WEBVTT - Wickedly Good with Marissa Bode 0:00:01.720 --> 0:00:04.440 And that's what you really missed with Jenna. 0:00:04.440 --> 0:00:07.080 And Kevin An iHeartRadio podcast. 0:00:09.640 --> 0:00:12.280 Welcome to you, and that's what you really miss podcast. 0:00:13.360 --> 0:00:18.240 It's a Wicked month. We have lots and lots of wicked, 0:00:18.480 --> 0:00:25.240 Wicked recaps, Wicked guests. We are just wickeded out over here. 0:00:25.280 --> 0:00:29.319 But there's never enough wicked. So that said, we have 0:00:29.400 --> 0:00:33.519 a wonderful guest today, Marissa Body, who plays Nasa Rose 0:00:33.760 --> 0:00:38.040 in both the Wicked movies. So exciting. I cannot wait 0:00:38.080 --> 0:00:40.680 for you to hear this conversation. I was so excited 0:00:40.760 --> 0:00:43.360 to talk to her. This is amazing. We've got Nasa 0:00:43.440 --> 0:00:45.839 Rose here. Hi, Marissa, how are you? 0:00:46.479 --> 0:00:47.440 I'm good? How are you? 0:00:48.159 --> 0:00:50.479 I'm good. It's so nice to meet you. Thank you 0:00:50.520 --> 0:00:55.000 for taking the time to come chat. Of course, congratulations. 0:00:55.040 --> 0:00:55.960 Are you exhausted. 0:00:57.400 --> 0:01:00.720 I'm not completely dead yet. I've had okay, I've had 0:01:00.800 --> 0:01:05.280 a little bit of time in between, like to just decompress. 0:01:05.440 --> 0:01:08.400 Not a time, but I'll h the time. I have 0:01:08.560 --> 0:01:11.480 to decompress in between. I definitely milk as much as 0:01:11.520 --> 0:01:11.840 I can. 0:01:12.400 --> 0:01:14.080 Yeah, you have to, you have to. 0:01:16.160 --> 0:01:19.160 Well. Congratulations on Wicked on. 0:01:19.440 --> 0:01:23.320 Part two, premiering tomorrow, and. 0:01:23.360 --> 0:01:25.720 We are so excited to have you here just to 0:01:25.760 --> 0:01:27.000 talk about everything. 0:01:28.520 --> 0:01:30.920 So I want to go back a little. 0:01:30.640 --> 0:01:34.200 Bit because I know you were doing musical theater from 0:01:34.560 --> 0:01:38.520 a wee age, and I want to know how you 0:01:38.680 --> 0:01:41.120 found musical theater or how musical theater found you. 0:01:42.600 --> 0:01:45.520 I'm trying to think of the first actual musical that 0:01:45.640 --> 0:01:49.200 I did. It's hard to say, because I started doing plays. 0:01:49.360 --> 0:01:52.200 I don't think they had musicals until high school at 0:01:52.200 --> 0:01:56.800 within my school district anyways, but because I did really 0:01:56.880 --> 0:02:00.280 love musicals, I remember me and my parents, it's like 0:02:00.320 --> 0:02:05.000 seeking for musicals outside of just our districts because again, 0:02:05.080 --> 0:02:06.760 like I didn't have opportunity to do that into a 0:02:06.800 --> 0:02:08.639 high school, and I didn't want to wait until then. 0:02:09.639 --> 0:02:12.320 We'll say it was either. 0:02:14.120 --> 0:02:21.360 Maybe Annie or of course a Wizard of Oz, maybe Wow, 0:02:22.080 --> 0:02:25.160 it was the one of like the classic kid go 0:02:25.280 --> 0:02:26.520 to musicals. 0:02:26.880 --> 0:02:29.960 Of course, of course, we we just watched Annie. So 0:02:31.280 --> 0:02:35.160 it's so much fun. It's just so a formative for 0:02:35.560 --> 0:02:38.640 young women to be watching these young girls singing. You're like, 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:41.120 I could do that and beelt my face off. 0:02:42.880 --> 0:02:45.440 Yeah, because I I think I was first introduced to 0:02:45.520 --> 0:02:51.560 musicals via musical movies and then and then later I 0:02:51.600 --> 0:02:54.640 was like, I kind of want to do that, and 0:02:54.680 --> 0:02:55.000 I did. 0:02:56.000 --> 0:02:59.480 And what, like, what were your favorites growing up? And 0:02:59.560 --> 0:03:02.000 like which ones did you always like dream to do? 0:03:03.160 --> 0:03:09.320 Definitely the Wizard was definitely Annie. It's funny because like 0:03:09.919 --> 0:03:12.920 I did have a DVD of Annie, and obviously streaming 0:03:13.160 --> 0:03:16.120 at that time any ways was not a thing, And 0:03:16.200 --> 0:03:21.880 so I watched Annie via bootleg at least like fifteen 0:03:21.919 --> 0:03:28.200 pieces on YouTube on some random channel as like an 0:03:28.200 --> 0:03:32.080 eight year old. Wow, And I, I mean I was 0:03:32.080 --> 0:03:33.160 committed clearly. 