Ariana Grande feels "deeply grateful" for the support of her fans

Ariana - who stars in the acclaimed movie alongside Cynthia Erivo - told The Hollywood Reporter: "It's interesting because my fans have grown with me through so many different phases and eras of music and phases of my life, and in the way that they have embraced Glinda and 'Wicked' and been here for me to support me ... I wasn't really on social media at all during the filming process of this.

"I wasn't really engaged the way that I normally am able to be with them because I just wanted to give myself fully over to this experience and not be on my phone that much. They called it 'The Dark Ages'. I'm not kidding. And that's just because they missed me.

"But it's a beautiful thing. It's a beautiful thing to be on this other side of it and for them to recognise the work that I was doing and to grow with them."

Ariana feels she's grown up alongside her fans and she's "deeply grateful" for their recent show of support.

The actress - who is best known for her success as a singer - said: "I really have grown up with them my entire career and my entire adult life, and we've been growing alongside each other and they've embraced this new chapter in a way that I'm really deeply grateful for. I just want to make them proud really. It's beautiful. I'm very grateful."