The iconic role of Dorothy Gale is played by a Surrey-based Pilates instructor in Wicked: For Good – after producers kept her identity a secret

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It’s been revealed that a Pilates instructor from Surrey will be playing the famous role of Dorothy Gale in the musical, Wicked: For Good.

The filmmakers behind the upcoming movie with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who play Glinda and Elphaba, intentionally kept a particular detail under wraps for several months.

Despite her prominent role, the character is actually portrayed by Bethany Weaver, a 30-year-old actress. Interestingly, Weaver appears on screen for just 69 seconds and speaks only six words, according to The Sun.

Dorothy is a character invented by L. Frank Baum and is the main character in many of his stories about the Land of Oz.

The character first appears in L. Frank Baum’s famous 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and continues to appear in many of the books that followed.

She’ll return to the screen alongside beloved characters such as the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion.

The upcoming film doesn’t reveal Bethany’s face, and her identity has been kept under wraps. She hasn’t appeared at any premieres or press events.

Director Jon Chu explained the choice to leave Dorothy unseen by saying he didn’t want to interfere with each viewer’s existing idea of the character and their personal connection to the story.

‘The sequel is still Elphaba and Glinda’s journey, and she is a pawn in the middle of all of it.’

Cynthia explained her support for the decision, saying, ‘It’s great because it allows everyone to continue enjoying the version of Dorothy they’re familiar with.’

As a lifestyle expert, I’m always impressed by people who juggle multiple passions! Bethany is a perfect example – she’s a trained performer, having studied at the prestigious Urdang Academy in London, and she’s built up a fantastic resume in theatre. Plus, she shares her love of movement and wellness as a certified Pilates instructor. It’s all about finding what you love and making it work, and she definitely does that!

Cynthia and Ariana have been busy promoting the new film all around the world in recent weeks.

On Monday, Cynthia described the frightening experience Ariana had when someone aggressively attacked her online during the opening of Wicked in Singapore last week.

Last Thursday, at the premiere of the movie Wicked: For Good—the follow-up to last year’s film adaptation of the popular musical—Ariana Grande, who plays Glinda, was unexpectedly confronted by someone claiming to be a critic.

Ariana was frightened when Johnson Wen rushed onto the red carpet and made contact with her. This caused Cynthia, the actress playing Elphaba, to become very angry and push him away from Ariana, getting past security to do so. Johnson has since been sentenced to nine days in jail for his actions.

Cynthia and Ariana attended a private movie screening in Los Angeles on Saturday. Cynthia shared that the film creates a sense of safety for viewers, and briefly acknowledged a difficult situation that happened the previous week.

She explained that the past week, like many others, presented challenges. She felt the experience of making the movie had been profoundly positive, helping them all develop personally, strengthen their friendships, and grow as both artists and actresses.

Last week, a man known online as Pyjama Man, whose name is Johnson, managed to get past security at Universal Studios and briefly grabbed Ariana, wrapping his arm around her. She tried to get away, but he held on until Cynthia quickly intervened.

Cynthia quickly intervened, yelling at Wen and stepping in front of him and Grande as security guards subdued the intruder and pulled him away. Ariana was clearly upset and shaken as she remained on the floor.

Later that night, Wen posted a disturbing selfie, looking wild-eyed and pointing at a poster of Ariana Grande, with a caption claiming she’d finally met the singer.

Even while continuing to promote their work, neither Ariana nor Cynthia had spoken about the incident until Cynthia gave a moving speech.

She described the impact of Wicked, noting that it’s amazing how many people have connected with the story and the characters, seeing themselves reflected and finding a sense of security in that connection.

This is the absolute best outcome I could have hoped for from anything I’ve created. I’m especially grateful for the connection I made with the person I worked with to achieve it.

‘We have come through some stuff in our lives, in our daily workings…

Honestly, even just this past week has been challenging. This film has really pushed us to confront difficult things, and through that process, we’ve grown so much – as individuals, as friends, as sisters, and as artists and actresses.

Following the attack, Cynthia quickly jumped into action to help Ariana, pulling her to safety amidst the chaos. Her heroic move sparked a wave of memes from fans, who compared her to Kevin Costner’s character in The Bodyguard.

On Friday morning, people flooded Instagram with positive comments for the British actress, applauding her bravery in helping a co-star, even at potential risk to herself.

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2025-11-19 03:56