0:03:34.280 --> 0:03:38.320 Yes, yes, I totally get that. Oh my gosh. And 0:03:38.360 --> 0:03:41.040 then you kind of you made your way too to Amda. 0:03:41.280 --> 0:03:44.680 What was what was the journey of like your you know, 0:03:44.720 --> 0:03:48.520 your musical theater career because you were also working as an. 0:03:48.560 --> 0:03:49.680 Art teacher before Wicked. 0:03:49.760 --> 0:03:51.720 So just like fill in the blanks for me a 0:03:51.720 --> 0:03:53.440 little bit. I'm just so curious to hear about the 0:03:53.520 --> 0:03:55.920 journey to get to uh to where you are. 0:03:56.760 --> 0:04:01.720 Yeah. Well, I I've loved musicals, but I feel like 0:04:01.760 --> 0:04:05.080 those that love musicals and musical theater nerds are like 0:04:05.640 --> 0:04:10.120 die hard. And at that point junior senior year of college, 0:04:10.120 --> 0:04:12.480 when I was applying or not college of high school, 0:04:12.480 --> 0:04:14.680 when I was applying to colleges. I was like, I 0:04:15.160 --> 0:04:18.640 like singing, but I don't know if I'm dedicated enough, 0:04:18.680 --> 0:04:21.599 and I don't know if I feel confident enough in 0:04:21.680 --> 0:04:25.800 my vocal abilities to apply as an MT major. So 0:04:26.200 --> 0:04:30.400 I actually applied to AMDA as an acting major, and 0:04:30.520 --> 0:04:35.200 I got my bachelor's in acting. And then that first 0:04:35.320 --> 0:04:39.200 year after graduating in twenty twenty one, I believe I 0:04:39.240 --> 0:04:44.400 was auditioning, also applying to jobs to survive and eat, 0:04:45.720 --> 0:04:48.839 which job market currently is awful, but it was also 0:04:48.920 --> 0:04:51.360 not great then, and so I was applying to so many, 0:04:51.400 --> 0:04:54.760 especially as a disabled person, applying to many jobs not 0:04:54.800 --> 0:04:57.640 hearing back, and finally secured a job at Boys and 0:04:57.680 --> 0:05:02.280 Girls Club Love Boys and and I was. I ended 0:05:02.360 --> 0:05:04.800 up being an after school art teacher, which is kind 0:05:04.800 --> 0:05:07.800 of ironic because I was so close to going to 0:05:08.440 --> 0:05:13.240 college for our education rather than acting, because that was 0:05:13.640 --> 0:05:21.400 more realistic, right, yeah, yeah, exactly. And I really did 0:05:21.440 --> 0:05:23.560 love working the job, but I don't know if it 0:05:23.600 --> 0:05:26.560 was necessarily something I saw myself doing for forever. And 0:05:26.600 --> 0:05:30.839 I feel that way if I were to seriously have 0:05:30.920 --> 0:05:33.520 gone into our education, like I love art, but I 0:05:33.520 --> 0:05:38.000 don't know if that's truly where my absolute passion is 0:05:38.160 --> 0:05:44.279 or was. And then Wicked happened or came into my 0:05:44.360 --> 0:05:50.159 inbox like a year after graduating college and sent in 0:05:50.440 --> 0:05:54.479 a self tape, got a phone call that that same 0:05:54.560 --> 0:05:59.600 day while at Boys and Girls club. Wow, and yeah, 0:05:59.760 --> 0:06:04.039 it is many many callback sessions after that. It was 0:06:04.080 --> 0:06:08.240 not just the one and done thing, but alas it was, 0:06:08.640 --> 0:06:10.039 it's been a journey since then. 0:06:11.120 --> 0:06:15.239 Clearly, what were you what was going through your head when. 0:06:15.040 --> 0:06:18.880 You got the the email in your inbox? Like were 0:06:18.880 --> 0:06:21.440 you like I could totally do this or You're like 0:06:21.480 --> 0:06:24.120 I'm never gonna get this. I'm just carrying. 