When Marissa Bode was 12-years-old, her mom surprised her with tickets to see “Wicked” at the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison.
It was the first time she had ever seen a person in a wheelchair performing in a play or musical, as Nessarose is in a wheelchair during the performance.
Just one year before that experience, Bode was in a car crash that left her paralyzed from the waist down.
“I was in a wheelchair at that time, which I think is why it was so important and pivotal for me to see … for the first time really, a character, in a wheelchair at all, on stage,” Bode said in an interview with WPR.
Around 10 years later, she auditioned for the part of Nessarose in the film adaptation of “Wicked.” She got the part, and in doing so, became the first actor who uses a wheelchair to play the character.
Bode, who was born and raised in Mazomanie, has been acting since she was 8 years old. She’s appeared in several plays and musicals. She’s also been a fan of “The Wizard of Oz” since she was 5 years old.