Ariana Grande's first film role since Wicked, Focker-in-Law, opens in theaters on Nov. 25, and she promoted it on The Tonight Show.
Ariana Grande made a surprise appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Sunday, Nov. 8, alongside her Focker-in-Law co-stars Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller. It was her first public appearance in months.
The trio came out during Fallon's monologue, after he said the holiday spirit had him wanting to sing. "We can help with that!" Grande said, and the three performed O Christmas Tree. Grande and Stiller traded parts of the song, and De Niro lip-synced the final line. The episode was a special installment that aired right after NBC's Sunday Night Football matchup pitting the Chicago Bears against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In the interview, Grande said she was "so honored" to be asked to star in Focker-in-Law. She plays the girlfriend of Stiller's character's son, and the role is her first film role since she played Glinda in the two-part Wicked adaptation. She also recalled taking a selfie with De Niro backstage at the show in 2015 and working with Stiller on Zoolander 2. The three also played Fallon's True Confessions game, and Fallon cued up footage of a pre-taped sketch in which they wore over-the-top costumes and each character slow clapped while delivering their lines.
In an Aug. 2 statement, Grande's representatives said: "Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour." Her announcement followed the launch of the Petal music video, a clip that sparked heated debate over how her body looked and whether she appeared to have lost weight. Grande finished the 41-date tour on Sept. 1.
Grande also dropped out of a planned summer 2027 West End production of Sunday in the Park with George. Wicked costar Jonathan Bailey also exited, and the production was scrapped in September.
At her Chicago concert, Grande addressed the speculation. The gossip had been "blown out of proportion" a little, she said, and the announcement "was not a reactive or impulsive thing" but came from "a thoughtful and empowered place." "Multiple things can be true at the same time," she added.
Grande put the break in personal terms:
"Boundaries can need to be set, human beings can need a break sometimes, and also, this can be, and will continue to be, the greatest experience of my professional and creative life."
Focker-in-Law is the fourth installment in the Meet the Parents series and a sequel to Little Fockers from 2010. It opens in theaters on Nov. 25.
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