Marissa Bode on Getting a ‘Wicked’ Role and Disability Representation

Marissa Bode She had almost given up on the idea of ​​landing the role of Nessarose in Jon M. Chu’s film adaptation of Wicked.

“The last time I got a call, before that, I didn’t think I got it. I had not received a response from casting,” says Bode. The Hollywood Reporter about his attempt to land a role in the beloved stage musical. To distract herself, the 24-year-old says she made a “cute spooky little video” about witches, “without even thinking about it.” Wicked.”

But just two days after uploading the video to Instagram, she received word from casting about another Zoom callback with Chu, who she claims told her to be careful about posting a witch-themed video because no one knew she was up for grabs. for the role of Nessarose. .

“I thought, ‘Oh my God, I ruined it for myself.’ Jesus Christ,’” he says. On that same call, Chu suddenly told him that someone was knocking on his door, at which point he went to answer it with his computer in tow. “He opens the door taking his Zoom camera and turns the camera. It’s Ariana (Grande) and Cynthia (Erivo) with a sign that says: ‘Welcome to Oz, will you be our Nessarose?’ “

Nessarose is the sister of the evil witch Elphaba, played by Erivo. His relationships with Elphaba and fellow Shiz University student Boq, played by Ethan Slater, play a pivotal role in the original film. Wicked The second act of the musical, which is scheduled for release as a film next year.

For Bode, it was important to get those key moments between his character and Slater’s Boq perfect. “(The Oz Dust scene where the students escape to a dance club) is very important and pivotal for both of our characters in what’s to come,” Bode says. “It really highlights our relationship and what we mean to each other.

“This is the first time that Nessa feels really seen by a boy, and then this is a moment for Boq to feel like he’s found a friend and that sense of belonging,” she adds.

Bode’s character, Nessarose, also has a complicated relationship with her sister, Elphaba. Achieving that on-screen chemistry with Erivo was easy, Bode says, thanks to the latter’s personality. “Cynthia already has a very protective quality in her everyday life, and she’s always aware of and looking out for other people,” Bode says of her co-star. “I don’t think it would be too difficult to translate that transfer to the screen.”

Nessarose uses a wheelchair, but no one who played the role in WickedThe Broadway career of more than 20 years uses a wheelchair in real life. The actress says she first saw the musical when she was 11 or 12 and it turned out to be a formative moment for her. “That was the first time I saw a character in a wheelchair on stage,” he says.

“It was very important to me to honor the wonderful work that has gone into this stage musical while also making it my own and bringing my own experiences as someone with a disability to this role,” Bode adds. “I hope the public knows that a lot of care was taken.”

For Bode, the role meant keeping in mind the younger version of herself that wasn’t represented on screen. “I think 11-year-old me would be as surprised as I am now, and hopefully also proud to know that disability really isn’t as scary as you’ve been taught,” she explains.

“Or something that needs to be fixed.”

Bode hopes his role in the musical can help move the needle in the world of film. “Something I would love to transfer to able-bodied people is to elect more disabled people. Make sure your everyday spaces are accessible, even if you’re not in the casting world,” she says. “Don’t wait for a disabled person to enter your space to make it accessible. No one is promised that they will not be disabled tomorrow. Anything can happen.

“Listen to the disability community instead of hearing it from a perspective that we don’t have,” he adds. “And hear multiple disabled perspectives.”

As Bode considers his post-careerWicked (Although the second part is scheduled for release in November, both films have already been filmed), he hopes to take on a wide variety of roles. “I would love in the future to take on more roles where disability isn’t the focus all the time because that’s just not realistic,” she says.

“Think about accessibility or think about disabled people and recognize the disability. If you don’t recognize it, you can’t make your space accessible, but don’t make a big deal out of it,” says Bode. “We are literally human beings who exist alongside you.

“There is so much more to me and so much more to the conversation than just my disability. “It’s something I talk about a lot though, because I think when you bring up a conversation, that’s how you can make progress, but it’s not like that’s all the conversations I talk about with my friends,” he continues. “I’m talking about a million different things besides my disability because, of course, I’m a 24-year-old woman as much as anyone else.”

This story first appeared in a separate December issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.