And that's what you really missed with Jenna.
And Kevin An iHeartRadio podcast.
Welcome to you, and that's what you really miss podcast.
It's a Wicked month. We have lots and lots of wicked, Wicked recaps, Wicked guests. We are just wickeded out over here. But there's never enough wicked. So that said, we have a wonderful guest today, Marissa Body, who plays Nasa Rose in both the Wicked movies. So exciting. I cannot wait for you to hear this conversation. I was so excited to talk to her. This is amazing. We've got Nasa Rose here. Hi, Marissa, how are you?
I'm good? How are you?
I'm good. It's so nice to meet you. Thank you for taking the time to come chat. Of course, congratulations. Are you exhausted.
I'm not completely dead yet. I've had okay, I've had a little bit of time in between, like to just decompress. Not a time, but I'll h the time. I have to decompress in between. I definitely milk as much as I can.
Yeah, you have to, you have to.
Well. Congratulations on Wicked on.
Part two, premiering tomorrow, and.
We are so excited to have you here just to talk about everything.
So I want to go back a little.
Bit because I know you were doing musical theater from a wee age, and I want to know how you found musical theater or how musical theater found you.
I'm trying to think of the first actual musical that I did. It's hard to say, because I started doing plays. I don't think they had musicals until high school at within my school district anyways, but because I did really love musicals, I remember me and my parents, it's like seeking for musicals outside of just our districts because again, like I didn't have opportunity to do that into a high school, and I didn't want to wait until then. We'll say it was either.
Maybe Annie or of course a Wizard of Oz, maybe Wow, it was the one of like the classic kid go to musicals.
Of course, of course, we we just watched Annie. So it's so much fun. It's just so a formative for young women to be watching these young girls singing. You're like, I could do that and beelt my face off.
Yeah, because I I think I was first introduced to musicals via musical movies and then and then later I was like, I kind of want to do that, and I did.
And what, like, what were your favorites growing up? And like which ones did you always like dream to do?
Definitely the Wizard was definitely Annie. It's funny because like I did have a DVD of Annie, and obviously streaming at that time any ways was not a thing, And so I watched Annie via bootleg at least like fifteen pieces on YouTube on some random channel as like an eight year old. Wow, And I, I mean I was committed clearly.
Yes, yes, I totally get that. Oh my gosh. And then you kind of you made your way too to Amda. What was what was the journey of like your you know, your musical theater career because you were also working as an.
Art teacher before Wicked.
So just like fill in the blanks for me a little bit. I'm just so curious to hear about the journey to get to uh to where you are.
Yeah. Well, I I've loved musicals, but I feel like those that love musicals and musical theater nerds are like die hard. And at that point junior senior year of college, when I was applying or not college of high school, when I was applying to colleges. I was like, I like singing, but I don't know if I'm dedicated enough, and I don't know if I feel confident enough in my vocal abilities to apply as an MT major. So I actually applied to AMDA as an acting major, and
I got my bachelor's in acting. And then that first year after graduating in twenty twenty one, I believe I was auditioning, also applying to jobs to survive and eat, which job market currently is awful, but it was also not great then, and so I was applying to so many, especially as a disabled person, applying to many jobs not hearing back, and finally secured a job at Boys and
Girls Club Love Boys and and I was. I ended up being an after school art teacher, which is kind of ironic because I was so close to going to college for our education rather than acting, because that was more realistic, right, yeah, yeah, exactly. And I really did love working the job, but I don't know if it
was necessarily something I saw myself doing for forever. And I feel that way if I were to seriously have gone into our education, like I love art, but I don't know if that's truly where my absolute passion is or was. And then Wicked happened or came into my inbox like a year after graduating college and sent in a self tape, got a phone call that that same day while at Boys and Girls club. Wow, and yeah,
it is many many callback sessions after that. It was not just the one and done thing, but alas it was, it's been a journey since then.
Clearly, what were you what was going through your head when.
You got the the email in your inbox? Like were you like I could totally do this or You're like I'm never gonna get this. I'm just carrying.
Honestly kind of kind of both because again I wasn't it said strong like singing lead or whatever, or like strong vocal abilities, and again I just was not confident enough at that time. Anyways, I will say the musical team at Wicked definitely helped my confidence in that way. But yeah, I I was like, I'm gonna do my best, Like I know I can carry a tune, but I don't know how strong in terms right vocal abilities that if they liked me enough for that, but I was
fairly confident enough in my acting. And then also I had obviously seen Wicked. I had seen Wicked when I was eleven or twelve, and my mom had surprised me with tickets when it had been on the tour, and so I was obviously familiar with what it was and obviously making it to a movie and something that was so beloved, I knew how big it was and just important it was, and also the fact that they were casting authentically how important that was to me, and also
just the community as a whole. So I really really didn't want to put my all into it, Like, of course I put my all in, do my best, to put my all into anything in terms of auditioning, but this was one that I really really wanted to, yeah, really push myself and just do my best. And sad they liked it enough to self tape enough to have.
