“Wicked: For Good”’s“ ”Dorothy, Bethany Weaver,“ ”Breaks Her Silence on“ ”the ‘Life Changing Experience,’ Shares Photos from Set

NEED TO KNOW

• Bethany Weaver, who portrayed Dorothy Gale in Wicked: For Good, wrote on Instagram that she “will be forever grateful” for portraying the character in the new movie

• Weaver’s role as Dorothy in the two-part Wicked adaptation marked her big screen debut

• “This has been a life changing experience, it’s changed me in so many ways and most importantly, for good,” she wrote in a caption

The woman who portrayed Dorothy Gale in Wicked: For Good is reflecting on her experience in the land of Oz.

Bethany Weaver shared several photos from Wicked’ U.K.-based set to Instagram on Sunday, Nov. 23, as the completion of director Jon M. Chu‘s two-part adaptation of the popular Broadway musical broke box office records for the biggest opening weekend ever for a Broadway musical adaptation.

“What an honour it has been to walk on the yellow brick road with my fellow Witch Hunters 🧺 @jbayleaf @ethanslater @omariabernard and not forgetting Oscar the dog! (Toto) 🐕 ,” Weaver wrote in a caption to her post. “A special thank you to many, thank you @universalpicturesuk @universalpictures for this incredible entrance into film, I will be forever grateful and will never forget it. Thank you to @tamsynmansoncasting for choosing me, for your kindness and for embracing what I presented you with, which was nothing but myself. 🩵 “

Weaver included multiple photos and videos of her on Wicked’s set, costumed as Judy Garland’s iconic character from the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. She also posted a photo of her posing with actors Ethan Slater and Jonathan Bailey in costume as the Tin Man and the Scarecrow along with actor Omari Bernard, who separately wrote on Instagram on Nov. 23 that he did the motion capture work for the Cowardly Lion character in For Good. (Colman Domingo voiced the character for his brief scenes in the movie.)

Weaver’s role in For Good marked her screen acting debut, though she is mostly seen in the background of key moments in Wicked that overlap with the plot of The Wizard of Oz. The actress described director Chu, 46, as “the best filmmaker of all time” for casting her in the movie and thanked him “for contributing to starting my beginning” in the film industry.

She also thanked Oscar-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell “for my beautiful, perfect fit costume” as well as other crew members on the movie and her agent.

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“This has been a life changing experience, it’s changed me in so many ways and most importantly, for good. It’s been an honour to carry the legacy of the brilliant women before me who have stepped into these shoes, and embarked on the yellow brick road,” Weaver added in her caption.

“I hope I have made them proud. Thank you for the sheer volume of love, kind messages and support from all of my friends and family and the glorious wicked fans, I love you all so much! Lots of love, your friend, Dorothy. 🩵🌈”

Ahead of the Wicked: For Good premiere, Universal Pictures never disclosed the identity of the actress portraying Dorothy, though Weaver was listed in the credits as the actress behind Dorothy Gale. Additionally, her public résumé on her management’s site lists an undisclosed role in Wicked and Wicked: For Good.

Wicked: For Good is in theaters now.

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