EXCLUSIVE | ‘Clash of the Thundermans’ has a surprising ‘Wicked’ connection

Kira Kosarin reveals how Glinda from ‘Wicked’ inspired her performance as Phoebe in one of the movie’s funniest scenes
Kira Kosarin as Phoebe in ‘The Thundermans Return’; Ariana Grande as Glinda in 'Wicked'  (Cover Image Source: (L)  Scott Everett White | Nickelodeon; (R) Giles Keyte | Universal Pictures)
Kira Kosarin as Phoebe in ‘The Thundermans Return’; Ariana Grande as Glinda in 'Wicked' (Cover Image Source: (L) Scott Everett White | Nickelodeon; (R) Giles Keyte | Universal Pictures)

Kira Kosarin is back as Phoebe Thunderman in ‘Clash of the Thundermans’ but this time, she brought a little bit of Oz with her.

‘That 90s Show’ star has played the superhero since the original Nickelodeon series premiered in 2013 and has now returned for another chapter of the beloved franchise. While playing the role, Kosarin found some unexpected inspiration for one of her favorite moments in the new movie and it came from ‘Wicked’.

For the unversed, Phoebe tries to convince Chloe (Maya Le Clark) that she can pull off hypnosis and Kosarin had a very particular character in mind while filming it. 

“That whole scene in the farm as I was filming it, I was really trying to channel Glinda teaching Elphaba,” Kosarin told MTN during an exclusive interview. “That was sort of my inspiration for those scenes where she's just so like delusionally kind of, ‘I can do this. This is... I got this,’” she further explained.

The connection wasn't something Kosarin had planned. In fact, she didn't even realize she was doing it until the inspiration naturally came to her while filming.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 18: Kira Kosarin arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of Netflix's
Kira Kosarin arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of Netflix's "The Boroughs" at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on May 18, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Maya Dehlin Spach/FilmMagic)

“I didn't even know that I like did it intentionally, but it was sort of around the ‘Wicked’ premiere and as I was acting I was going, ‘Oh, I'm pulling a Glinda here.’ Which I think is a very funny thing for Phoebe to do,” she recalled.

After playing Phoebe for so many years, Kosarin has clearly found new ways to bring the character to life and the accidental crossover with Glinda only made the scene that much more fun.

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Milly Alcock’s 'Supergirl' begins streaming on HBO Max after earning $126 million worldwide in theaters, and it's coming sooner than you think.
18 hours ago
Greta Lee and a 'Silo' star team up for the romance drama, which follows two women whose chance meeting leads to an unexpected week together.
19 hours ago
Ryan Reynolds’ 'Mayday' is a Cold War spy thriller that brings its 1987 story to life through carefully selected real-world filming locations.
22 hours ago
‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ begins streaming on Disney+ on September 2, 2026.
1 day ago
The Russo brothers explain why ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ started filming without a finished script and how actors shape scenes through rehearsals
1 day ago
Netflix’s 'Facing El Chapo' dramatizes the events behind Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán’s 2016 recapture by two federal police officers.
1 day ago
Danny Boyle’s 'Ink' starring a Guy Pierce reveals its first teaser trailer that tells the story of the rise of Britain's The Sun newspaper.
1 day ago
The Apple TV drama follows Judith Heumann and hundreds of activists during a 26-day federal building occupation in 1977.
1 day ago
Michael Keaton and Morgan Freeman will share the screen again after the 1988 drama 'Clean and Sober'
2 days ago
Marvel's 'Avengers: Secret Wars' is scheduled to release on December 17, 2027
2 days ago