I mean, you the first film, you were incredible, And I'm so excited for part two for for Good, because Nasa has such an incredible arc in both films, you know, but especially just over the span of both, So I'm so excited to see it. I'm curious to hear, like what that initial filming was like for you stepping into
this role of Nasa. Rose which is so beloved and so iconic, you know, and and was there like did you feel pressure going into this or you know, how did John like set this up for you guys?
Well, I didn't necessarily feel outside pressure like from John or anything, but I, as a lot of artists, I put a lot of pressure on myself, especially being I don't know, I just wanted to give good representation to my community, and just because I knew I just have so many other talented peers within this community that I know also auditioned, and I'm like they were also so deserving of this, So I just want to just show that I can do it and show that it's just
this responsibility within the community. I feel that I want to show that we belong. And it's the thing of like always having to feel like I have to prove myself even though I know that we are capable as actors. It's just as a disabled person, I feel like it's
always gonna be there, unfortunately. But yeah, I definitely felt pressure and intimidated just because also obviously my other cast members are so incredibly talented and also just so established and have so much behind them already and within their careers, so intimidated just because of their talent, not them necessarily as people, because they've they've been nothing behind to me from from day one, really, but yeah, a lot of pressure.
Definitely intimidated. But to what I go back to what I just said of just John and the rest of the cast immediately just being welcoming and kind. It definitely, of course helped helped my anxious self a little bit.
For sure, for sure.
Yeah, I mean it it's I feel like it's just there's so many there's such high stakes in general, and then the pressure that you put on yourself as an artist is just but I but it really it came through in such a beautiful way. What however you channeled your you know, all the emotions going into something like this. It was really beautiful the way that you portrayed her, and she's so likable and warm, and it's really wonderful
to see you shine on screen. And I hope that you are you're finding that confidence or have found more of that confidence.
You know that you said that you.
Were kind of lacking earlier on because you have such a big career ahead of you and you're such a bright star. So we're so excited to see You Shine in Part two. I I would love to know about part two about for Good because NASA has such an incredible piece and important piece of this second film.
And like, what was it like did.
You guys feel these I know there was the strike and you know COVID and all of that.
But did you guys do these back to back?
And then what was it like like shifting the tone for knowing that it was going to be a different film.
Yeah, we did film back to back. I know some of the cast members they there, they did some stuff from film one and then they would jump to film too. But for me, just the way the schedule played out.
The schedule was also like ever changing as a lot of the time past, But for me it worked out in the way of all my film one stuff just happened to be filmed before we even touched my two stuff, which for me was helpful in the way of having all of that in mind and having all of that memory done and into action and then jumping into something in terms of context, which is so different from from the first the first film. Neessa, Yeah, yeah, that it
was helpful. And also there was a lot of work that I had to put into in terms of filling in the blinks in terms of either blinks that weren't necessarily written into the scripts, like extra back story for Nessa, how she grew up fully fully of course you see a little bit of that in the first film at the beginning, but more so the time jump in between
the first film and the second film. I definitely had to fill in blinks for myself in terms of how she goes from who she is at the end of film one to who she is at the beginning of film two. And I did that by journaling a lot
as Nasa, which really was very helpful. It was very helpful in terms of context and keeping it in mind, although like once I'm actually on set and we're in go mode, obviously keeping that in my head, but sometimes when you're in a scene and you're there, you're not necessarily thinking about all of that per se once you're dialogue. But it was definitely helpful just to keep in mind and to really dive into that headspace as Yeah, she changes, for sure, and she has an arc, but I really do,
I honestly do. I know a lot of people say Nanessa's villain arc, but for me, yes, she she plays a villain per se. But and I know it's truly my job as an actor to have that empathy for my character. But I really really do understand her. Like when people say villain origin story, like this is my that would have been my villain origin story. Yeah, Like for Vanessa, it makes sense why she does what she does, not justifying it. I can't defend my girl on everything,
but I really really do understand it. She it comes from a place of in my opinion anyways, and how I went about it, it all comes from a place of hurt that has manifested into anger. But at the core of all of it, it really is just her in heartbreak and real human things that a lot of people go through. Don't always handle it in that way, and I would actually recommend to not handle it in the way that nessa happens, But I really really do understand it.
