The stars of A Complete Unknown are “holding space” to make some meme-able moments while they promote their new film.
Timothée Chalamet and Elle Fanning recreated a massively viral interaction that arose between “Wicked” leads Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo when the latter two actors spoke to The Advocate’s Tracy Gilchrist last month.
During that interview, Gilchrist earnestly if somewhat perplexingly told the “Wicked” stars that fans were “really holding space” with the lyrics of the Broadway adaptation’s ballad “Defying Gravity.”
The remark earned an emotional reply from Erivo, who put a hand to her heart. At her side, Grande comforted her co-star by reaching over and tenderly grasping one of Erivo’s fingers.
Soon after the interview clip was released, folks online became obsessed with Gilchrist’s confusing conversation starter and the “Wicked” leads’ impassioned reactions.
In an interview posted to Instagram on Friday, Gilchrist spoke to Chalamet and Fanning and steered right into the meme, telling them: “First, I just want to let you know that I am holding space for you.”
Clearly tickled by the reference, the stars of the new Bob Dylan biopic told Gilchrist they were “starstruck” to meet her.
As both actors beamed, Chalamet, who plays a young Dylan in the movie, paid tribute to Grande and Erivo’s original moment by holding out his index finger so Fanning could give it a dainty squeeze.
Gilchrist responded with a hearty laugh when Chalamet told her it was an “honour” to be talking to her.
Fanning ― who plays Sylvie Russo, a fictional stand-in for artist and activist Suze Rotolo, Dylan’s real-life girlfriend at the time ― admitted there was no way they could out-meme the original meme. “There’s nothing that we can do that can trump what happened, you know what I mean?” she told Gilchrist.
For what it’s worth, Grande has said she was just as bewildered by the “holding space” affair as everyone else.
“I didn’t know what any part of it meant,” Grande told Erivo and Wicked director Jon M. Chu in a Variety video. “I remember in the moment, asking myself, ‘Am I OK? Did I not hear something?’”