Ariana Grande is mostly known for her chart-topping songs but music isn't the only thing she does. The pop star has appeared in 25 movies and TV shows over the past 11 years. She began performing on Broadway at an early age but despite finding success as a teen actor, she didn't lose sight of her goal, which was to become a global music icon.
When asked about acting during an interview with Rolling Stone, she stated: "It’s fun, but music has always been first and foremost with me.” That explains why she has limited her movie and TV appearances to supporting roles. However, her acting resume is still impressive.
Swindle (2013)
Ariana Grande portrays the gymnast Amanda Benson in the movie. A boy named Griffin recruits her and a couple of other people to help him retrieve his pal's baseball card from a shady collectibles dealer.
Swindle is based on a similarly-titled novel by Gordon Korman. The movie aired on Nickelodeon on August 24, 2013. It was reported that 4.2 million people tuned in to watch it. That's quite an impressive audience side for a TV movie. However, a sequel has never been greenlit.
Underdogs (2016)
In Underdogs, Ariana voices Laura, the love interest of a shy foosball player named Jake. The player has to juggle between his love for Laura and his battles with a villainous soccer player named Ace, who plans to turn the whole village into a stadium.
The animated movie was originally meant to be released in America in 2014 but it was pushed back to 2015. However, a week before its release, it was removed from the schedule. It was eventually released direct-to-video in 2016, Internationally, Underdogs did well, making $34 million against a $21 million budget.
Kidding (2018 - 2020)
Ariana Grande got to keep part of her name while appearing in the Jimmy Carrey-led Showtime comedy-drama series. The pop star plays a fairy named Piccola Grande. Piccola is also known as the Pickle Fairy of Hope. This means that the more hope someone has, the bigger she grows.
Grande not only acts in the series but she does some singing too. She must have enjoyed herself. Sadly, the series was canceled after only two seasons despite a strong reception from critics.
Winx Club (2011 - 2013)
Events in Winx Club happen in a magical universe where witches, fairies, and a variety of mythical creatures wander around. It follows Bloom, a fairy warrior who enrolls in a special school to sharpen her skills. Sounds familiar? Ariana Grande voices a princess named Diaspora in the animated series.
Winx Club was received well by critics during its run. After a few seasons, budget problems arose, forcing the producers to do away with some of the popular cast members. The series eventually came to an end in 2019
The Battery's Down (2009)
The Battery's Down is Ariana Grande's first-ever performance outside Broadway. Interestingly, it's a musical comedy series that follows a young actor trying to make it on... Broadway. The challenges he faces are many but they are hilarious rather than sad.
Grande first appears in the second episode of Season 2 titled "Bad Bad News."In the episode, her character can be seen riffing joyfully at a bat mitzvah as the popular song All About Me plays. Grande's friend and former co-star Elizabeth Gillies also makes appearances in the series.
Snowflake, the White Gorilla (2011)
Snowflake, the White Gorilla was originally a Spanish movie but it was later remastered for English-speaking countries. In the animated movie, Ariana Granda voices a white gorilla named Snowflake.
Snowflake happens to be the only white gorilla on Earth. She is also the major money-making animal at the zoo in which she lives. However, Snowflake isn't happy about being a unique white gorilla so she plans to escape the zoo in order to find a witch who can make her look like the other gorillas.
Zoolander 2 (2016)
Ariana Grande only appears in the action-comedy movie for a brief moment but the role means a lot to her. Shortly after the movie came out, she wrote on Instagram: "Being in Zoolander 2 for a total of 10 seconds literally completed my life. Coolest experience ever."
In the movie, she plays an unnamed woman in a bondage outfit who shows up seduce Owen Wilson's male-model character, Hansel, while he is relaxing in a sauna. Since most of her body is covered in a black outfit, It's hard to spot her but her signature ponytail is very visible. It's a brief but fun moment.
Family Guy (2001 - present)
Grande's contribution to the critically-acclaimed animated sitcom can be found in the twelfth episode of Season 12 titled "Mom's The Word." She voices the unnamed daughter of the Italian neighbors of the Griffins.
In the episode, Peter's mom, Thelma Griffin, dies of a stroke. One of Thelma's friends shows up to offer moral support to Peter only to begin seducing him. She admits that she has been lonely ever since her own husband died of cancer. However, Peter isn't too sure about hooking up with her.
Victorious (2010 - 2013)
Music isn't really what made Grande famous. Music only added to a foundation that had already been laid out. Before she became a world-famous pop star, Grande had risen to B-list prominence thanks to her regular appearances in the Nickelodeon kids television show, Victorious.
Ariana portrays Cat Valentine in the show which lasted for four seasons. She also appears in the spin-offs of Victorious. Apparently, the role required her to die her hair almost every week. The singer confessed that this ended up damaging her hair.
Scream Queens (2015 - 2017)
Grande was only meant to have a guest appearance on Scream Queens but she loved her role so much that she stuck around. She ended up appearing in a number of episodes in Season One. Grande portrays a sorority girl named Sonya Herfmann aka Chanel #2 in the comedy-horror series.
Scream Queens was canceled after two seasons. However, in May 2020, series creator Ryan Murphy revealed that he had begun working on the third season.