Marissa Bode made her film debut in the John M. Chu movie “Wicked” as Nessarose Thropp, sister of protagonist Elphaba Thropp, played by Cynthia Erivo.

Bode has made history as the very first wheelchair user to depict the role of Nessarose Thropp in any production of “Wicked”. The complexity of her character in “Wicked” has left many viewers with mixed feelings, resulting in a love-hate relationship. However, audience members and “Wicked” fans have confused fact with fiction, and their distaste towards Nessarose has seeped into the actor herself.

Bode is no stranger to being outspoken about inclusivity, stating in her “Wicked” red-carpet interviews how much the opportunity of being an on-screen representation of the physically disabled community means to her.

Bode has since uploaded a five-minute TikTok bravely explaining her feelings and experiences since the film debuted.

Bode assures viewers that “not liking Nessarose herself is okay, because she is fictional. That’s totally fine,” she said. “That’s the beauty of art and “Wicked”—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.”

Bode admits her own bias toward the character, “I have a lot of different feelings on Nessa than a lot of you do,” commenting on Nessarose’s complexity making it difficult for others to see her the same.

Bode then explains how hurtful the jokes targeting Nessarose’s disability are. “Aggressive comments and jokes about Nessa’s disability itself is deeply uncomfortable because disability is not fictional,” Bode said. “When these jokes are being made by non-disabled strangers with a punchline of not being able to walk, it very much feels like laughing at rather than laughing with.” Many jokes have been seen regarding Nessarose’s character such as “push Nessa out of her wheelchair” and “[Nessarose] deserves her disability.”

Bode also mentions how many of her disabled peers have tried speaking out against the ableist comments. However, they are quickly dismissed and are told to “take a joke.”

These comments include “take a stand” and the use of the insult “vegetable,” which Bode mentions is a derogatory term used for disabled people. She also addressed how the ableism runs her disabled peers off the internet and affects their mental health due to the amount of repeated hate they receive for taking a stance.

“Lastly, I want to say one of the major themes within “Wicked” is having the ability to listen and understand one another, and I truly hope that is something a lot of you can practice more and take with you. Thank you. Love you. Bye,” Bode said.