Let's Talk About Liz Gillies & Ariana Grande's Friendship, Please
Finding true friendships that will last for years is difficult. I’m guessing it’s even harder to do in Hollywood, where impossibly-packed schedules are very common. But Ariana Grande and Liz Gillies’ friendship seems to be unbothered by typical showbiz hardships. Both women are incredibly busy with their booming careers, yet their bond seems to be doing just fine.
The two originally met back in 2007, when they starred alongside one another in the Broadway musical 13. But their friendship really solidified in 2010, on the set of the famous Nickelodeon series Victorious. Gillies played a somewhat rude high-schooler named Jade, while Grande’s character, Cat, was her opposite: sweet, stereotypically girly, and wholesome. Despite the differences in their characters, the two women found common ground in real life and have been very close ever since. In fact, the two even lived together for a while. “She lived in my mom’s house with me,” Grande told Teen Vogue in 2013, “It was so much fun!”
Grande and Gillies have both come a long way since their Nickelodeon days, with Grande going on to take the music industry by storm and Gillies playing a leading role in The CW’s Dynasty. But their friendship seems to have remained just as solid as it was back in 2010. In a 2015 interview with People, Gillies said, “She’s like blood to me, she’s like my sister. So unless we have a massive falling out, nothing will be happening there.”
Though their Victorious days are far behind them, the two still fondly look back on their memories of working together. In fact, in a behind-the-scenes video from Grande's iconic "Thank You, Next" music video shoot, Gillies and Grande shared silly memories about their antics on the Nickelodeon show's set.
Speaking of the “Thank You, Next” music video, Gillies made a cameo appearance, playing Lindsey Lohan’s Cady Heron from the cult-favorite Mean Girls, alongside the real-life Aaron Samuels, Jonathan Bennett. And "Thank You Next," wasn't Ari’s only music video that starred her bff. Gillies also made an appearance in Grande’s “Right There” video back in 2013.
The stars are also super-cute on social media. In February 2019, Grande shared a sweet, black-and-white video of herself and Gillies singing “Take Me Or Leave Me” from Rent, with a caption “missed you @LizGillies.” As if the shout-out wasn’t heartwarming enough, Gillies posted the same video on her Instagram page, with a caption: “Thank you for letting me scream the first half of this song in your face for 10 years.” Grande’s mom, Joan Grande, sweetened the throwback by commenting: “Liz, I have videos to prove it!!! Hahaha 10 years …. here’s to hearing you two singing it a thousand times more!! What a fabulous night… love you.”
What a fabulous decade-plus of friendship, too. Here’s hoping these two always remain #FriendshipGoals.