Hmm. Well, that I'm sure will.
Come through in a way that I haven't seen the film obviously yet, the second one, but it'll just make her just more complex and more relatable. And you know, if you see her that way and you understand her at the deepest level, you know most importantly.
So yeah, I mean, I think the story is full of complex characters. I think all the characters really in Wicked are so complex in so many different ways, and there's so many layers to them, and there I don't think the characters are any of them really. I think multiple characters do play at least the little bit of a villain in some ways at some point or another, But I don't think that makes a person inherently evil
or all completely bad. And I think the film does a good job of showing that, of showing the pockets of humanity within all of them and the goodness in all of them, whether that was in the first film or if you still see those pockets of humanity with second film, or in characters like Glinda, really see her humanity and her desires and what makes her human jump out a lot more in my opinion, And honestly, I think for me, in the movie version, I see I
understand Glinda's character a little bit more than I do the stage version, and understand where she's coming from a little bit more than I do in the stage.
Yeah, And I think that's the beauty of like what John did with these films was like something so beloved and so successful at what it did on stage elevated into this piece of art that didn't. It just expanded the universe and the world and the characters and their
development versus just translating it. And so I think that's why it's so successful and why and to the to your point about the characters, like these very strong female characters at the Helm that are complex and flawed and layered and still lovable and human is what makes this so dynamic and so and I think resonates with a lot of people because you know, there's so much out there that you don't get to see female characters like this that have such complexity to them, where you get
to play with all these layers and all these pieces.
That's just like an you know, a dream for actors.
So what a what a joy to watch you guys and Cynthia and Ariana just.
Dive like straight in. It's really really exciting to see.
Yeah, on just the work that my my co stars have have put into this and the passion that they have. I know, I feel like the first film, like in interviews, everyone's like meming them of their like tears and whatever else. But I was like I get it, Like, yeah, I think women should be allowed to express emotion without it being I don't know, like something that's like I don't know,
and I don't know. I just think women should be allowed to exist and express any emotion really without it being a whole thing.
You know, yes, yes, we normalize it, right, Yeah, normalize that.
I would love to hear we saw some spoilers or in the trail or at least of some things that are a little bit different from the stage production to the movie with Nessa, and I would just love to know, like what the conversation was and how collaborative it was, how much of a part of it, Like were you a part of that decision and in bringing NASA to fly versus to walk, and how important that was to you personally, and you know, I'd love to hear that story.
Yeah. So I was honestly one of the last people cast in the film altogether. I think Michelle came a little bit later also, but I know I was one of the last cast members cast, and so by that point the script was really already written. So I wasn't necessarily a part of the changes in the script. And I didn't find out actually until I hadn't met Winnie Holsman,
who's one of the main writers of Wicked. I hadn't met her actually until the first film had come out, and we have this celebratory dinner party, and I was just talking with her, and she had said that she had heard some of the feedback from the disabled community about the portrayal of Nessa on stage and how it feeds into harm of full stereotypes and makes her a little bit more one dimensional of and a little bit
more predictable of Oh, I'm a disabled character. The only thing about me, not only thing, but the main thing about me is I don't like being disabled. She wanted to do right by the community and really flesh her out a lot more, and so she talked to one of her disabled friends to get insight that way, which already just like a great, a great step in the
right direction of talking to someone who's actually disabled. And she, of course without changing the story too much and then keeping the magic within it all changing it in a way that makes the portrayal a little bit more healthy and also makes Nissa a little bit more fleshed out and a little bit less one dimensional and less. I hate my disability, and that's the main thing about me. Yeah, and so yeah, as you see in the trailer, Nessa does rather than stand, she does floats in the air.
And again the magic is still there, but Nessa's desires are are different, and I was really happy with the changes. Of course, ambulatory wheelchair users exist, and we see that with Jenna on Broadway right now. Incredible. I think she does an incredible job. But that wasn't necessarily the storyline itself, like Nasa wasn't ambulatory, and now that she can stand, it was more so. Oh, I want to be fixed
because I loathe my disability. And of course that can be true to some disabled people, but for a lot of us that's not true. And if anything, I think it plays into the cycle of disability and the representation of disability in the way of disabled person hates their disability because society deems it's bad. Therefore it's portrayed as bad, and then we're back in that cycle of disabled person
hates their disability because it's portrayed that way. And yeah, and of course I don't speak for the whole disabled community, and all disabilities are different, and sometimes having a disability, especially if it's something like chronic pain, it can be frustrating to have, but I think a lot of the things are societal based, and so it's not necessarily all of our story or all of who we are as human beings. So I am really happy with that change.
