Sean Hayes Recalls Turning Down Ariana Grande's Invite to a Sleepover withHairspray Live!Cast: 'I'm 45 Years Old!'

Mar. 15, 2025

Ariana Grande and Sean Hayes.Photo:Dave Benett/Getty; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Dave Benett/Getty; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Ariana GrandeandSean Hayesare reminiscing about the fun time they had asHairspray Live!costars.During Grande’s appearance on the Monday, Feb. 3 episode of Hayes' podcastSmartLess, that he cohosts withJason BatemanandWill Arnett, Hayes, 54, took a moment to ask Grande, 31, if she remembered inviting Hayes over for a drunken sleepover with friends.“I don’t know why I’m remembering this, but one of the cutest, greatest things you ever did — this was around 10 years ago, when we were doingHairspray Live!,” Hayes said toward the end of the episode. “We were sitting in the makeup chair and you said to me, ‘Hey, there’s a few of us going to my house after later on tonight, we’re going to get totally wasted and then sleepover, and in the morning my mom’s going to make us pancakes.’ ““Did I say that? That’s crazy,” Grande said in response, to which Hayes added, “And that was so sweet that you invited me, and I turn to you and I go, ‘Ariana,’ and you said, ‘Yeah,’ and I said, ‘I am 45 years old!‘Hayes’ recollection of the conversation made each of the cohosts and Grande laugh. “It was so sweet though, it was so sweet,” he said, while Arnett, 54, quipped, “You said: ‘I am 45 years old, I’ll see you for the pancakes.’ “Sean Hayes and Harvey Fierstein in 2016’s Hairspray Live!.NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection"I can’t believe that that’s how I would have ever said anything ever, and I actually do remember that cast party,” Grande said in response to the story. “That was so funny. . . It was a long time ago.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Grande and Hayes both appeared inHairspray Live!, a televised production of the 2002 Broadway musical and 2007 movie musical that NBC aired on Dec. 7, 2016. Grande portrayed the character Penny Pingleton in the show, while Hayes portrayed Mr. Pinky, the owner of the shop Tracy Turnblad and Edna Turnblad shop at midway through the musical.Maddie BaillioandHarvey Fiersteinrounded out the cast as Tracy and Edna,respectively.Dave Benett/GettyHayes and Grande touched on their time working onHairspray Live!elsewhere in theSmartLessepisode, when Hayes recalled they “would share a trailer and you’d tell me the funniest stories that I cannot repeat” while getting their hair and makeup done.“And we would giggle,” Grande added.

Ariana GrandeandSean Hayesare reminiscing about the fun time they had asHairspray Live!costars.

During Grande’s appearance on the Monday, Feb. 3 episode of Hayes’ podcastSmartLess, that he cohosts withJason BatemanandWill Arnett, Hayes, 54, took a moment to ask Grande, 31, if she remembered inviting Hayes over for a drunken sleepover with friends.

“I don’t know why I’m remembering this, but one of the cutest, greatest things you ever did — this was around 10 years ago, when we were doingHairspray Live!,” Hayes said toward the end of the episode. “We were sitting in the makeup chair and you said to me, ‘Hey, there’s a few of us going to my house after later on tonight, we’re going to get totally wasted and then sleepover, and in the morning my mom’s going to make us pancakes.’ "

“Did I say that? That’s crazy,” Grande said in response, to which Hayes added, “And that was so sweet that you invited me, and I turn to you and I go, ‘Ariana,’ and you said, ‘Yeah,’ and I said, ‘I am 45 years old!’

Hayes' recollection of the conversation made each of the cohosts and Grande laugh. “It was so sweet though, it was so sweet,” he said, while Arnett, 54, quipped, “You said: ‘I am 45 years old, I’ll see you for the pancakes.’ "

Sean Hayes and Harvey Fierstein in 2016’s Hairspray Live!.NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection

NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection

“I can’t believe that that’s how I would have ever said anything ever, and I actually do remember that cast party,” Grande said in response to the story. “That was so funny. . . It was a long time ago.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Grande and Hayes both appeared inHairspray Live!, a televised production of the 2002 Broadway musical and 2007 movie musical that NBC aired on Dec. 7, 2016. Grande portrayed the character Penny Pingleton in the show, while Hayes portrayed Mr. Pinky, the owner of the shop Tracy Turnblad and Edna Turnblad shop at midway through the musical.Maddie BaillioandHarvey Fiersteinrounded out the cast as Tracy and Edna,respectively.

Dave Benett/Getty

Hayes and Grande touched on their time working onHairspray Live!elsewhere in theSmartLessepisode, when Hayes recalled they “would share a trailer and you’d tell me the funniest stories that I cannot repeat” while getting their hair and makeup done.

“And we would giggle,” Grande added.

source: people.com