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Jeff Goldblum reveals how his role in Wicked changed him.
Goldblum, 73, who plays the Wizard of Oz in the film adaptation of Stephen Schwartz’s Broadway musical, revealed in an interview with British show This Morning that he decided to stop eating meat after playing the role.
“It changed me,” Goldblum said. “After we did this movie, we talked about animal cruelty. I stopped eating meat and poultry. So this Christmas and Thanksgiving, I might eat something else again.”
“I’m glad. We need the world to work for every person and every creature on the planet,” Goldblum added.
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The actor recently showed his support for his Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey, who was named PEOPLE’s 2025 Sexiest Man Alive.
Bailey, 37, celebrated being named PEOPLE magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, singing a variety of “sexy” songs with his Wicked co-stars.
At the beginning of the interview, Goldblum sang an excerpt of Hot Chocolate’s “You Sexy Thing” when asked if anything had changed since Bayley won the title.
“It’s totally absurd,” said Bailey, who plays Prince Fierro Tiguelar in the film. “Great. Interesting.”
The movie star went on to say that he takes the honor “very seriously.”
“I’m going to squeeze every ounce of my sexuality out of me for the next 360 days,” Bailey said, pointing to her fellow Jurassic World star. “And because I represent the sexy people out there, I feel the weight of the history of sexy men.”
“Yes, you’re standing on the sexy shoulders of giants,” Goldblum replied. “Sexy giants.”
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The music for Wicked was composed by Stephen Schwartz, and the popular musical is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The story depicts the strong friendship that develops between Shiz University roommates Elphaba Throp (later known as the Wicked Witch of the West) and Galinda Upland (later known as Glinda the Good). The character originally appeared in L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz.
The first adaptation, Wicked: Part 1, was directed by Jon M. Chu and released in November 2024.
The second, Wicked: For Good, will be released in theaters on November 21st.
