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Marissa Bode knows what it’s like for life to change in an instant.

When the 24-year-old was cast as Nessarose in the Wicked movies (the first installment of the smash hit book and musical is out this Friday), she went from mentoring middle schoolers and chilling with her cats to belting out Broadway hits and hanging with Ariana Grande. And she still can’t fully believe it’s all really happening.

“If you were to tell me a few years ago that I’d be filming one of my favorite productions and going to a Beyoncé concert with Ariana Grande, I would’ve called you out of your mind. I would think you were pranking me, and I would
tell you, ‘Please stop making fun of me, I’m sensitive,’” she says of going to the Renaissance World Tour with her Wicked co-star. “But it was so cool…weird and surreal, but really cool.”

Even before being cast in Wicked, Marissa was no stranger to life-altering moments. When she was 11 years old, she and her mother were on their way to an audition when they got into a car accident. Marissa was ejected from the car, and her injuries left her unable to walk and needing a wheelchair—just like her character, Nessarose.

In many ways, Nessarose feels like the role Marissa was destined to play. But her casting is actually groundbreaking for the character, as Marissa is the first wheelchair user to portray her. (In the previous stage productions over the
past 20 years, the character has been played by able-bodied actors.)

 

 

 

 

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“I think it’s so important to have that representation in this role. It’s huge for disabled people, especially younger kids, to see me and say, ‘Hey, I can do that, too,’” she says. “And for able-bodied people, more visibility allows them to recognize us for who we are and realize our capabilities.”

Living with a disability isn’t the only thing Marissa has in common with Nessarose, though. Like her character in Wicked, Marissa is a little sister whose life has been shaped in a big way by her older sibling.

“If I am nothing else, I really am a copycat little sis. My brother, Tristan, started on the stage just for funsies,” she says of how she discovered her passion for acting. “I saw him and was like, ‘I want to do that.’”

After landing a role in a local production of The Prince and the Pauper when she was just 7, Marissa got bitten by the acting bug and focused on making it part of her future.

And after her accident, she was even more determined to follow her dream—despite the fact that her high school’s
stage didn’t have a ramp for her wheelchair (someone had to literally lift her on and off the stage).

Eventually, Marissa landed at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and took up residence in Southern California, where she still lives with her roommate and a cat, Munchkin.

@marissa_edob

Aside from being a standout actor, Marissa is an outspoken advocate for disability awareness. The first message
she shares? That she’s a regular person who exists in a regular world—she’s just doing so in a wheelchair.

“I like the analogy of glasses,” she says of using her chair. “A lot of people wear them, and they’re also an assistive device, but nobody makes a big deal out of them. They’re just tools. And that’s how I view my wheelchair. It’s just a tool to help me get around—it’s really not deeper than that. I’m here. I’m just sitting down.”

She’s hoping that landing the role in Wicked will help her to broaden her platform and reach even more people with her message about inclusivity and inaccessibility.

So far, it’s working: Not only is Marissa creating spaces for conversation about representation, but she’s also being represented in Barbie form. In August, Mattel released the Nessarose doll as part of its Wicked line, which is just one of a few Barbies in the entire collection who is in a wheelchair.

“I’m still comprehending that,” Marissa admits of seeing herself as a doll. “To see my face on a Barbie? It’s incredible, and it doesn’t feel real.”

What’s next for Marissa? More acting roles, of course (to start, she’ll be in the next installment of Wicked, which
comes out in November 2025). She’s also working on a collab for a line of Wicked wheelchair wheel covers and looking forward to the holidays in her tiny hometown in Wisconsin, spending time with her family and hitting the kitchen (she makes a killer vegan mac and cheese).

“I’ll probably need a break,” she says after the whirlwind that’s been her life lately. But not a long one: After all, her
passion for sharing her story and advocacy never quits.

“I’m going to shout this message from the rooftops,” promises Marissa. “If anything, I want disabled people to feel empowered, to not be afraid to speak up, to feel less alone.” And, perhaps, to feel, well, unlimited.

Pumped for the premiere of Wicked? Grab your tix here and share
your wickedly cute fits with us on IG @girslifemag for a chance to get featured!

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Top and slider image: Sami Drasin.

by Kayleigh Roberts | 11/22/2024