0:06:24.800 --> 0:06:30.160 Honestly kind of kind of both because again I wasn't 0:06:30.960 --> 0:06:35.320 it said strong like singing lead or whatever, or like 0:06:35.440 --> 0:06:40.080 strong vocal abilities, and again I just was not confident 0:06:40.320 --> 0:06:44.000 enough at that time. Anyways, I will say the musical 0:06:44.000 --> 0:06:48.560 team at Wicked definitely helped my confidence in that way. 0:06:49.960 --> 0:06:53.719 But yeah, I I was like, I'm gonna do my best, 0:06:53.760 --> 0:06:56.800 Like I know I can carry a tune, but I 0:06:56.839 --> 0:07:02.159 don't know how strong in terms right vocal abilities that 0:07:03.200 --> 0:07:05.160 if they liked me enough for that, but I was 0:07:05.520 --> 0:07:09.000 fairly confident enough in my acting. And then also I 0:07:09.680 --> 0:07:12.720 had obviously seen Wicked. I had seen Wicked when I 0:07:12.760 --> 0:07:15.600 was eleven or twelve, and my mom had surprised me 0:07:15.680 --> 0:07:19.160 with tickets when it had been on the tour, and 0:07:19.200 --> 0:07:22.200 so I was obviously familiar with what it was and 0:07:22.800 --> 0:07:24.920 obviously making it to a movie and something that was 0:07:24.960 --> 0:07:28.080 so beloved, I knew how big it was and just 0:07:28.160 --> 0:07:30.640 important it was, and also the fact that they were 0:07:30.680 --> 0:07:34.080 casting authentically how important that was to me, and also 0:07:34.400 --> 0:07:38.200 just the community as a whole. So I really really 0:07:38.200 --> 0:07:40.960 didn't want to put my all into it, Like, of 0:07:41.000 --> 0:07:43.120 course I put my all in, do my best, to 0:07:43.160 --> 0:07:46.080 put my all into anything in terms of auditioning, but 0:07:46.280 --> 0:07:50.000 this was one that I really really wanted to, yeah, 0:07:50.160 --> 0:07:55.000 really push myself and just do my best. And sad 0:07:55.040 --> 0:07:57.280 they liked it enough to self tape enough to have. 0:07:58.160 --> 0:08:03.160 I mean, you the first film, you were incredible, And 0:08:03.200 --> 0:08:06.640 I'm so excited for part two for for Good, because 0:08:06.960 --> 0:08:11.880 Nasa has such an incredible arc in both films, you know, 0:08:11.960 --> 0:08:17.680 but especially just over the span of both, So I'm 0:08:17.760 --> 0:08:21.400 so excited to see it. I'm curious to hear, like 0:08:21.680 --> 0:08:28.000 what that initial filming was like for you stepping into 0:08:28.120 --> 0:08:32.280 this role of Nasa. Rose which is so beloved and 0:08:32.480 --> 0:08:37.000 so iconic, you know, and and was there like did 0:08:37.000 --> 0:08:40.400 you feel pressure going into this or you know, how 0:08:40.400 --> 0:08:42.240 did John like set this up for you guys? 0:08:43.400 --> 0:08:48.840 Well, I didn't necessarily feel outside pressure like from John 0:08:49.000 --> 0:08:52.079 or anything, but I, as a lot of artists, I 0:08:52.360 --> 0:08:57.160 put a lot of pressure on myself, especially being I 0:08:57.160 --> 0:09:01.880 don't know, I just wanted to give good representation to 0:09:01.960 --> 0:09:06.000 my community, and just because I knew I just have 0:09:06.160 --> 0:09:10.320 so many other talented peers within this community that I 0:09:10.360 --> 0:09:13.120 know also auditioned, and I'm like they were also so 0:09:13.240 --> 0:09:18.240 deserving of this, So I just want to just show 0:09:18.280 --> 0:09:22.000 that I can do it and show that it's just 0:09:22.000 --> 0:09:25.320 this responsibility within the community. I feel that I want 0:09:25.320 --> 0:09:27.880 to show that we belong. And it's the thing of 0:09:27.880 --> 0:09:29.880 like always having to feel like I have to prove 0:09:29.920 --> 0:09:34.360 myself even though I know that we are capable as actors. 