Victorious’ Eric Lange Gives His ‘Former Student’ Ariana Grande Props on Wicked — and She Responds!

Praise for Ariana Grande’s performance in Wicked keeps rolling in — this time from her former on-camera teacher!

In an Instagram post shared by her Victorious costar Eric Lange, who played the performing arts teacher at the fictional Hollywood High in the 2010s Nickelodeon sitcom, the actor gave a glowing review of Grande’s Glinda in the new blockbuster movie-musical.

“A beautifully vulnerable, honest, funny and deeply grounded performance. You ooooze talent, my friend,” Lange, 51, wrote of Grande, who played Hollywood High attendee Cat Valentine in Victorious. “So insanely proud of my former ‘student.’”

“I teared up watching and my family loved it. Congratulations! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻❤️❤️❤️,” the Lost actor continued, adding that he was “floored” by Grande’s performance.

And the “thank u, next” singer — who is no stranger to an Instagram comments section — returned the love to her former costar. “eric 🥹 !!!!!!!!!!!!!! thank you so much ♡” the singer-actress, 31, wrote back.

Fans of the show — which aired from 2010 to 2013, helping launch Grande’s career as a Grammy-winning musician — will remember that she and Lange reunited at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, celebrating 10 years since the show first debuted on Nickelodeon with a virtual cast reunion.

At the Zoom gathering, cast members Leon Thomas III, Matt Bennett, Elizabeth Gillies, Avan Jogia, Daniella Monet, Eric Lange, as well as the show’s creator Dan Schneider, shared their decade-old memories from the set as a tribute to the show.

“Jus want to say how grateful i will always be for being on this show and for those years of my life,” wrote Grande on Instagram after the reunion. “I couldn’t have spent my teenage years with a better, more funny, talented group of human beings.”

Lange’s positive reaction to the “God is a woman” singer’s Wicked performance is only the last in a flood of glowing reviews for the film — both by critics and the many Hollywood A-listers who have seen the acclaimed movie.

Even Kristin Chenoweth, who played Glinda in the original Broadway production of Wicked, raved about the movie in an October Instagram Reel after catching a screening. “Oh my gosh I just saw the movie and I’m dying. I’m deceased, I’m actually dead, I’m not here,” the actress, 56, enthused. “People are not going to be well when they see this film. It is so good, it is so special.”