I will say I'm extremely happy and honestly believed a little bit with the feedback that I've seen so far, just based off the trailer of the change is because it's so beloved already on stage. It's one of those things where if you change like the littlest bit of things, like the die hard fans.
Will be like no, like why.
So I was so anxious and so nervous, even though I knew in my heart that it was right in terms overall the view of disability and how it's portrayed. But I was very very anxious. And I know there's going to be still people out there that don't necessarily agree, and that's okay, and I think that's art in general. Is not everyone's going to agree with how a story's told. But I ultimately I'm really happy, little bit relieved that other people didn't hate it. Yeah, but I'm I'm happy.
Speaking of like feedback from the community, Uh, what has been the feedback from your you know, the disabled community in terms of your portrayal of Nasa Rose and like having representation on screen, Like, I'm sure that's so important, So I'm just curious if like you felt that, and you know, meeting fans and meeting people out in the world.
Yeah, it's It's been really great to be a part of that, because I I really do want to give credit to where credit to do and all those that have come before me that have already set the groundwork for being in in roles like I am now, like Gillian Riccado, Lolo Spencer, Ali Stroker, George Robinson, just just a handful of other disabled people who have done it
before me. I'm definitely not the first, but to be a part of something so big as as we kid and for them to do right by it and cast authentically, I think is so important. And to be a part of that representation now for other disabled people has been really really great, And just other disabled people looking up to me in that way has been really honoring and
I feel so incredibly honored for that. And then also to take it a bit further in the way of using my platform to speak up for disability issues that
extend so far beyond representation. Because of course it's incredible for other disabled performers to see another disabled actor on a stage in a movie or in a movie this big, but also recognizing that there's so many other issues that we need to really survive, So using my platform to amplify spaces for that affordable and accessible housing, like like things like currently especially like things like snap benefits when it's already so hard for disabled people to find work
and for a lot of disabled people, especially those with that are immune compromised or or that live with chronic pain, that's extremely debilitating, like they can't work and or pushing themselves to work is makes it even more debilitating to just exist. So things like that, I do my best to use my voice and encourage others also to use their voice as well.
Yes, absolutely, absolutely good and good for you.
Good for you for not shying away from that. I think it's empowering to see and important.
So, you know, kudos.
We Get is such a huge, a monster debut of like your career in so many ways, and from the premieres to you know, the production, I'm curious like to hear some of the highlights of.
The Wicked experience that you've had thus far.
Yeah, I mean, definitely, it's been a very long journey, so there's a lot in there for sure. Of course, number one highlight is being cast in it to begin with that, and it just being so special. Basically they told me that all of it was over zoom, by the way, because everyone else was already in London. But they had lied, but like in the best way. They had told me that it was a callback, my last callback.
They told me it was a callback, but it was really them telling me that I got the part, which was very very special, and they they surprised me by including Ari and Cynthia in it as well, which was just like, oh my god, fully so mind owing and more than I ever would have thought would have been.
Like they could have just like called my manager and my manager have told me or just have I don't know, they could have just set in an email like congratulations, but which also, by the way, would have been I would have taken that. But yeah, I could have step further and made it show. So first of all, set the precedent for it just being welcoming in this journey
being welcoming in the first place. But second of all, doing it in a way that was just so thoughtful and so above and beyond was that that was definitely a highlight and just set a precedent for what was to come. And then also traveling. I had never had the funds to travel ever. This was my first time out of the country ever in my life. So that's also been a huge highlight for sure. And I've I've had a lot of fun. I've loved getting to know
London a little bit more. That's where we filmed, really and love Hyde Park. I just there's a lot that I love about London. It's such a beautiful, beautiful city.
So much culture too, so much culture culture.
I know a lot of people do do on I don't know if I'm allowed to curse, I'm gonna say do doo. Okay, then people on British food, But there's a lot of really good British food. You guys just aren't looking in the right spots. I don't.
That's right, that's right.
Like hurry, Like there's a lot of really good de furree out there. There's a little really good Thai food, Malaysian food out there, like.
Yeah, on spots, That's what I'm saying.