0:09:34.520 --> 0:09:37.800 It's just as a disabled person, I feel like it's 0:09:37.800 --> 0:09:42.800 always gonna be there, unfortunately. But yeah, I definitely felt 0:09:42.920 --> 0:09:48.559 pressure and intimidated just because also obviously my other cast 0:09:48.600 --> 0:09:53.959 members are so incredibly talented and also just so established 0:09:53.960 --> 0:09:57.400 and have so much behind them already and within their careers, 0:09:57.440 --> 0:10:02.120 so intimidated just because of their talent, not them necessarily 0:10:02.120 --> 0:10:05.120 as people, because they've they've been nothing behind to me 0:10:05.320 --> 0:10:10.240 from from day one, really, but yeah, a lot of pressure. 0:10:10.800 --> 0:10:15.440 Definitely intimidated. But to what I go back to what 0:10:15.480 --> 0:10:18.360 I just said of just John and the rest of 0:10:18.400 --> 0:10:23.120 the cast immediately just being welcoming and kind. It definitely, 0:10:23.200 --> 0:10:26.880 of course helped helped my anxious self a little bit. 0:10:27.320 --> 0:10:28.560 For sure, for sure. 0:10:29.960 --> 0:10:34.760 Yeah, I mean it it's I feel like it's just 0:10:35.880 --> 0:10:39.040 there's so many there's such high stakes in general, and 0:10:39.080 --> 0:10:41.719 then the pressure that you put on yourself as an 0:10:41.880 --> 0:10:47.080 artist is just but I but it really it came 0:10:47.160 --> 0:10:50.480 through in such a beautiful way. What however you channeled 0:10:50.559 --> 0:10:55.120 your you know, all the emotions going into something like this. 0:10:55.200 --> 0:10:58.680 It was really beautiful the way that you portrayed her, 0:10:58.840 --> 0:11:04.600 and she's so likable and warm, and it's really wonderful 0:11:04.600 --> 0:11:09.199 to see you shine on screen. And I hope that 0:11:09.280 --> 0:11:13.600 you are you're finding that confidence or have found more 0:11:13.679 --> 0:11:14.640 of that confidence. 0:11:15.080 --> 0:11:16.160 You know that you said that you. 0:11:16.160 --> 0:11:19.680 Were kind of lacking earlier on because you have such 0:11:19.720 --> 0:11:23.120 a big career ahead of you and you're such a 0:11:23.160 --> 0:11:28.440 bright star. So we're so excited to see You Shine 0:11:28.520 --> 0:11:37.960 in Part two. I I would love to know about 0:11:38.520 --> 0:11:41.400 part two about for Good because NASA has such an 0:11:41.440 --> 0:11:46.360 incredible piece and important piece of this second film. 0:11:46.400 --> 0:11:48.720 And like, what was it like did. 0:11:48.559 --> 0:11:50.680 You guys feel these I know there was the strike 0:11:50.800 --> 0:11:52.400 and you know COVID and all of that. 0:11:52.360 --> 0:11:54.440 But did you guys do these back to back? 0:11:54.640 --> 0:11:58.679 And then what was it like like shifting the tone 0:11:58.720 --> 0:12:01.200 for knowing that it was going to be a different film. 0:12:01.720 --> 0:12:06.319 Yeah, we did film back to back. I know some 0:12:06.400 --> 0:12:10.160 of the cast members they there, they did some stuff 0:12:10.200 --> 0:12:12.520 from film one and then they would jump to film too. 0:12:12.640 --> 0:12:15.120 But for me, just the way the schedule played out. 0:12:15.160 --> 0:12:17.920 The schedule was also like ever changing as a lot 0:12:17.920 --> 0:12:22.000 of the time past, But for me it worked out 0:12:22.000 --> 0:12:24.600 in the way of all my film one stuff just 0:12:24.640 --> 0:12:28.560 happened to be filmed before we even touched my two stuff, 0:12:29.000 --> 0:12:32.160 which for me was helpful in the way of having 0:12:32.320 --> 0:12:35.520 all of that in mind and having all of that 0:12:35.840 --> 0:12:41.280 memory done and into action and then jumping into something 0:12:41.840 --> 0:12:46.760 in terms of context, which is so different from from 0:12:47.240 --> 0:12:53.920 the first the first film. Neessa, Yeah, yeah, that it 0:12:54.000 --> 0:12:58.920 was helpful. And also there was a lot of work 0:12:58.960 --> 0:13:01.000 that I had to put into in terms of filling 0:13:01.040 --> 0:13:04.120 in the blinks in