Marissa Bode

Marissa Bode (/ˈboʊdi/ BOH-dee; born August 28, 2000^[2]) is an American actress.

Marissa Bode
Born	(2000-08-28) August 28, 2000 (age 24)[1] Mazomanie, Wisconsin, U.S.
Alma mater	American Musical and Dramatic Academy
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2013–present
Partner	Lauren Brooks (2023–present)

After graduating from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Marissa gained recognition for her portrayal of Nessarose Thropp in the musical films Wicked (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025), a two-part adaptation of the stage musical. Her casting in the role marked the first time a disabled actress portrayed the character. For her performance, she received nominations at the 30th Critics' Choice Awards and 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Early life and education

Marissa was born in Mazomanie, Wisconsin. At the age of 11, she became paralyzed following a car crash, and has since had to use a wheelchair for mobility.^[3] She started acting at school and starred in local productions, with her first role being that of an orphan in The Prince and the Pauper.^[4]

Marissa had graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and currently lives in Los Angeles.^[5]

Career

Stage

Bode has performed onstage since the age of eight in local productions such as Little Shop of Horrors, Peter Pan, and Mary Poppins.^[6]

Film and television

Bode wrote, directed, and produced her first short film in 2021, called You're Adorable.

In 2022 it was announced she would play Nessarose, Elphaba's sister and the Wicked Witch of the East, in the Wicked film adaptations, making her feature film debut. She made history for being the first wheelchair user to play the character, who also uses a wheelchair.^[7] Bode shared her excitement for the role and for being able to represent disabled women of colour in the film: "To be that representation for not only disabled people but disabled people of colour is so exciting and so surreal".^[8] She also praised the accessibility of the Wicked set, finding it to have been designed with a wheelchair user in mind. The set had a disability coordinator, Chantelle Nassari, who is also a wheelchair user, who would visit sets before Bode to anticipate any issues Bode might have around the set so they could be fixed beforehand.^[9] Director Jon M. Chu stated that making the set accessible was "one of the most enlightening and beautiful processes I've ever gone through. You need accessibility, not just when we're on set behind the scenes, but you need to present accessibility in Oz itself."^[10] For her performance, Bode received several nominations as part of the film's ensemble cast—which includes Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum—and with her inclusion in the film's Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture nomination at the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards, she became the first ever wheelchair user to garner a nomination in any category at the SAG Awards.

As part of the marketing campaign for the film, Mattel, one of the collaborating brands, released seven dolls of the main characters including Elphaba, Glinda and Nessarose with removable outfits and accessories and built in the likenesses of the actors.^[11]

Personal life

Since September 2023, Bode has been in a relationship with Lauren Brooks.^[12]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2013	Carsleepers	Cassie Hairston	Short
2019	No Roles Written	Kalliope
2021	You're Adorable	—	Short; writer, director, and producer
2024	Wicked	Nessarose "Nessa" Thropp	Feature film debut; also contributed to one song to the film's soundtrack
2025	Wicked: For Good		Post-production

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominated work	Result	Ref.
2024	Astra Film Awards	Best Cast Ensemble	Wicked	Nominated
	Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association	Best Acting Ensemble		Nominated	[13]
	Michigan Movie Critics Guild	Best Ensemble		Nominated	[14]
	North Texas Film Critics Association	Best Newcomer		Nominated	[15]
	San Diego Film Critics Society	Best Ensemble		Nominated	[16]
	Las Vegas Film Critics Society	Best Ensemble		Nominated	[17]
	St. Louis Film Critics Association	Best Ensemble		Nominated	[18]
	New York Film Critics Online	Best Ensemble		Nominated	[19]
	Alliance of Women Film Journalists	Best Ensemble Cast		Nominated	[20]
2025	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture		Nominated	[21]