Wicked star Marissa Bode has said that the reaction to her disabled character online has been “gross and harmful”.
She said that while it was “absolutely OK to not like a fictional character,” the comments had been deeply hurtful.
“‘Wicked’ and these characters and the movie wouldn’t be what it was if there weren’t different opinions on the characters and who’s truly wicked or not.
“At the end of the day, me, Marissa, is the person that is still disabled and in a wheelchair.
She also shared concerns that “a younger version of myself is somewhere on the internet and is harmed by these comments”.
According to Wicked actress Marissa Bode, the online response to her disabled character has been “gross and harmful.”.
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Bode, who is a wheelchair user both in real life and in the movie, addressed hate speech against her character Nessarose on TikTok on Friday, November 29. Although it was “completely OK to not like a fictional character,” she claimed that the remarks had been extremely hurtful.
“I’m going to acknowledge my bias by saying that I feel a lot differently about Nessa than many of you do, and that’s okay. The beauty of art, in my opinion, is that Nessa is complex,” she remarked.
“Wicked,” these characters, and the film itself wouldn’t exist if there weren’t differing views on the characters and who is actually evil. It’s also acceptable to dislike Nessa herself. That’s perfectly acceptable because she is a fictional character. “.”.
The “aggressive” remarks regarding her character’s disability were “deeply uncomfortable,” she continued, adding that she is a “deeply unserious person” and doesn’t mind the “silly, goofy, harmless” jokes about Nessarose’s personality. “”.
“Disability is real,” she asserted. “Marissa is the one who is still in a wheelchair and disabled at the end of the day. Therefore, it’s just a low-hanging fruit that far too many of you feel free to take.
Prior to being cast in “Wicked,” she said, “I had heard remarks like’stand up for yourself,’ ‘I guess you can’t stand him,’ et cetera — just like me, as Marissa, not Nessa.”. “These remarks lack originality, and when non-disabled strangers make jokes about not being able to walk, it almost feels like they’re laughing at you instead of laughing with you. “.”.
Bode, the first wheelchair user to play Nessarose in Wicked history, continued: “Marissa, this goes so much beyond me simply ignoring online comments. These remarks are not isolated. In the past, I and other real disabled people have heard offensive remarks like “I want to hurt Nessa and push her out of her wheelchair” or “She deserves her disability.”. “.”.
She went on to advise viewers who are making jokes to “listen to the people or to the person that it is affecting and how it makes them feel.”. Additionally, she expressed worries that “a younger version of myself is somewhere on the internet and is harmed by these comments.”.
“Lastly, I want to say one of the major themes within ‘Wicked’ is having the ability to listen and understand one another,” Bode said as she ended the video. And I sincerely hope many of you can practice and carry that with you. “”.
