Bowen Yang and Ariana Grande are likely great friends at this point. They have starred in two Wicked films, the second of which will be released on November 21, and shared the stage on Saturday Night Live. The latter included a hilarious bit about a mom, played by Grande, being introduced to her son's boyfriend (Yang).
The sketch consists of Grande's Diane and Yang's character being hyper-competitive in a game of charades. Eventually, the two get into a spat, but one that ends with an unexpected kiss. The humor stems from the surprise value of the ending.
The live crowd loved it, but honestly, what's not to like about Yang and Grande when they are going to work? Yang is a fabulous comedic actor who is clearly capable of more dramatic turns in the future, while Grande can emulate any singer ever and do so with an elite level of vocal stylings.
Bowen Yang brings the truth about kissing Ariana Grande
As part of the promotion for Wicked: For Good, the two were interviewed by Vanity Fair while taking a lie detector test. The on-air kiss was asked about, and Yang gave a fantastic answer. The kiss was fine, but the crowd reaction was probably even better.
Moreover, Yang preferred kissing Grande to kissing another SNL host from last season, Sydney Sweeney.
Yang said that the sketch was one of his favorite performances by the singer, who has churned out hits such as "7 Rings" and "Thank You, Next," and Grande asked, "Did you enjoy it? The kiss? Kissing me?"
The SNL star answered, "It was the only time I've kissed someone where a crowd screamed in horror. So I think I liked it. That's the only time I've gotten like positive or just like, exclamatory feedback on a kiss...So that's an interesting sensation." Yang also says that Grande was a good kisser.
Grande then asks, "Was I better than this woman?" and a picture of Yang with Sweeney appears.
Yang responds, "You were. Because she and I did it in a very, like, rushed way."
Of course, Sweeney will not appear in Wicked: For Good, but Bowen Yang and Ariana Grande will. If the first film, which was released in 2024, is any indication, the second part will be must-watch filmmaking. Just don't expect another kiss between the two actors, at least not in the same way as in the Saturday Night Live sketch.