Michelle Yeoh thought the song in Wicked would be ’embarrassing as hell’.

when The wicked Director John M. Chow Offered Michelle Yeoh The Oscar-winning actress was excited about her role as Madame Morrible – but also terrified that she wouldn’t be able to reach her costars.

“When I got it, I said, ‘Jon, it’s a musical. I don’t sing.’ you know, [I’m] do not like Cynthia [Erivo] And Ariana [Grande] – They’re the real deal,” 62-year-old Yeh told Exclusively We weekly About being asked to be in the movie musical, which hits theaters on Friday, November 22.

While Yeh admits to having initial reservations, she admits that Cho, 45, could have thrown a “phone book” at her and she would have accepted the role. However, a sweet video message that came his way eventually helped seal the deal.

“Before I could react fast enough, I got this video from Jon and he says, ‘Hi Michelle, I have someone who really wants to talk to you,'” she recalled. “Turns it around. It was Ariana and Cynthia going, ‘Hi, Michelle, it’s important that you join us now.’ It was very sweet of them.”

Yeho quickly learned that she would be singing a duet with Ariyo, who portrays Elphaba in the film. The two sing “The Wizard and I” together, which is when Madame Morrible tells Alphabet about her magical abilities and arranges a meeting with the Wizard of Oz.Jeff Goldblum). Discovering that she will be singing directly to Broadway star jumpstarts Yeo’s nerves.

“Can you imagine having to lead a song for Cynthia?” Yehu said with a laugh. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is going to be embarrassing as hell.’ [But Cynthia] It was like, ‘Michelle, I heard you sing. Just let it out. You can do this. I know you can.’ And so we had fun.

Yeho, of course, is an Oscar winner for a reason – and didn’t go into the film shoot unprepared. gave Everything, everywhere together The actress said us That when she agrees to do something, she is committed to making sure she can “deliver” what is being asked of her. It helped that Cho was extremely “confident” that he was the right person for the role, but he still took extra precautions.

“Dominique, our music supervisor, found me an amazing coach, Marianne. And so she gave me a lesson and she said, ‘Just forget everything you think you need to sing.’ Just have fun, relax,” Yeh explained. And I go, ‘This is learning to sing?!’ But what did it help? [me] Go to high notes you never thought possible.

Ultimately, Yeho said he “learned to have fun” with the role — even the singing parts — which he believes was the “most important” thing. And while Grande, 31, and Ario, 37, acted as cheerleaders in their more self-conscious moments on set, Yeoh returned the favor to make sure they were working on their first major blockbuster project. Young stars are “protected”.

“You always feel protective … because it can be scary. [younger stars] Pushing them away or traumatizing them in the worst possible way,” Yeh explained. “And you’re only as good as they are, because it’s a team, it’s a collaboration. You cannot stand alone. Everyone has to play their role to the fullest.”

Yehu’s part can be seen as a villain in Wicked—both the headmistress of Shay’s University and an associate of The Wizard who betrays and spreads rumors about Alphabet to keep her magic a secret. can go the way

“I think villains are likable characters. [her] There are many complications. There’s a lot of motivation,” he explained. “Where they are, why they become who they are. … And it was very important to us to bring the character to someone that you admire, that you respect. Someone who is in power and who is not abusing it. But the thing is, she’s the dean of Chase University and her lifelong ambition is to find someone who actually has the gift of magic.

Yehu believes that Morrible was simply “blinded by his own desire” when he found out that there was someone at Alphabet, and instead of “raising” his new student to be “good for her”, he chose a different takes the path – which leads him to it. “Manipulation” to get what she wants.

It probably helped that Yeh hadn’t seen Wicked the Musical before taking on the role of Morrible, but made sure to check it out in both London and New York City before filming began. From there, he figured out how to pay homage to the original character while putting his own spin on things.

“I think it’s very important because it’s a two-decade legacy that’s here and still going,” he said. “So how do I make it my own? I think it’s very important to understand what John Cho, the director — the amazing storyteller — is trying to do, because he has all the things. And one piece with another. How does it fit? [She’s] Standalone is not a character.”

That teamwork mentality went beyond just analyzing her own character, Yeh joked when Cho, who also directed her in Crazy Rich Asians, let her “scare” her inner villain and Grande on set. So what was she willing to do? He was being asked.

“I mean, sometimes we get a little naughty,” she admitted. “Jon would come over and say to me, ‘Can you please scare the hell out of Ariana?’ And you go, ‘Okay!’ Because sometimes, you know, the shock value is very, very good, and then they don’t know what to expect.”

When asked if scaring Grande really worked, Yehu laughed and said, “She was so scared of him.” [contact] The lens is out!”

The wicked It will hit theaters on Friday, November 22.

With reporting by Amanda Williams