Wicked’s Marissa Bode Wants You To See Nessarose A Little Differently
“I think a lot of people overlook the tender moments between the sisters.”
Before she was cast as Elphaba’s younger sister, Nessarose, in the Wicked movie, Marissa Bode told herself she wasn’t getting the role. “After auditioning for a number of weeks, I didn’t think I got it because I hadn’t heard back from casting for longer than my anxious self would hope,” the 24-year-old actor tells Elite Daily. “Then I finally got another callback, which ended up just being Jon [Chu, the director] telling me I got the part. They tricked me.”
Despite the shock in that fateful Zoom meeting two years ago, she has no hard feelings about the sneaky reveal. “It was very thoughtful,” she says. “I’m a fan of good surprises like this.”
Bode, who is from Wisconsin and now resides in Los Angeles, made her feature film debut in the movie musical, appearing alongside Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and the rest of the star-studded cast. She’s enjoyed seeing all the internet fanfare about the film, even if some things have caught her off guard. “I was not expecting my singing about Boq to be turned into a million different remixes,” she says. Bode poked fun at the viral trend on TikTok, posting a video dancing to a remix of Charli XCX’s “B2b” reimagined as “Boq2Boq.” “I was like, why does this hit? This is kind of fire, actually,” she jokes.
On a more serious note, Bode welcomes fans’ varying perspectives on who the movie’s villain might be. “As an actor I empathize so deeply with all these characters,” she says. “It’s hard for me personally to see any of them as villains because most of their intentions start out in a good place.”
Nessarose is a controversial character, frequently criticized by audiences for not standing up for Elphaba against bullying from her classmates. Bode sees where this assessment comes from, but her opinion is more nuanced.
“I think a lot of people overlook the tender moments between the sisters,” she says. “Elphaba is the only person thus far in Nessa’s life who fully sees that she can do things for herself because Elphaba is also other. They feel different, and they understand each other in that way.”
As someone who is disabled, this is the first time she’s ever had that experience with love.
The actor also empathizes with her character falling for Boq despite Elphaba distrusting his intentions. “As someone who is disabled, this is the first time she’s ever had that experience with love,” Bode says. “I relate to that — not necessarily looking at all the red flags because you want something so badly.”
She teases even more “complex” dynamics to come for the sisters in Wicked: For Good, out next November. “There’s a time lapse between the two films, and that’s a lot of time for them to either reflect on themselves and try to see the bigger picture, or to hang on to hurt and turn it into something more bitter.”
In between press tours, Bode is still acting and auditioning, and she’s also getting back to her favorite hobbies on her time off. She picked up painting during lockdown and runs an Instagram account dedicated to sharing her creations, @my_art_and_stufff. “I’m hoping to open a little Etsy shop in the new year where I sell some of my art on clothing,” she says.
Below, Bode shares the top song on her Spotify Wrapped and the best advice she’s gotten from her movie sister, Erivo.
Elite Daily: Do you have a Wicked-related group chat?
Marissa Bode: I don’t have a specific Wicked group chat with my cast mates. But in my group chat with my everyday friend group and roommates, I just sent a quiz: Which Wicked character are you? I got Elphaba. My partner purposely tried to get Nessa, which she did successfully.
ED: What’s been your favorite viral moment inspired by the movie?
MB: The Boq lookalike competition. That was really silly.
ED: What are you “holding space” for right now?
MB: I’m holding space for the holidays. I am in a holiday mode for sure — I watched Elf last night and will be making more cookies with my partner this weekend.
ED: What’s the best advice you’ve gotten from Ariana or Cynthia?
MB: I get in my head a lot, and apparently, I don’t always hide it well. Cynthia clocked my tea one time. She saw me overthinking and was like, “You don’t have to do that. Just be in the moment. Take some deep breaths. Don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s OK.” That meant a lot to me.
ED: Nessa gets a pair of silver slippers in the movie. What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
MB: A handmade magazine from my partner. She put so much thought into it. It’s perfect, and I love her.
ED: If you had to make a PowerPoint slideshow to present to your friends, what would the topic be?
MB: I’ve had a PowerPoint presentation night with my friends. Mine was about fictional characters that would or would not be ableist in real life. I said Ned Flanders [from The Simpsons] would be ableist because he would non-consensually pray over me, and I would be very uncomfortable.
ED: What was the top song on your Spotify Wrapped?
MB: “Hot to Go.” A lot of Chappell Roan’s songs were in my top songs this year. Midwest Princess is such a good album.
ED: On TikTok, you gave a list of fictional characters you can’t stand (including Kevin McCallister’s family). Who else is on that list that you didn’t share?
MB: The one cranky lady in Gremlins who wants to kill his dog. I’m like, “This is so harsh. What are we doing here? It’s Christmas. What do you mean you want his dog dead?”
ED: What are you manifesting in 2025?
MB: I’m manifesting booking another role. I would also love an opportunity to be on RuPaul’s Drag Race, dare I say, or Hot Ones.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
