Copyright Us Weekly
Marissa Bode has been performing for years, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t get nervous. The 25-year-old actress, who stars as Nessarose Thropp in the upcoming Wicked sequel, told Us Weekly exclusively that she is “anxious” about audiences watching her perform her song, “The Wicked Witch of the East,” in Wicked: For Good. “I am very, very nervous — especially because I know a lot of people express their love for that song,” Bode said while appearing at the JAMS Clubhouse at Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica. “It’s not on the original Broadway album, I believe, and it is on this [soundtrack], so there’s a lot of pressure there, for sure.” The powerful song details Nessa’s internal struggles and feelings of loneliness as she navigates life in Munchkinland. While Bode does have high levels of anxiety about her performance, she is hopeful that fans can appreciate her rendition of the song. “I hope I did it justice, and I hope audiences enjoy [the performance],” the actress said, adding that she is “happy” with Nessa’s arc in the film, which differs from the stage musical. In the upcoming sequel, Nessa asks her sister, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), to grant her the ability to fly. In the Broadway musical, Nessa asks Elphaba to heal her and allow her the ability to walk after years in a wheelchair. Bode, who is the first disabled actress to play the character, told Us that the change “just makes sense.” “When you’re dealing with a movie that’s already so fantastical, doing something not only that is a little bit healthier in the perception of disabled people — while at the same time taking the magic, honestly, to a whole other level,” Bode said. “She is literally in the air and flying. I am happy with the change … what she’s asking from her sister in the second film. It’s different from the stage musical in terms of her pleading to be fixed and healed. That can be a disabled person’s story, but it’s not all of our stories.” Bode went on to explain that it’s “a common misconception” and “one-dimensional” portrayal of the disabled community that she is hoping to correct with the film and future projects. The actress shared her thoughts about For Good at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica, where she spoke with local children about the sequel and joined them for a musical performance. A former Boys & Girls Club mentor, Bode told Us that she was working at the nonprofit organization when she received a call from her agent that she had been selected for callbacks for Wicked. “It feels full circle in a lot of ways,” Bode said about her return to the Boys & Girls Club. “[During] my time here at JAMS — it was part-time, so I was here later in the day — but [I was] still auditioning. It was literally here that I first got a call from my agent letting me know that I got a callback. I didn’t answer it right away because I was not on break and I didn’t want to interrupt my shift, but he called me three times. I was like, ‘Oh my God, this has to be important.’” Hosted in partnership with Fandango and Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Bode’s event was part of the Wicked: For Good campaign, which invites fans to round up their ticket purchases to support Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide. “I feel grateful for my time here and being back in a way that’s a little bit different, but still helping mentor the kids in some way,” the actress said. “I would love to encourage those that go see the film to round up when they’re purchasing their tickets to donate to the Boys & Girls Club. There’s a lot of importance to giving back into this program and for the youth to have spaces and things like creating in the art space, art supplies or technology.”
