THE Evil The film breaks barriers and opens doors because of the actress cast as Nessarose Thropp. As one of the longest-running Broadway musicals of all time, it's no surprise that Universal Studios jumped at the opportunity to adapt the beloved show into a film. However, there is a double-edged sword when it comes to franchises with a fervent fan base. The studio had a built-in audience, but faced higher standards when it came to Evil film getting things right. Any decision about launching the Evil the film would be divisive, given the passion for the original Broadway cast.
Most online casting discussions focused on who would play Elphaba and Galinda, the two most prominent roles in the film. However, the other main and supporting characters of Evil have an equally influential role in the narrative, and casting the right actors is equally important to the film's success. This is especially true for the character Nessarose, Elphaba's younger sister, who studies at Shiz University. Fortunately, the film Wicked selected a talented actor to play Nessa, and her casting takes a monumental step forward for on-screen representation.
Marissa Bode plays Nessarose in Wicked
Bode is new to Hollywood, but has a passion for theater
About a decade after seeing the musical on stage for the first time (via The Hollywood Reporter), actress Marissa Bode was cast as Nessa in the two-part film Evil film. Bode had no significant presence in Hollywood before being cast Evilonly appearing in two short films. However, she has been performing on stage since the age of 8, furthering her passion for the craft.
After high school, Marissa Bode attended the prestigious performing arts conservatory, American Musical and Dramatic Academy, in Los Angeles. This educational choice gave him the excellent opportunity to interact with people in the industry and participate in auditions. Although she has had negative testing experiences as a wheelchair user - which she explores in her short film, You are adorable – she never allowed negative attitudes about her disability to stop her desire to become a professional actress.
Marissa Bode is the first wheelchair user to play Nessarose
Nessarose is a wheelchair user in the Broadway musical and book
How Michelle Federer originated the role during out-of-town tryouts, no actor who played Nessarose in a production of Wicked was an ambulant or non-ambulatory wheelchair user – a frustrating choice for those of us in the disability community. Fortunately, the Evil the film specifically sought an actor who uses a wheelchair to play the iconic character, eventually casting Marissa Bode in the role.
Bode spoke several times during the film's press tour about how much it means to her to be the wheelchair user who plays Nessa. In the Wicked Movie's Nessarose video, the actress explains that she has seen almost no on-screen representation of herself as a person with a physical disabilityand she is excited about the opportunity to provide that representation to young people. The cast of Marissa Bode in Evil The film could open doors for disabled actors who come after her and reflect the sentiment that authentic casting should become common practice in Hollywood.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter