Ethan Slater’s Unforgettable Rise as the Tin Man
So, let me walk you through this fascinating behind-the-scenes story about Ethan Slater and his huge transformation in Wicked: For Good . Even though Elphaba and Glinda naturally grab a lot of attention, Boq — played by Slater — ends up having one of the most dramatic arcs in the entire film. And what’s wild is how much of that transformation was done practically, with makeup, prosthetics, and clever costume work rather than depending only on CGI.
Boq’s journey really takes a dark turn in the second film. By this point, he’s trapped in servitude to Nessarose, who has become the Governor of Munchkinland. When he finally tries to walk away, she attempts a spell to force him to stay, but it all backfires. Elphaba steps in to fix the situation the only way she can — and that ends with Boq becoming the Tin Man. It’s a moment that’s both tragic and visually shocking, especially because the film shows metal pieces from Nessa’s office actually attaching themselves to his body as his heart begins to shrink.
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Ethan Slater described the transformation sequence as his “dream day” on set. The whole thing took around five hours in the makeup chair, involving glue, silicone pieces, silver paint, dentures, gray-silver contact lenses — the works. And even though he was covered in prosthetics, makeup designer Frances Hannon wanted to make sure Boq’s emotions still came through. She kept reminding the team not to bury his humanity under all the metal.
One of the coolest parts, according to Slater, was seeing how the armor would “become part of him” while filming. He talked about hitting a desk and watching props — thimbles, jugs, little metal items — attach themselves to his body. He even joked that he loves falling and “falls for a living,” so getting to physically throw himself into the moment made the experience even better.
There’s even a fun little detail: when the Tin Man finally breaks through a door with his axe, Slater delivered one take that leaned fully into the iconic “Here’s Johnny!” moment from The Shining . It didn’t make the cut, but he confirms it exists somewhere.
Beyond the spectacle, Slater thought a lot about Boq’s emotional arc — this idea of someone who starts from a good place but slowly becomes consumed by loneliness, resentment, and feeling invisible. He called the story “unfortunately relatable,” especially the idea of losing yourself in a situation you never meant to fall into. That emotional weight fuels the intensity of “March of the Witch Hunters,” where he leads an angry mob — a scene Slater described as genuinely terrifying to shoot, thanks to torches, pounding rhythms, and dozens of actors shouting around him.
Even with all that chaos, his favorite moment is subtle: Boq briefly looks up toward Glinda during the mob scene. Whether he truly sees her or not is ambiguous, but Slater believes Boq recognizes she’s there — he just can’t see past his own anger anymore.
It’s a heartbreaking but powerful transformation, and Ethan Slater’s dedication is written all over it.
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