“Wicked” star Marissa Bode has spoken out towards the destructive feedback and jokes about her character Nessarose’s incapacity, calling them “aggressive,” “very gross” and “dangerous.”
In a five-minute video posted on TikTok on Friday, Bode — who makes use of a wheelchair on display screen and in actual life — shared her ideas on the insensitive feedback circulating on-line about Nessarose, the youthful sister of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo).
“It is completely OK to not like a fictional character,” Bode stated. “I’m going to be admitting my bias in the way in which that I’ve a number of totally different emotions on Nessa than a number of you do, and that’s completely effective. I believe Nessa is complicated, however that’s the fantastic thing about artwork. ‘Wicked’ and these characters and the film wouldn’t be what it was if there weren’t totally different opinions on the characters and who’s actually depraved or not. And not liking Nessa herself is OK. Because she is fictional, that’s completely effective.”
Bode acknowledged that she is a “deeply unserious individual,” who doesn’t thoughts “foolish, goofy, innocent” jokes relating to Nessarose’s persona or actions — reiterating that it’s as a result of the “Wicked” character is fictional. However, she doesn’t condone “aggressive” feedback and jokes about Nessarose’s incapacity, including that they’re “deeply uncomfortable.”
“Disability isn’t fictional,” Bode continued. “At the tip of the day, me, Marissa, is the person who continues to be disabled and in a wheelchair. And so, it’s merely a low-hanging fruit that too lots of you might be snug taking.”
Bode famous that she’s heard many ableist jokes not solely about Nessarose, however about herself. “Before even being solid in ‘Wicked,’ I had obtained feedback — simply as me, as Marissa, not Nessa — across the phrases of ‘get up for your self,’ ‘I suppose you possibly can’t stand him,’ et cetera,” she stated. “These feedback aren’t authentic, and when these jokes are being made by non-disabled strangers with a punchline of not having the ability to stroll, it very a lot seems like laughing at reasonably than laughing with.”
She added, “This goes thus far past me, Marissa, simply needing to disregard feedback on the web. These feedback don’t exist in a vacuum. Aggressive feedback of eager to trigger hurt and push Nessa out of her wheelchair, or that she deserves her incapacity, are two very gross and dangerous feedback that actual disabled individuals, together with myself, have heard earlier than.”
Bode urged “Wicked” viewers to cease dismissing one another and “claiming an expertise can’t be true since you personally don’t really feel that manner a few joke that wouldn’t have affected your demographic anyhow.”
She continued, “Listen to the individuals or to the person who it’s affecting and the way it makes them really feel. Thankfully, I’m at a spot in my life right now the place I can acknowledge these jokes about incapacity are made out of ignorance. I couldn’t say the identical about Marissa 10 years in the past, and it might have affected youthful me much more, and I’m frightened {that a} youthful model of myself is someplace on the web and is harmed by these feedback.”
Bode concluded the video by saying, “Lastly, I wish to say one of many main themes inside ‘Wicked’ is being able to hear and to know each other. And I really hope that’s one thing a number of you possibly can observe extra and take with you.”
Bode is the primary wheelchair consumer in “Wicked’s” historical past to play Nessarose. In an interview with Variety, the actor spoke about including extra dimension to the character by way of the movie adaptation’s two-part construction. (“Wicked: Part Two” arrives on the massive display screen on Nov. 21, 2025.)
“Obviously, it’s an attractive musical and I like the stage musical, however you don’t actually get to see little moments within the bond between the 2 sisters very a lot, or simply their love for each other. You get to see that extra within the movie,” she defined. “And I believe that’s actually necessary, as a result of it makes what occurs within the second movie all of the extra devastating. It humanizes Nessa as character, and reveals how a lot she cares about individuals. I believe it was an amazing choice.”