terms of either blinks that weren't 0:13:04.160 --> 0:13:07.800 necessarily written into the scripts, like extra back story for Nessa, 0:13:08.400 --> 0:13:11.760 how she grew up fully fully of course you see 0:13:11.760 --> 0:13:13.959 a little bit of that in the first film at 0:13:13.960 --> 0:13:18.840 the beginning, but more so the time jump in between 0:13:18.880 --> 0:13:21.360 the first film and the second film. I definitely had 0:13:21.400 --> 0:13:24.680 to fill in blinks for myself in terms of how 0:13:24.679 --> 0:13:27.440 she goes from who she is at the end of 0:13:27.480 --> 0:13:30.600 film one to who she is at the beginning of 0:13:30.920 --> 0:13:33.560 film two. And I did that by journaling a lot 0:13:33.640 --> 0:13:38.480 as Nasa, which really was very helpful. It was very 0:13:38.480 --> 0:13:40.720 helpful in terms of context and keeping it in mind, 0:13:40.760 --> 0:13:44.080 although like once I'm actually on set and we're in 0:13:44.200 --> 0:13:47.600 go mode, obviously keeping that in my head, but sometimes 0:13:47.640 --> 0:13:50.480 when you're in a scene and you're there, you're not 0:13:50.520 --> 0:13:54.640 necessarily thinking about all of that per se once you're dialogue. 0:13:54.640 --> 0:13:57.199 But it was definitely helpful just to keep in mind 0:13:57.240 --> 0:14:04.840 and to really dive into that headspace as Yeah, she changes, 0:14:05.040 --> 0:14:09.920 for sure, and she has an arc, but I really do, 0:14:10.400 --> 0:14:13.360 I honestly do. I know a lot of people say 0:14:13.400 --> 0:14:16.679 Nanessa's villain arc, but for me, yes, she she plays 0:14:16.720 --> 0:14:19.640 a villain per se. But and I know it's truly 0:14:19.640 --> 0:14:21.840 my job as an actor to have that empathy for 0:14:21.960 --> 0:14:25.240 my character. But I really really do understand her. Like 0:14:25.240 --> 0:14:28.880 when people say villain origin story, like this is my 0:14:29.160 --> 0:14:33.800 that would have been my villain origin story. Yeah, Like 0:14:33.880 --> 0:14:38.320 for Vanessa, it makes sense why she does what she does, 0:14:38.760 --> 0:14:41.520 not justifying it. I can't defend my girl on everything, 0:14:41.800 --> 0:14:46.560 but I really really do understand it. She it comes 0:14:46.560 --> 0:14:50.040 from a place of in my opinion anyways, and how 0:14:50.120 --> 0:14:52.600 I went about it, it all comes from a place 0:14:52.640 --> 0:14:58.200 of hurt that has manifested into anger. But at the 0:14:58.280 --> 0:15:00.560 core of all of it, it really is just her 0:15:00.640 --> 0:15:05.120 in heartbreak and real human things that a lot of 0:15:05.160 --> 0:15:09.080 people go through. Don't always handle it in that way, 0:15:09.160 --> 0:15:11.600 and I would actually recommend to not handle it in 0:15:11.640 --> 0:15:15.560 the way that nessa happens, But I really really do 0:15:15.800 --> 0:15:16.600 understand it. 0:15:17.160 --> 0:15:20.120 Hmm. Well, that I'm sure will. 0:15:21.600 --> 0:15:24.800 Come through in a way that I haven't seen the 0:15:24.800 --> 0:15:28.680 film obviously yet, the second one, but it'll just make 0:15:28.720 --> 0:15:33.320 her just more complex and more relatable. And you know, 0:15:33.400 --> 0:15:35.760 if you see her that way and you understand her 0:15:36.400 --> 0:15:38.840 at the deepest level, you know most importantly. 