10 Best Ariana Grande Movies and TV Shows
Ariana Grande has one of those careers where you blink and somehow she’s added five new (fabulous!) skills to her resume.
While most of us were introduced to her as the red-haired Cat Valentine from Victorious, over the years, she has evolved into a pop princess and bonafide star performer. And now, with her film era heating up (she’s expected to have three new releases in 2026–that we know of thus far anyways!), it seems like the perfect time to revisit the filmography that shaped the Ari we know and love today.
Ariana has always had range, and these ten films and shows, showcase her chaotic, campy, and sweet energy, and thankfully, most of them are easy to find on streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu, amongst others, so your plans for an Ariana Grande marathon are only a click away!
If you love teen sitcoms with big energy, and characters with even bigger (and sometimes clueless) personalities, then Victorious is where Ariana found her footing. Cat Valentine is an absolute chaotic, absent-minded bubblegum fever dream, but I don’t say it like it’s a bad thing. Watching Ariana be Cat is pure serotonin, and each time she comes on screen, she proves why Cat is the funniest person in the entire show without even trying (maybe Sikowitz is a close second).
Yes, the show being named “Victorious” naturally means that Victoria Justice’s Tori Vega is meant to be the lead, and sometimes it does feel like the show treats Cat like a side quest, but regardless, she steals the scene every time. Compared to Ariana in Sam & Cat, this version of Cat seems more whimsical and sweeter. If you enjoyed other teen comedies like Hannah Montana or Sonny With a Chance, Victorious is filled with just as many talented and lovable weirdos.
In 2013, Nickelodeon rightfully gave Cat Valentine (and iCarly’s Sam Puckett) their own spin off show, for which I had said, “it’s about time!” People who love roommate comedies like 2 Broke Girls, will enjoy Sam & Cat. Considering Sam & Cat is about two teenagers compared to Max and Caroline, who were twenty-somethings, this Ariana Grande and Jeanette McCurdy starrer is naturally more subdued, but equally messy. Ariana, however, does bring a slightly more self-aware and evolved Cat, though she’s just as unhinged (maybe a bit more compared to Victorious).
However, she bounces off McCurdy’s tough-as-nails, no-nonsense Sam wonderfully, giving comedy gold. To be honest, the show is messy, and most episodes don’t seem very well-written; where Swindle at least aims to have some structure, Sam & Cat runs on vibes, but that’s part of its charm. Though only running for one season, the show’s “odd-couple-opposite-personalities” energy had potential to become Nickelodeon’s greatest sitcom if it were allowed to age with its audience, like how Modern Family did with its storyline and characters.
The best way to describe Scream Queens would be as American Horror Story’s kitschier cousin, and fans of deadpan comedy and campy horror will get a kick out of this show. Ariana’s unforgettable performance as the vapid sorority girl Chanel #2 is brief, but iconic. Though Ariana embraces the satirical energy in both Scream Queens and Don’t Look Up, the former is a darker, bloodier version of the humor, and she absolutely aces it.
In fact, her texting-while-being-murdered scene is still one of the most memorable death scenes in modern TV horror according to me, because of how unserious it was, yet how she committed to it with sincerity. This might be an unpopular opinion, but I think that Chanel #2 should have been the last girl standing; the one who escaped the events of horror simply because she seems like the most fun person to hang out with!
This one’s for the pure musical fans, the ones who love live theatre, and for anyone who wants to see Ariana at her most natural—mixing her powerful vocals with stage acting. Ariana’s Penny Pingleton is the awkward and goofy highlight of the entire thing. Generally, Ariana steals the spotlight with her performances, but interestingly, as Penny, she blends into the ensemble seamlessly, which is something refreshing (and I mean this in the best way!)
It’s clear that Ariana is having fun in Hairspray Live! while her performance in Wicked: For Good carried more emotional weight. Grease Live! shares a similar tone to this musical with its joyfest energy. Ariana should legally be required to do at least one live musical a year (because maybe once a month would be too much?) She nails it, and it’s obvious she’s in her element.
This one’s more of a fun bonus rather than a full fledged Ariana experience, but it had to be included! In Kidding, Ariana makes a short, yet sweet guest appearance as Piccola Grande, a fairylike puppet character with a certain whimsy that makes the scenes that she’s in fit in perfectly with the tone of the entire show, without overpowering it.
