Marissa Bode (American Actress) Age, Biography, Family

Quick Info

Profession	Actress
Nationality	American
Date of Birth	28/08/2000
Age	26 years
Birthplace	Mazomanie, Dane County, Wisconsin, United States

Latest News about Marissa Bode

05/11/2025

Marissa Bode won the 2025 Christopher Reeve Acting Award at the Media Access Awards for her performance as Nessarose in Wicked. The honor recognized her work in a role that advanced disability representation in a major film franchise.

12/02/2025

Marissa Bode delivered the keynote address at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's 2025 Black History Month event, where she spoke about intersectionality, disability representation, and the importance of authentic casting. She also reflected on her own upbringing in Mazomanie and the impact of seeing disabled characters represented on screen.

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Bio/Wiki

Bio	Marissa Bode is an American actress born on August 28, 2000, in Mazomanie, Wisconsin. She began acting in community theater at age eight and has performed in productions such as Little Shop of Horrors, The Diviners, Peter Pan, and Mary Poppins. After graduating from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles, she gained widespread recognition for her portrayal of Nessarose Thropp in the musical films Wicked (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025), marking her feature film debut. Bode became the first wheelchair user to play Nessarose on screen, a role that also uses a wheelchair, and she has been celebrated for bringing authenticity and representation to disabled characters in mainstream cinema. In addition to acting, she is a disability rights advocate, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and a writer, director, and producer whose short film You're Adorable was accepted into the 2021 Wisconsin Film Festival. She lives in Los Angeles and continues to use storytelling to advance access and representation for disabled people.

Bio

Marissa Bode is an American actress born on August 28, 2000, in Mazomanie, Wisconsin. She began acting in community theater at age eight and has performed in productions such as Little Shop of Horrors, The Diviners, Peter Pan, and Mary Poppins. After graduating from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles, she gained widespread recognition for her portrayal of Nessarose Thropp in the musical films Wicked (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025), marking her feature film debut. Bode became the first wheelchair user to play Nessarose on screen, a role that also uses a wheelchair, and she has been celebrated for bringing authenticity and representation to disabled characters in mainstream cinema. In addition to acting, she is a disability rights advocate, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and a writer, director, and producer whose short film You're Adorable was accepted into the 2021 Wisconsin Film Festival. She lives in Los Angeles and continues to use storytelling to advance access and representation for disabled people.

Physical Stats & More

Eye Color	Dark Brown
Hair Color	Dark Brown

Educational Qualification(s)

School	Wisconsin Heights High School, Wisconsin
College/University	The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Los Angeles
Qualification	Graduate

Personal Life

Food Habit	Non-vegetarian
Hobbies	Drawing Singing Cooking Painting

Relationships & More

Marital Status	Unmarried
Affair/Girlfriend	Lauren Brooks (Writer, Journalist)

Family

Father	Sean Bode
Mother	Black mother (name not publicly confirmed)
Siblings	Brother - Tristan Bode

Career

Debut	Short Film: 'Carsleepers' (2013) as Cassie Hairston
Notable Works	Wicked (2024) as Nessarose No Roles Written (2019) as Kalliope You’re Adorable (2021) - Director and Producer Wicked: For Good (2025) as Nessarose
Achievements	First actress living with a disability to be cast as Nessarose in the film adaptation of 'Wicked'. Performed her own stunts in 'Wicked'. Named PRWeek Communicator of the Year in 2025 for leveraging storytelling to advance access and representation. First wheelchair user to be cast as Nessarose in the film adaptation of Wicked. Keynote speaker and disability rights advocate. First wheelchair user to receive a Screen Actors Guild Awards nomination as part of the Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture ensemble for 'Wicked'.
Challenges and Inspirations	Became interested in acting at eight during community theater plays. Overcame a car accident at age 11 that resulted in paralysis from the waist down. Aspired to represent others with disabilities through her roles. Sustained a spinal cord injury in a car accident at age 11 that resulted in paralysis from the waist down. Uses journaling techniques to help step into character roles.

Favourites

Song	Witches by Alice Phoebe Lou

Social Media

Instagram	https://www.instagram.com/marissa_edob/
TikTok	https://www.tiktok.com/@marissa_edob
Twitter	https://twitter.com/marissabode
Facebook	https://www.facebook.com/marissa.bode.official

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Grew up in a middle-class household.
2. Introduced to the ‘Wicked’ musical through friends but never saw it until later.
3. Active in local productions from a young age, participating in musicals like ‘Little Shop of Horrors,’ ‘Peter Pan,’ and ‘Mary Poppins.’
4. Shared her joy of flying in stunts during filming, expressing her thrill in a recent interview.
5. Owns three cats.
6. Ambassador for Saving Our Daughters.
7. Identifies as disabled, a woman of colour, and queer.
8. Uses journaling techniques to help step into character roles.
9. Her self-written, self-directed, self-produced short film 'You're Adorable' was accepted into the 2021 Wisconsin Film Festival.

Marissa Bode Actress American Mazomanie, Dane County, Wisconsin, United States