And so I've enjoyed that. I'm a little bit of a foodie, so I've really enjoyed that. Of course, the cast has been great meat and I always this but it's so true, but meeting younger Anessa for the first time was definitely a highlight. I'm still so close with her family today. I see them often. She's grown so much and she grows so fast, her and her younger sister so crazy, right, Yeah, Like her sister was a baby baby when when they were filming, and now she sprouted, she's huge.
They were all really fast.
So fast, And I know it's so cliche to say, and I know people say that all the time about kids, but what it's expected. Yeah, but they've grown so fast. But I also, on that note, I'm so like I one, she feels like my sister, like that, that's my sister's frail. But I'm just I'm so proud of her and just how far she's calme and just the confidence that she's found, and like it almost makes me emotional just because like, uh, like I I I really do love her so much
and I love her family so incredibly much. Like that that really is my family for real. Yeah, I can't say enough good about them. They are I love them so dearly, I really really do.
It seems like you guys all are very tight and like there's like you have really formed like a family that you're walking away with like that, maybe only you guys can understand what that experience was like and what it's been like for you all to do this together.
Yeah, I mean when you spend I was over there for about seven months, so it was oh my six seven months, and they, oh my god, no, they're gonna mean that the whole six seven meme that was my bad.
No, Okay, we're gonna redacted, redacted.
That was not intentional. That was not intentional. I'm gonna say. I'm gonna say six months, six months.
About that we were over there, So that's half a year, half year, so that you obviously like get to know people a lot more.
I will say, like currently, like I I am so bad. I am so bad at following up, and I'm so bad at answering anybody's text and most of them are not most of them, but like Ari, I know a lot of the time, and I know Ethan and and Bowen are all in New York really and I'm on the West coast, so it can be tricky to like stay, but I know when we do see each other in person, of course they're it's like right back to them being like just so kind and and very open. So I appreciate that always.
Oh my gosh, well, it's been a quite the journey, So congratulations.
On the legacy you guys are leaving.
It's so the hype is real and we're all so excited.
I have to ask before I let you go, like did you watch Glee back in the day or did you know what Glee was?
Well, of course I know what Glee is.
It's okay.
If not, it's really okay.
I of course know what Glee is. And then it's so funny because I don't remember anything about it, to be honest, but I do. I either remember watching it as unfortunately and I don't know why, and also my mother should have taken the remote away from me, but I watched it as like an eight year old, and I was like, I probably should shouldn't have been doing that.
Yeah. Yeah, we had a lot of really young folk watching it, and they would come up to us and we would.
Say like, are you should you be watching the show. Are you old enough to watch the show? They're like, well, sometimes I watched the music and then I pass forward.
I definitely did not fast forward, and I definitely watched all of it, but I don't remember. Like, but then, like every now and then, there will be a clip online that comes out of this, and I was like, this is the absurd show I've ever seen. I should go back and watch all of it.
It really is.
It is absurd and it's completely unhinged. And if you go back, and if you decide to go back and watch any of it, just remember it's it's actually a satire.
Like there, it's a satire.
And you're like, if you lean into that, you're like, oh, okay, I see what they're doing. Because I think a lot of people miss took that when they were watching it for this like drama that we were not at all and.
Did not take ourselves seriously. So that's that's really funny. But yes, I had to I had to ask.
We ask everybody who.
Came on the show when we were recapping Glee, what is the feeling that.
Lee leaves you with?
So I just have to ask you, what is the feeling that wicked leaves you with.
Oh my goodness, gratefulness. Really, I really am grateful for all that it's giving me in terms of obviously and of course horse career, and then what I get to share with the world and emote to the world, and the platform that it's helped me build in terms of using my voice. I know, as I mentioned earlier, So I'm just yeah, grateful more than anything.
Well, thank you so much for We're grateful for you for taking the time to come on the show and talk to us and share your journey. We're so excited to see you shine In for Good and it's out tomorrow, you guys, so go see it.
I'm sure you all have your tickets already.
But congratulations, and we can't wait to see what you do next.
And we are we're rooting for you.
And thank you so much, Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.
This is bad no, so so wonderful chatting with you, and truly I'm like such a fan. I think you're so wonderful and I really can't wait to see what's what's next for you. So thank you, thank you.
Thank you so much. Thanks congratulations.
It's nice to meet you.
It's lovely to meet you toobe bye bye.
Oh my gosh, what a sweet, sweet muffin. Marisa is amazing. Thank you to Marissa for coming on and the all the time that you're spending doing all of this press and all of the premieres. We're so grateful you took the time to come chat with us, and I hope you guys enjoyed it. Obviously, go see Wicked for Good. It's officially in theaters tomorrow. Tell us what you think right in and we'll see you next time.
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