The show is a dark dramedy and fans of Jim Carrey’s more serious work like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind will like it; however, it can be emotionally heavy, so if you’re looking for a lighter watch, then Winx Club or Swindle might be a better choice. My only complaint would be that Ariana is barely there, if you blink you’ll miss her.
Taking a complete detour from her Cat Valentine persona, Ariana plays Princess Diaspro, a snobby fairy with an attitude, in Winx Club. Though purely a voice role, her performance is sharper and meaner. Unlike any of the other entries on this list, Ariana tackles a different kind of challenge in Winx Club, where she’s meant to portray a character removed from any of her previous visual stereotypes.
I personally felt that Princess Diaspro is one of Ariana’s most underrated roles where she proves that she can play mean girl royalty just as compellingly as bubbly characters. She was in the show only from seasons 3 to 5; still, during her short stint, her presence gives a flavor to a show that was otherwise slightly lacking without her. Where in Wicked she’s all heart, Winx Club gives her a chance to sink her teeth into a brattier role. If you’re a fan of magical stories with colorful animations and teen angst, like Sailor Moon or LoliRock, Winx Club is an addictive next watch.
Ariana giving us a celebrity-meta performance as a pop star whose public appearances eerily parodies celebrity culture in real life? Sign me up. Though her cameo as Riley Bina was short, she was an absolute delight and the one memorable character you remember from the film. If you love watching satire, and celebrities mock themselves, similar to This Is The End, then Don’t Look Up is the perfect choice. I wouldn’t be mad if someone decided to give Riley her own spin off movie.
Where in Wicked, Ariana embodies sincerity and magical earnestness, Don’t Look Up lets Ariana be the sassiest she has ever been on film thus far. Tonally, her character is closest to Chanel #2 from Scream Queens, as both roles show her love for satire, but Riley is more a grown-up, industry savvy satire. Even “Just Look Up,” her emotional ballad about an incoming apocalypse from the film, genuinely deserved an actual Grammy nomination, it’s just iconic.
Swindle is another family friendly, breezy heist adventure that exudes the same energy that made Victorious so popular. Ariana plays the dramatic and girly member of the heist squad, Amanda. Though each of the other characters are a fun addition to the friend group, Amanda leans into a sort of comedic overreacting that makes her reactions exaggerated, yet delightful, and it honestly feels like she’s the glitter glue that keeps the story fun.
I'd like to think that after the credits rolled, Amanda grew up in the Swindle universe, and is now running a con-artist empire. However, for a movie meant to be a heist film, the plot has low stakes, but the lighthearted energy is what makes this movie watchable (and rewatchable!) Swindle could be renamed Ocean's Eleven Jr. and that would make sense!
When Wicked flew into theatres, it received applause for the way it leaned into spectacle while, at the same time, letting its characters breathe. Ariana played Glinda with confidence, but this time, unlike the other roles on the list, there was a subtle hint of insecurity, something she hasn’t gotten a chance to showcase in a role before.
Of course, her voice is flawless (whispering “okay, vocals!” while clutching your chest would be considered normal here), but she surprised people with how good she is at acting, and watching her mature from Cat’s chaos to Glinda’s polish gave me goosebumps. Wicked: For Good gets darker and emotional, but in Wicked, we are introduced to the lighter version of Glinda before the emotional storm in the next part. This might be Ariana’s best acting yet, and we’re only in Part 1. If you liked the grandeur of The Greatest Showman, you’ll love Wicked.
Wicked: For Good is the sequel fans were waiting for. For everyone who watched Wicked (be it fans of the stage shows or newcomers who’ve never traveled down the Yellow Brick Road before), Wicked: For Good brought the drama, the heartbreak, and of course, the character growth. Ariana’s Glinda evolves to become more conflicted and self-aware, and plays her character with nuance.
Just like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 gives a darker, deeper, and more grown up vibe to the Harry Potter franchise, Wicked: For Good does the same. Needless to say, unlike the other entries on the list, this film is not a standalone, you have to watch the previous part for the plot of this movie to make sense. Ariana’s range with all her characters prove that she’s got some serious acting potential, and I have a feeling that Wicked and Wicked: For Good are just the beginning.
