Marissa Bode's disability and inspiring inclusion in the movie 'Wicked'

Marissa Bode's disability has not stopped her from following her dreams. After a car accident at age 11 left her unable to walk, she began using a wheelchair. Now, she is making history by playing Nessarose in the Wicked movie—a character who also uses a wheelchair. Her story inspires many and shows everyone deserves a chance to shine.

Key takeaways

• Marissa Bode is the actress in Wicked who is disabled. She plays Nessarose, a character who also uses a wheelchair.
• She has been a wheelchair user since age 11, when she was involved in a car crash that caused her spinal cord injury.
• Wicked marks Bode's debut. It is also a watershed moment for disability representation in major studio musicals.

Marissa Bode's profile summary

Who is Marissa Bode?

Marissa Bode is an American actress who was born in Mazomanie, Wisconsin. She has had a very passionate interest in acting since she was young. She began acting in local productions at school, and her first role was as an orphan in The Prince and the Pauper. To pursue her interest, she enrolled in the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), where she received her training.

Marissa Bode's disability

Marissa Bode's disability began when she was 11 years old. She was involved in an accident that left her paralysed from the waist down. The accident caused her spinal cord to be injured, something that affected her walking ability. This led her to depend on a wheelchair for movement.

While Marissa may be disabled, she has not let the situation affect her as a human being. She has shared that the incident shaped her outlook on life and everything, and that this could happen to anyone at any time.

Marissa Bode's inclusion in the movie Wicked

Marissa Bode's inclusion in the movie Wicked, cast as Nessarose, marked a historic moment in Hollywood. For the first time, a major studio cast an actress with a real-life disability to play a character who also uses a wheelchair.

Nessarose is the younger sister of Elphaba, the green-skinned girl who eventually becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. In the story, Nessarose uses a wheelchair due to complications from birth, linked to their mother consuming milk flowers during pregnancy in hopes of avoiding another green child.

A central part of Nessarose's journey is her fight for independence—an experience to which Marissa Bode deeply relates. After her car accident at age 11, Bode recalls her parents having to accompany her on school trips for "liability purposes," a phrase she mentions with subtle irony.

During an interview with Gay Times, Marissa talked about her role and how disabled people should not look down upon themselves. She said:

I want to speak directly to disabled people and say that you can be in spaces, a lot of spaces, so don't let anybody tell you that you're too much or that accommodations can't be made. Fight for yourself, fight for your rights. Don't let people tell you that it's not possible.

When asked about the impact she hopes Wicked and her portrayal of Nessarose will have on the industry moving forward, Marissa Bode shared her thoughts:

I would like people to know that it is possible, and you should be including disabled people. Including disabled people is the bare minimum. We are people existing in everyday life, where we make up quite a bit of the population. Everybody should care about disability because the disability community is the one marginalised community that anybody can join at any time.

You don't know what tomorrow brings. You could experience a medical emergency and be disabled. So, I think that caring about disability and inclusion benefits everybody. So, I hope this sets a precedent that it's possible to not only include disabled people on screen but also provide accommodations.

FAQs

1. Who is Marissa Bode? Marissa Bode is a young American actress known for her role as Nessarose in the film Wicked.
2. How old is Marissa Bode? Marissa Bode is 24 years old as of July 2025. The actress was born on 28 August 2000 in Mazomanie, Wisconsin, United States.
3. Is Marissa Bode disabled in real life? Yes, Marissa Bode is disabled in real life. She uses a wheelchair due to a spinal cord injury she sustained at age 11 following a car accident.
4. What disability does Nessarose have in Wicked? In Wicked, Nessarose is portrayed as unable to walk and using a wheelchair. Her condition is the result of complications during her birth.
5. What happened to Marissa Bode? Marissa Bode was involved in a car accident at age 11 that left her paralysed from the waist down.
6. Who is Marissa Bode's partner? Marissa Bode's partner is Lauren Brooks. The couple has been dating since September 2023.

Wrapping up

Marissa Bode's disability as Nessarose in Wicked makes cinematic history and conveys that even with disability, one can still become the best actor. Marissa was involved in an accident when she was young, something that left her with a spinal cord injury. She has been using the wheelchair since then.

Tuko.co.ke recently published an article on whether Sketch has a disability. Kylie Cox, known online as Sketch or TheSketchReal, is an American Twitch streamer and YouTuber. He is well known for his catchphrase, "What's up, brother?", which went viral and became a trend on the short-form video platform TikTok in 2024.

The Twitch streamer dismissed claims that he had a condition. The rumours stemmed from his hand movements when he expresses himself, which he termed as a way to deal with anxiety when on camera.

Proofreading by Masolo Mabonga, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke