AceShowbiz - Marissa Bode, the actress who uses a wheelchair both in real life and in her role as Nessarose in the new "Wicked" musical film, has recently spoken out against offensive comments and jokes directed at her character's disability.

In a heartfelt five-minute TikTok video posted on Friday, Bode expressed her discomfort with the harmful jokes and comments circulating online about Nessarose, highlighting that while the character is fictional, the impact of such remarks is very real.

Bode, who is the first wheelchair user to play Nessarose in "Wicked" history, emphasized that it is perfectly acceptable for fans not to like the character. "It is absolutely OK to not like a fictional character," Bode said.

However, she drew a firm line against making jokes about Nessarose's disability. "Aggressive comments and jokes about Nessa's disability itself is deeply uncomfortable, because disability is not fictional," she explained. "At the end of the day, me, Marissa, is the person that is still disabled and in a wheelchair."

Bode expressed her frustration, sharing examples of the ableist jokes she has encountered, such as "stand up for yourself" and "I guess you can't stand him." She noted that these remarks are not only unoriginal but also hurtful, making it feel like people are "laughing at rather than laughing with."

She further explained the broader context of such comments, saying, "Aggressive comments of wanting to cause harm and push Nessa out of her wheelchair, or that she deserves her disability, are two very gross and harmful comments that real disabled people, including myself, have heard before."

The actress also addressed the fear and hesitation she felt about speaking up against ableism. "The most frustrating part about all of this is how scared I am to even post/talk about this," Bode admitted, highlighting the larger issue of disabled individuals being silenced by ableist attacks online. She recounted witnessing other disability advocates face serious discomfort and hostile comments, sometimes forcing them to take breaks from social media for their mental well-being.

In her call to action, Bode urged "Wicked" viewers to exercise empathy and listen to those affected by their words. "Rather than dismissing one another and claiming an experience can't be true because you personally don't feel that way about a joke that wouldn't have affected your demographic anyways, listen to the people or to the person that it is affecting and how it makes them feel," she advised.

She concluded with a heartfelt reminder of one of the musical's core messages, "One of the major themes within 'Wicked' is having the ability to listen and to understand one another, and I truly hope that is something a lot of you can practice more and take with you."

Bode's powerful message serves as a reminder of the importance of sensitivity and understanding, both in the context of fictional characters and the real individuals they may represent.