Josh Hutcherson Remembers Ariana Grande’s Teen Years and Her ‘Mariah Carey’ Moment

On November 18, 2025, actor Josh Hutcherson stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and shared a fond memory of meeting Ariana Grande when they were teenagers. Hutcherson recalled that, even then, Grande was already certain of her talent — and she didn’t hesitate to prove it.

“When I was about 15 to 17, I hung out with several people from the cast of Victorious,” he told Fallon. “I ran into Ariana a few times, and one day she said, ‘I’m a really good singer.’ I believed her. Then she said she could do the Mariah Carey whistle — I thought she was joking until she actually did it. It sounded like a dolphin. I remember thinking, ‘She’s for real.’ She told me, ‘I’m going to be a singer,’ and she was right.”

Grande rose to fame playing Cat Valentine across Victorious (2010–2013) and briefly reprised the role on the spin-off Sam & Cat. She soon pivoted into pop music and has since built an extraordinary career: multiple Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers, six Billboard 200 No. 1 albums and two Grammy Awards. Billboard has also recognized her influence — naming her among the top pop stars and songwriters of the 21st century in recent lists.

Her vocal gifts have led to high-profile collaborations, including remixes and duets with major artists. At the MTV Video Music Awards in September she presented Mariah Carey with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, then went on to win several Moonperson trophies herself that same evening.

Beyond music, Grande made a celebrated return to the big screen with Wicked, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. She will reprise that role in Wicked: For Good, which opens in theaters on November 21, 2025.

Watch Hutcherson’s interview with Fallon below, where he fondly recounts meeting Grande as a teen.

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