Jonathan Bailey is hot, but these six stupidly sexy celebs also auditioned for Fiyero in Wicked

After the monumental success of Wicked and Wicked: For Good, there’s literally no one else I can see as Fiyero other than Jonathan Bailey.

Jonathan Bailey is what every musical casting director dreams of. He’s got the charm, looks great in a pair of leather trousers, and is just the right amount of ridiculously hot without drawing away attention from the real stars of the film, Elphaba and Glinda. But going back a few years, the casting almost didn’t happen.

“A lot of people told us he was not available and we just would not take no for any reason,” Wicked’s casting director, Tiffany Canfield, told PEOPLE. “We all just kept trying and, bingo, the clouds opened up and he’s in it.”

Somewhere, in another universe where Jonathan Bailey refused to sign on, these other celebs who auditioned for Fiyero are being objectified by the masses.

Ryan McCartan auditioned for Fiyero in Wicked

View this post on Instagram

Most Read

Aitch and Shona’s huge age gap revealed, as ‘jungle romance’ blossoms on I’m A Celeb

The I’m A Celeb 2025 camp has been EVACUATED and all the cast moved to safety

Love Is Blind’s Zack changes ‘creepy’ caption for anniversary with Bliss after backlash

A post shared by The Great Gatsby Musical (@bwaygatsby)

Ryan McCartan is a regular in Broadway productions, having been part of Frozen, Heathers, and West Side Story. He even portrayed Fiyero in 2018 and 2019 as part of the 15th anniversary cast of Wicked. Despite his CV, director Jon M. Chu was not feeling it.

“Jon [M Chu], you didn’t cast me in the movie, even though I worked so hard. That’s fine, no hard feelings,” Ryan said on his podcast. “Confirmed: I did audition… One of the many, many things I haven’t booked.”

TikTok’s Spencer Sutherland got a callback

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Spencer Sutherland (@spencermusic)

Spencer Sutherland, a TikTok influencer turned indie pop singer, auditioned for Fiyero and even got a callback.

“I got a callback for Wicked… I thought it was a great audition,” he said. “I thought.. when I got a double callback, it was like, ‘Oh, sh-t, this is real. How many people do they have left?’ Probably 20, but still not bad. I don’t know the number.”

Ultimately, they decided to go with our beloved Jonathan Bailey.

Nick Jonas AND Joe Jonas both auditioned

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by J O E J O N A S (@joejonas)

In a battle of the brothers, both Nick and Joe Jonas auditioned to play Fiyero in Wicked. Despite that, there was no animosity between them because they both wanted “someone with the last name Jonas to win.”

“We both auditioned for the same role, Joe and I. It was for Wicked, actually. And we were going into it,” Nick shared on The Armchair Expert. “And naturally, we’re brothers, we’re competitive in sports and other things, but when it comes to our career, I think we genuinely both looked at each other like…”

Jeremy Jordan’s audition was a car crash

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jeremy Jordan (@jeremymjordan)

Another prolific stage actor, Jeremy Jordan, did not have a good Wicked audition despite his years of experience belting out ballads.

“I didn’t show up with what they wanted, so I had to try to make last-minute adjustments, and it was clearly not going well,” he told The New York Times. “They were like, ‘Well, you sound great. Goodbye.’”

Over the years, he’s headlined shows like Newsies, Rock of Ages, West Side Story, Bonnie & Clyde, American Son, Waitress, The Great Gatsby, and Floyd Collins.

There were also rumours of Aaron Tveit

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Todd Snyder (@toddsnyderny)

The exceedingly handsome Aaron Tveit has been a staple of Broadway for years now, having worked on Sweeney Todd, Little Shop of Horrors, Grease, Rent, Hairspray, Moulin Rouge, Chess, The Three Musketeers, Footloose, and Wicked as the man himself, Fiyero. He’s also had a substantial TV and film career, starring in Gossip Girl, Ugly Betty, Les Misérables, Schmigadoon, and American Horror Stories.

Though the audition was not confirmed, it’s widely believed that he was not cast due to his age. Nonetheless, he did wish Jonathan Bailey the best.

Featured image credit: Universal Pictures/Instagram