Many people now know Ariana Grande as a huge music star, but she actually began her career as an actress. As a teenager, she appeared in several TV shows aimed at young audiences. Her big break came with the role of Cat Valentine on Victorious, which aired from 2010 to 2013 – though she’d had smaller acting parts before that. She later played Cat again in Sam & Cat, alongside Jennette McCurdy, but that show only lasted for one season.
After starting as an actress, Ariana Grande quickly focused on her singing career. She released her first album, Yours Truly, in 2013, right after finishing the show Victorious and while beginning Sam & Cat. Her second album, My Everything, followed closely in 2014, and then came one of her most successful albums, Dangerous Woman, in 2016. So far, she’s released seven studio albums, with an eighth called Petal coming out on July 31st. Because of her consistent music releases, people mainly know her as a singer, even though she hasn’t completely stopped acting.
Ariana Grande has been steadily building her film career alongside her incredible music success! I remember when she popped up in Scream Queens back in 2015, and she’s had fun cameos in films like Zoolander 2 and Don’t Look Up. But honestly, it feels like her recent work as Glinda in Wicked (and the upcoming Wicked: For Good) is where she really shined – those movies were huge! Now, she’s taking on another comedic role, joining the Meet the Parents universe with a new film called Focker-in-Law. I’m definitely curious to see what she brings to this franchise!
Focker-in-Law Is Facing Backlash Months Before Its Release
The trailers for Focker-in-Law sparked immediate criticism when they showed Ariana Grande as a potential daughter-in-law to Ben Stiller’s character, Greg/Gaylord Focker. Some of this negativity was aimed directly at Grande, with many feeling she wasn’t right for the movie. However, critics seemed to overlook her background as an actress, where she’s actually had success. This reaction was likely also fueled by existing public opinions about Grande, stemming from things like her past relationships and other controversies.
It’s happening again: a film is being criticized before anyone has even seen it. This problem seems to be getting worse lately, fueled by social media like TikTok where negative reactions and harsh reviews spread quickly. We saw something similar when Ariana Grande was cast as Glinda in Wicked – initial criticism turned into praise after people actually watched the movie. But Focker-in-Law deserves a fair chance too, especially considering its background.
These Movies Are Classics For A Reason
The new movie, Focker-in-Law, continues the popular Meet the Parents series, which began in 2000 and includes Meet the Fockers (2004) and Little Fockers (2010). Over the past 25 years, these films have become firm favorites with audiences, and deservedly so. Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro are fantastic as the constantly clashing father- and son-in-law, and the movies have a special brand of humor that’s both funny and cringeworthy – I recently rewatched them and had to skip ahead during some scenes because the awkwardness was almost too much!
Even if the long history of this series isn’t enough to give Focker-in-Law a chance, its impressive cast should be. Sequels aren’t always as good as the originals, but it’s unfair to dismiss this movie before seeing it – and especially unfair to judge it based on Ariana Grande’s casting, considering her established acting experience.
2026-07-19 17:58