I feel like the tides have changed on Ethan Slater. When we first learned of him, either via witnessing his stage performances or seeing those first visuals of him as Boq in Wicked and Wicked For Good people were quite shocked Ariana Grande was phwoaring. I’m not saying that harshly, seems like a nice guy, but it was the truth of the public opinion a few years back. But something has shifted. I think it can all be tracked to his endearing Jennifer Hudson Show spirit tunnel, but things really maxed out when he sung Dancing Through Life during Wicked: One Wonderful Night when Jonathan Bailey was MIA. It was quite sexy. Then he ended up being one of the best parts of Wicked: For Good with his menacing turn as the Tinman. Nobody knew he had it in him! But all that good faith may be derailed by the resurfaced videos of when Ethan Slater played SpongeBob in the SpongeBob SquarePants musical way before Wicked. Haunting.
The cursed video from 2017 has gone viral
I thought this SpongeBob musical viral video with Ethan Slater was kinda new but it’s from 2017…….. pic.twitter.com/lawZO3BkPp
— y2k (@y2kpopart) November 27, 2025
The video sees Ethan Slater playing SpongeBob in the SpongeBob SquarePants musical. He originated the role both in its official previews and test runs and then on Broadway. Despite the fact this cringe video is getting rinsed, the SpongeBob musical got a lot of critical acclaim and has been pretty successful. A recent UK run had Gareth Gates in it as Squidward, with I’m a Celeb’s Tom Read Wilson playing the role also – and Divina De Campo from Drag Race and TikTok musical theatre diva Hannah Lowther.
But yes, people are horrified at the resurfaced video. Why on earth the costume didn’t make him look a bit more sponge like is beyond me. The fact they made poor Ethan Slater squeak about and do the SpongeBob laugh is beyond cruel – at least he got his serious actor redemption in that final act of Wicked: For Good.
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