0:15:39.000 --> 0:15:42.600 So yeah, I mean, I think the story is full 0:15:42.760 --> 0:15:48.400 of complex characters. I think all the characters really in 0:15:48.440 --> 0:15:51.200 Wicked are so complex in so many different ways, and 0:15:51.200 --> 0:15:53.880 there's so many layers to them, and there I don't 0:15:53.920 --> 0:15:56.960 think the characters are any of them really. I think 0:15:57.800 --> 0:16:00.520 multiple characters do play at least the little bit of 0:16:00.560 --> 0:16:03.280 a villain in some ways at some point or another, 0:16:03.360 --> 0:16:06.840 But I don't think that makes a person inherently evil 0:16:06.960 --> 0:16:10.960 or all completely bad. And I think the film does 0:16:10.960 --> 0:16:13.280 a good job of showing that, of showing the pockets 0:16:13.280 --> 0:16:16.960 of humanity within all of them and the goodness in 0:16:17.000 --> 0:16:19.800 all of them, whether that was in the first film 0:16:19.880 --> 0:16:22.440 or if you still see those pockets of humanity with 0:16:22.680 --> 0:16:25.960 second film, or in characters like Glinda, really see her 0:16:26.360 --> 0:16:31.440 humanity and her desires and what makes her human jump 0:16:31.480 --> 0:16:35.000 out a lot more in my opinion, And honestly, I 0:16:35.040 --> 0:16:39.760 think for me, in the movie version, I see I 0:16:41.800 --> 0:16:44.160 understand Glinda's character a little bit more than I do 0:16:44.400 --> 0:16:48.120 the stage version, and understand where she's coming from a 0:16:48.120 --> 0:16:49.960 little bit more than I do in the stage. 0:16:51.240 --> 0:16:53.800 Yeah, And I think that's the beauty of like what 0:16:53.880 --> 0:16:57.120 John did with these films was like something so beloved 0:16:57.160 --> 0:17:02.000 and so successful at what it did on stage elevated 0:17:02.320 --> 0:17:07.720 into this piece of art that didn't. It just expanded 0:17:07.760 --> 0:17:10.320 the universe and the world and the characters and their 0:17:10.359 --> 0:17:14.320 development versus just translating it. And so I think that's 0:17:14.359 --> 0:17:18.359 why it's so successful and why and to the to 0:17:18.400 --> 0:17:23.080 your point about the characters, like these very strong female 0:17:23.200 --> 0:17:27.920 characters at the Helm that are complex and flawed and 0:17:28.080 --> 0:17:31.879 layered and still lovable and human is what makes this 0:17:32.000 --> 0:17:34.320 so dynamic and so and I think resonates with a 0:17:34.359 --> 0:17:37.600 lot of people because you know, there's so much out 0:17:37.640 --> 0:17:41.239 there that you don't get to see female characters like 0:17:41.320 --> 0:17:44.840 this that have such complexity to them, where you get 0:17:44.840 --> 0:17:47.520 to play with all these layers and all these pieces. 0:17:48.119 --> 0:17:51.000 That's just like an you know, a dream for actors. 0:17:51.080 --> 0:17:55.320 So what a what a joy to watch you guys 0:17:55.760 --> 0:17:58.359 and Cynthia and Ariana just. 0:17:58.200 --> 0:18:02.520 Dive like straight in. It's really really exciting to see. 0:18:02.800 --> 0:18:07.600 Yeah, on just the work that my my co stars 0:18:07.640 --> 0:18:10.399 have have put into this and the passion that they have. 0:18:10.600 --> 0:18:14.160 I know, I feel like the first film, like in interviews, 0:18:14.160 --> 0:18:17.920 everyone's like meming them of their like tears and whatever else. 0:18:18.000 --> 0:18:20.720 But I was like I get it, Like, yeah, I 0:18:21.200 --> 0:18:25.280 think women should be allowed to express emotion without it 0:18:25.440 --> 0:18:29.600 being I don't know, like something that's like I don't know, 0:18:30.400 --> 0:18:32.760 and I don't know. I just think women should be 0:18:32.800 --> 0:18:37.320 allowed to exist and express any emotion really without it 0:18:37.400 --> 0:18:38.640 being a whole thing. 0:18:38.760 --> 0:18:43.080 You know, yes, yes, we normalize it, right, Yeah, normalize that. 0:18:54.280 --> 0:18:59.359 I would love to hear we saw some spoilers or 0:18:59.359 --> 0:19:01.879 in the trail or at least of some things that 0:19:01.920 --> 0:19:06.560 are a little bit different from the stage production to 0:19:06.840 --> 0:19:11.760 the movie with Nessa, and I would just love to know, 0:19:12.119 --> 0:19:17.560 like what the conversation was and how collaborative it was, 0:19:17.640 --> 0:19:20.080 how much of a part of it, Like were you 0:19:20.560 --> 0:19:27.560 a part of that decision and in bringing NASA to 0:19:28.680 --> 0:19:31.560 fly versus to walk, and how important that was to 0:19:31.600 --> 0:19:34.440 you personally, and you know, I'd love to hear that story. 