Next’ hitmaker added she was somewhat wary about the potential backlash to her casting as The Good Witch, though emphasised that fans hadn’t seen the extensive training she underwent to prepare for the role.

She said: "I felt a little bit of the initial nervousness or the sort of preconceived notions about what I might be able to deliver or not deliver, or why I would be wrong or whatever."

Even so, Grande knew that her pop career would have actively worked against her for more cynical observers.

She explained: "Going off of ‘Side to Side’, I probably would’ve said the same thing.

"I probably would’ve said, ‘Why the f***? Kill me. I’ve waited 20 years for this. Kill me.’ I would’ve said that — as a fan from the outside knowing of only ‘7 Rings’, probably — I’d say, ‘Well, that’s b******’ So, you know, I get it."