Wheelchair-bound “Wicked” actress Mariss Bode has hit back after being subjected to nasty jokes about her disability following the release of the blockbuster movie.
The 24-year-old, who has been confined to a wheelchair since her involvement in a car crash at the age of 11, plays protagonist Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose, in the big-screen adaptation of the wildly popular musical.
Nessarose, who also uses a wheelchair in the film, has been poorly received by viewers, who have accused her the character of being a “bad sister” to Elphaba.
In a five-minute TikTok video, shared on Friday, Bode explained that it was fine for audiences to dislike the character, admitting that she is “complex.” However, she criticized fans for highlighting her disability and poking fun at it.
“Aggressive comments and jokes about Nessa’s disability itself is deeply uncomfortable, because disability is not fictional,” Bode explained.
“At the end of the day, me, Marissa, is the person that is still disabled and in a wheelchair. And so it is simply a low-hanging fruit that too many of you are comfortable taking.”
Bode said sick cyberbullies had left comments making fun of the fact she can’t stand up. They included remarks such as “stand up for yourself” and “I guess you can’t stand him.”
“These comments aren’t original, and when these jokes are being made by non-disabled strangers with a punchline of not being able to walk, it very much feels like laughing at rather than laughing with,” she declared.
She said she had attempted to delete all the nasty “jokes” from her social media pages.
Bode encouraged “Wicked” viewers to heed the messages of the musical.
“I want to say one of the major themes within ‘Wicked’ is having the ability to listen and understand one another, and I truly hope that is something a lot of you can practice more and take with you,” she implored.
The viral TikTok comes after other “Wicked” fans were blasted for bad behavior in the movie theater.
Rude viewers have ruined screenings by singing along the the movie’s songs, prompting some cinemas to ban crooning.
“They don’t know how to be in public places,” one peeved ticket buyer told The Post.