0:19:35.560 --> 0:19:39.520 Yeah. So I was honestly one of the last people 0:19:39.680 --> 0:19:43.760 cast in the film altogether. I think Michelle came a 0:19:43.800 --> 0:19:46.480 little bit later also, but I know I was one 0:19:46.520 --> 0:19:49.480 of the last cast members cast, and so by that 0:19:49.600 --> 0:19:53.480 point the script was really already written. So I wasn't 0:19:53.520 --> 0:19:57.040 necessarily a part of the changes in the script. And 0:19:57.080 --> 0:20:01.359 I didn't find out actually until I hadn't met Winnie Holsman, 0:20:01.440 --> 0:20:05.200 who's one of the main writers of Wicked. I hadn't 0:20:05.240 --> 0:20:07.520 met her actually until the first film had come out, 0:20:07.560 --> 0:20:11.560 and we have this celebratory dinner party, and I was 0:20:11.560 --> 0:20:15.359 just talking with her, and she had said that she 0:20:15.440 --> 0:20:18.640 had heard some of the feedback from the disabled community 0:20:18.720 --> 0:20:23.040 about the portrayal of Nessa on stage and how it 0:20:23.040 --> 0:20:26.119 feeds into harm of full stereotypes and makes her a 0:20:26.160 --> 0:20:29.560 little bit more one dimensional of and a little bit 0:20:29.560 --> 0:20:32.159 more predictable of Oh, I'm a disabled character. The only 0:20:32.240 --> 0:20:35.000 thing about me, not only thing, but the main thing 0:20:35.040 --> 0:20:38.440 about me is I don't like being disabled. She wanted 0:20:38.480 --> 0:20:41.240 to do right by the community and really flesh her 0:20:41.280 --> 0:20:44.840 out a lot more, and so she talked to one 0:20:44.880 --> 0:20:48.480 of her disabled friends to get insight that way, which 0:20:49.240 --> 0:20:52.240 already just like a great, a great step in the 0:20:52.280 --> 0:20:57.480 right direction of talking to someone who's actually disabled. And she, 0:20:58.840 --> 0:21:02.520 of course without changing the story too much and then 0:21:02.600 --> 0:21:06.919 keeping the magic within it all changing it in a 0:21:06.960 --> 0:21:09.439 way that makes the portrayal a little bit more healthy 0:21:09.520 --> 0:21:13.440 and also makes Nissa a little bit more fleshed out 0:21:13.480 --> 0:21:18.679 and a little bit less one dimensional and less. I 0:21:18.720 --> 0:21:22.800 hate my disability, and that's the main thing about me. Yeah, 0:21:23.359 --> 0:21:27.240 and so yeah, as you see in the trailer, Nessa 0:21:27.320 --> 0:21:31.639 does rather than stand, she does floats in the air. 0:21:31.800 --> 0:21:35.640 And again the magic is still there, but Nessa's desires 0:21:35.680 --> 0:21:41.360 are are different, and I was really happy with the changes. 0:21:42.840 --> 0:21:46.320 Of course, ambulatory wheelchair users exist, and we see that 0:21:46.320 --> 0:21:50.119 with Jenna on Broadway right now. Incredible. I think she 0:21:50.200 --> 0:21:56.320 does an incredible job. But that wasn't necessarily the storyline itself, 0:21:56.359 --> 0:21:59.080 like Nasa wasn't ambulatory, and now that she can stand, 0:21:59.119 --> 0:22:01.919 it was more so. Oh, I want to be fixed 0:22:01.960 --> 0:22:04.880 because I loathe my disability. And of course that can 0:22:04.960 --> 0:22:07.760 be true to some disabled people, but for a lot 0:22:07.800 --> 0:22:10.400 of us that's not true. And if anything, I think 0:22:10.440 --> 0:22:15.520 it plays into the cycle of disability and the representation 0:22:15.600 --> 0:22:19.879 of disability in the way of disabled person hates their 0:22:19.920 --> 0:22:23.640 disability because society deems it's bad. Therefore it's portrayed as bad, 0:22:23.720 --> 0:22:26.640 and then we're back in that cycle of disabled person 0:22:26.680 --> 0:22:31.520 hates their disability because it's