Marissa Bode is voicing her concerns regarding ableist remarks made about her character in “Wicked.”

The actress, who portrays Nessarose in the highly anticipated film inspired by the Broadway musical, expressed her discomfort in a TikTok video in response to jokes about her character’s disability. At 24 years old, Bode is the first wheelchair user to take on the role of Elphaba’s (Cynthia Erivo) younger sister.

“Harsh comments and ‘jokes’ about Nessa’s disability are incredibly uncomfortable because disability is a real part of life,” she stated. “Ultimately, I, Marissa, am the person who is disabled and uses a wheelchair, so it feels like an easy target that many seem to find acceptable to joke about.”

She further explained, “Aggressive comments about harming or wanting to push Nessa out of her wheelchair, or claims that she deserves her disability, are completely disrespectful and harmful statements that real disabled individuals, including myself, have encountered before.”

Nessarose is a significant character in the original Broadway musical that the “Wicked” film adapts, play a crucial role particularly in the second act. In the movie, which is the first installment of a two-part series, she forms a bond with Boq (Ethan Slater), a Munchkin, and shares a dance with him.

In her TikTok, Bode shared that she has been targeted with comments poking fun at her inability to walk, which feel more like “laughing at rather than laughing with.”

She expressed that the most disheartening aspect of this situation is “how intimidated” she feels about addressing the comments, mentioning that she was “literally shaking a little bit” while creating the video.

“I’ve witnessed firsthand the repercussions faced by my disabled peers who speak out against ableism on social media,” she added.

Bode noted that she encountered backlash for her disability even prior to landing her role in “Wicked” and aimed to reach out to her younger self from a decade ago, as well as to others who may feel vulnerable like she once did.

Bode encouraged those who dismiss her concerns to genuinely listen to individuals affected by such humor, emphasizing the connections to the themes of “Wicked,” a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” that presents a nuanced view of the Wicked Witch of the West.

“A key theme in ‘Wicked’ is the importance of empathy and understanding each other, and I sincerely hope this is something many will strive to practice and carry with them,” she concluded.

The actress received an outpouring of supportive comments on her TikTok, including one user who remarked, “As a disabled girl myself, thank you for addressing this.” Another expressed, “I’m truly sorry that this even needs to be highlighted.”

Bode has been performing since she was 8 years old, continuing her passion even after becoming paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident at age 11.

“It always struck me as odd that so many people reacted with, ‘Oh, she never gave up!'” Bode shared with YSL News. “My response was always, ‘Well, why would I give up?'”

“I believe much of this is due to people’s views of disability as something limiting, which I have never believed. Instead of viewing a person with a disability as incapable, it’s about making spaces that say, ‘You belong here.’

Bode will return as Nessarose in “Wicked: Part Two,” set to hit theaters in November 2025.