Ariana Grande playfully credited Botox and Juvederm for her ageless beauty as she accepted the Rising Star Award at the Palm Springs Film Festival on Friday.
The singer and actress, 31, who received the award from Jennifer Coolidge, 63, for her role in the 2024 movie Wicked, poked fun at her child star past during her acceptance speech.
After gracing the stage wearing a chic satin white dress, Ariana quipped: ‘You don’t know how much it means to me.’
‘I’ve been performing since I was a child, so I never thought at the age of 31 I would be hearing the words ‘rising star’ again, so I wanted to start by thanking my two friends: Botox and Juvederm.’
She added: ‘I thought I’d be hearing “slightly withering star” or “drooping star” by now so thank you.’
Ariana also praised Jennifer as a ‘comedic genius whose brilliance has inspired my entire life’.
Ariana Grande playfully credited Botox and Juvederm for her ageless beauty as she accepted the Rising Star Award at the Palm Springs Film Festival on Friday
The singer and actress, 31, who received the award from Jennifer Coolidge, 63, (pictured) for her role in the 2024 movie Wicked, poked fun at her child star past during her acceptance speech
During her speech, she went on to thank Wicked director Jon M Chu, 45, whom she described as her ‘fearless leader’ and her co-star Cynthia Erivo, 37, whom she called her ‘brilliant sister’, before sharing how comedy has shaped her life.
According to People Magazine, she said: ‘Being able to play Glinda the Good was not only the honour of my life but it felt like a homecoming.’
‘For those of you who don’t know, I started out in stand-up comedy. My first professional gig was in our living room in Boca Raton, Fla., [to entertain] my grandparents. I was 4 years old and my mom gave me $5.’
‘I learned early on that laughter was one of our greatest escapes and I remember the infectious impact that it had, not only on the people in my life, but how it fed me in return.’
‘And the past 10 years when I was really focused on music I really missed that feeling. So it really does feel like the beginning of a new chapter.’
Speaking previously about Ariana, Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi said her role in Wicked is ‘certain to be the beginning of the many accolades she will garner throughout her career’.
He said: ‘Ariana Grande is an iconic global performer, who has seamlessly transitioned to film in her first major starring role, proving herself to be a multifaceted and undeniable talent.’
‘This role is certain to be the beginning of the many accolades she will garner throughout her acting career.’
Ariana quipped: ‘I’ve been performing since I was a child, so I never thought at the age of 31 I would be hearing the words ‘rising star’ again, so I wanted to start by thanking my two friends: Botox and Juvederm’
She added: ‘I thought I’d be hearing “slightly withering star” or “drooping star” by now so thank you’
Ariana also praised Jennifer as a ‘comedic genius whose brilliance has inspired my entire life’
During her speech, she went on to thank Wicked director Jon M Chu, 45, whom she described as her ‘fearless leader’, before sharing how comedy has shaped her life
The epic fantasy movie, based on the 1995 book by Gregory Maguire that was later turned into a three-time Tony Award-winning Broadway musical in 2003, hit theatres on November 22
Directed by Jon with an eye-popping budget of $145million, Wicked is split into two
feature-length films, with the final chapter slated for November 2025
Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Timothée Chalamet, Colman Domingo, Adrien Brody and the casts of ‘Emilia Pérez’ and ‘Conclave’ were also feted at the awards ceremony.
For her supporting performance as Galinda, also known as Oz’s Glinda the Good in the Chu-directed Wicked: Part One, Ariana has also been nominated for the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards and more this season.
The epic fantasy movie, based on the 1995 book by Gregory Maguire that was later turned into a three-time Tony Award-winning Broadway musical in 2003, hit theatres on November 22.
Directed by Jon with an eye-popping budget of $145million, Wicked is split into two feature-length films, with the final chapter slated for November 2025.
Wicked: Part One has already received incredible reviews with critics calling the film a ‘masterpiece’ that ‘pops and enchants on the big screen’.
The movie follows a young woman named Elphaba who forges an unlikely but profound friendship with Glinda, a student with an unflinching desire for popularity.
Following an encounter with the Wizard of Oz, their relationship soon reaches a crossroads as their lives begin to take very different paths.