portrayed that way. And yeah, 0:22:31.560 --> 0:22:34.200 and of course I don't speak for the whole disabled community, 0:22:34.240 --> 0:22:38.359 and all disabilities are different, and sometimes having a disability, 0:22:38.440 --> 0:22:41.560 especially if it's something like chronic pain, it can be 0:22:41.600 --> 0:22:44.879 frustrating to have, but I think a lot of the 0:22:44.920 --> 0:22:50.800 things are societal based, and so it's not necessarily all 0:22:50.840 --> 0:22:54.280 of our story or all of who we are as 0:22:55.119 --> 0:22:58.879 human beings. So I am really happy with that change. 0:22:58.920 --> 0:23:04.240 I will say I'm extremely happy and honestly believed a 0:23:04.240 --> 0:23:07.640 little bit with the feedback that I've seen so far, 0:23:07.920 --> 0:23:13.119 just based off the trailer of the change is because 0:23:13.160 --> 0:23:17.360 it's so beloved already on stage. It's one of those 0:23:17.359 --> 0:23:21.240 things where if you change like the littlest bit of things, 0:23:21.280 --> 0:23:23.040 like the die hard fans. 0:23:24.600 --> 0:23:27.119 Will be like no, like why. 0:23:27.960 --> 0:23:31.560 So I was so anxious and so nervous, even though 0:23:31.600 --> 0:23:33.560 I knew in my heart that it was right in 0:23:33.640 --> 0:23:38.320 terms overall the view of disability and how it's portrayed. 0:23:40.200 --> 0:23:44.680 But I was very very anxious. And I know there's 0:23:44.680 --> 0:23:47.440 going to be still people out there that don't necessarily agree, 0:23:47.440 --> 0:23:50.520 and that's okay, and I think that's art in general. 0:23:50.640 --> 0:23:52.800 Is not everyone's going to agree with how a story's told. 0:23:53.800 --> 0:23:58.399 But I ultimately I'm really happy, little bit relieved that 0:23:59.240 --> 0:24:05.240 other people didn't hate it. Yeah, but I'm I'm happy. 0:24:05.560 --> 0:24:10.120 Speaking of like feedback from the community, Uh, what has 0:24:10.119 --> 0:24:14.160 been the feedback from your you know, the disabled community 0:24:14.240 --> 0:24:16.760 in terms of your portrayal of Nasa Rose and like 0:24:17.359 --> 0:24:21.879 having representation on screen, Like, I'm sure that's so important, 0:24:21.920 --> 0:24:24.359 So I'm just curious if like you felt that, and 0:24:24.640 --> 0:24:27.800 you know, meeting fans and meeting people out in the world. 0:24:28.640 --> 0:24:31.400 Yeah, it's It's been really great to be a part 0:24:31.440 --> 0:24:34.760 of that, because I I really do want to give 0:24:34.800 --> 0:24:37.440 credit to where credit to do and all those that 0:24:37.520 --> 0:24:40.280 have come before me that have already set the groundwork 0:24:40.400 --> 0:24:44.000 for being in in roles like I am now, like 0:24:44.200 --> 0:24:50.199 Gillian Riccado, Lolo Spencer, Ali Stroker, George Robinson, just just 0:24:50.240 --> 0:24:52.560 a handful of other disabled people who have done it 0:24:52.560 --> 0:24:57.239 before me. I'm definitely not the first, but to be 0:24:57.320 --> 0:25:00.280 a part of something so big as as we kid 0:25:00.359 --> 0:25:04.840 and for them to do right by it and cast authentically, 0:25:04.960 --> 0:25:08.120 I think is so important. And to be a part 0:25:08.119 --> 0:25:12.200 of that representation now for other disabled people has been 0:25:12.240 --> 0:25:16.879 really really great, And just other disabled people looking up 0:25:16.920 --> 0:25:20.679 to me in that way has been really honoring and 0:25:20.920 --> 0:25:24.240 I feel so incredibly honored for that. And then also 0:25:24.359 --> 0:25:27.240 to take it a bit further in the way of 0:25:27.720 --> 0:25:31.520 using my platform to speak up for disability issues that 0:25:31.560 --> 0:25:36.159 extend so far beyond representation. Because of course it's incredible 0:25:36.400 --> 0:25:40.679 for other disabled performers to see another disabled actor on 0:25:40.760 --> 0:25:43.680