Ethan Slater Is “Excited” For Ariana Grande's Eternal Sunshine Tour
The Gen V star hopes “everyone who wants to see it can see it.”
Ethan Slater is having a busy year. Fresh off of the success of Wicked in 2024, the 33-year-old actor is about to star as Dr. Thomas Godolkin, the superhero university’s namesake, in the highly-anticipated Season 2 of Prime Video’s Gen V.
“I was a big fan of the show already,” Slater tells Elite Daily at the Gen V red carpet premiere in Los Angeles on Sept. 10. “Everybody's welcoming, fun, really good, and talented, so it was easy. As intimidating as it is to enter the world of something that you are already a fan of and has so many fans, all of those fears are alleviated when you get to meet the people.” The first three episodes of Season 2 drop on Sept. 17, and Slater says he’ll be in New York City at the time working on the off-Broadway play he co-wrote, Marcel on the Train, which premieres in 2026.
Slater is also gearing up for the Wicked: For Good press tour to begin later this year, where he’ll be joined by his co-star and reported girlfriend, Ariana Grande. The singer is embarking on her Eternal Sunshine Tour in 2026, and tour tickets have not been easy to secure.
While Slater admits he hasn’t seen the viral memes about fans losing the Ticketmaster war, he’s hopeful that all Arianators can find a way to see the show. “It's a really beautiful thing that millions of people want to come see her perform, and I'm really excited for everybody who's going to be able to see it,” he says. “I'm excited for myself to be able to see it. She's incredible.”
She loves her fans in a really deep way that I think maybe is hard to fully grasp.
“I'm really happy for her. She loves this music. She loves performing. She loves her fans in a really deep way that I think maybe is hard to fully grasp,” the Tony Award-nominated actor says. “I hope that everyone who wants to see it can see it.”
Ethan’s Gen V Character Is Different Than Wicked’s “Heartsick” Boq
Slater recently shared his support for Grande’s big wins at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 7, dispelling breakup rumors about the two. The Wicked co-stars were first linked in 2023 when TMZ reported they were seeing each other after filming the Oscar-nominated film. In the musical, Slater plays Shiz University student and Munchkin, Boq, who is infatuated with Grande’s good witch Glinda.
His role in the thrilling Gen V series lets Slater channel a darker energy than his Ozian character. The mysterious Dr. Godolkin was mentioned in Season 1 as the founder of God U, who was revealed to be studying Supes, and Season 2 will explore his secret Project Odessa.
Despite their differences, Slater enjoys playing them both. “You've got to love all your characters, whether they're a scary villain or a heartsick loser,” he says. “I really love getting to play somebody who is a bit more villainous, because it's a side of yourself that you don't always get to explore. And what does it mean to take your ideals in such a strong direction that you forget about the humanity of everybody around you? It's a scary thing, but it's also a fulfilling and fun thing to do.”
Fans can check out Dr. Godolkin in Season 2 of Gen V streaming on Prime Video weekly from Sept. 17 until Oct. 22. They’ll also get to see the continuation of Boq’s story in Wicked: For Good, releasing in theaters Nov. 21.
