Ariana Grande On ‘SNL’ Viral Sketch: “I’m Still Unpacking The Emotional Weight Of Antonio With My Therapist”
Ariana Grande is still processing her viral Saturday Night Live sketch, in which she played a character named Antonio, who was characterized by a bowl-cut wig.
Grande appeared on the NBC late-night show on October 12 and is seemingly still holding on to Antonio.
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“He’s still with me, you know?” Grande told host Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show. “I’m still unpacking the emotional weight of Antonio with my therapist.”
In the sketch “Castriti,” Grande plays Antonio, who is presented by his parents (Andy Samberg and Maya Rudolph) as a performer who, following a castration process, is able to preserve his high-pitched vocals.
The sketch went viral after screenshots of Grande as Antonio were shared on social media. Grande’s interpretation of Antonio as a dead-eyed castrato and bowl-cut wig has been used for memes.
Another sketch that went viral during Grande’s appearance on SNL was “Charades with Mom,” which ends with a kiss between her and Bowen Yang. When Grande was a guest on Yang’s podcast, Las Culturistas, the singer revealed where the sketch was inspired.
“It was Labor Day weekend and Hale — my brother-in-law Hale’s family — was visiting,” Grande said. “We had a lovely, fun game day. It was so fun and funny and sweet. And my mom is, by the way, the most generous, kindest, giving person in the entire world. She is the hostess with the mostest.”
“But [competitive], yeah, and fiercely protective of her children,” she added. “So even if we’re playing charades and whatever, you don’t f— around.”
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Grande said that as they were playing charades and her brother-in-law’s brother said, “Haha, we’re winning,” and her mom said, “Tiny-dick syndrome, huh?”
“And I was like, ‘Mommy, wait, that’s not funny.’ I was like, ‘Mom, that’s intense and harmful. That’s so intense!’” Grande said. “We all were laughing, and, of course, [Hale’s brother] laughed. But she was like, ‘Well, that’s a sign of what that is.’ And I was like, ‘Mommy! This is insane!’ And then I started doing it as a bit for Jesse, Hale’s other brother, and he was crying tears and it lasted the whole day. So I was like, ‘Bowen, we have to do something with this, please. It’s just so silly.’”
RELATED: Ariana Grande & Bowen Yang Kiss To Break “Crazy Tension” In ‘SNL’ Sketch
Grande has been promoting her latest film, Wicked, in which she stars as Glinda, the Good Witch, opposite Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba.
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