Disability Representation on Screen: A Step Towards Inclusivity
The film adaptation of Wicked has brought more representation to the screen for people with disabilities, but the journey towards inclusivity is far from over. Marissa Bode, who played Nessarose Thropp in the hit musical and its sequel, believes that casting disabled actors in disabled roles is crucial.
Bode's experience on set was remarkable, thanks to the presence of a disability coordinator who ensured accessibility. However, she notes that the industry still has a long way to go. A recent study found that only 21% of disabled characters on US TV between 2016 and 2023 were played by disabled actors. This lack of representation can be seen in many areas, from casting to scriptwriting.
Wicked: For Good made a significant change to one of the scenes in the stage musical, allowing Nessarose to float instead of walk after using magic on her shoes. Bode appreciates this change, saying it adds more humanity to Nessa's character and acknowledges that disabled people are complex and deserving of more nuanced portrayals.
The industry still has much work to do to overcome its biases against disability representation. Even with awards like the Christopher Reeve acting award, which aims to support up-and-coming disabled actors, unawareness persists. Bode attributes this to a lack of education surrounding disability and inappropriate language being used.
To combat this, Bode suggests seeking out more information about disability and promoting prominent disabled figures and content creators who inspire her to use her voice. She encourages producers to hire and cast disabled actors, writers, and crew members, believing that there is a thriving community waiting to be tapped into.
Ultimately, telling our own stories is key to creating a more inclusive industry. By casting disabled actors in disabled roles and giving them opportunities to tell their own stories, we can start to break down the barriers that have prevented disability representation for too long. It's time for the entertainment industry to listen to and amplify the voices of people with disabilities, rather than relying on stereotypes or tokenism.
As Bode says, "We just don't have any education surrounding disability or the type of language that is appropriate... We need to educate ourselves and each other." By doing so, we can create a more inclusive industry where everyone has the opportunity to shine.
The film adaptation of Wicked has brought more representation to the screen for people with disabilities, but the journey towards inclusivity is far from over. Marissa Bode, who played Nessarose Thropp in the hit musical and its sequel, believes that casting disabled actors in disabled roles is crucial.
Bode's experience on set was remarkable, thanks to the presence of a disability coordinator who ensured accessibility. However, she notes that the industry still has a long way to go. A recent study found that only 21% of disabled characters on US TV between 2016 and 2023 were played by disabled actors. This lack of representation can be seen in many areas, from casting to scriptwriting.
Wicked: For Good made a significant change to one of the scenes in the stage musical, allowing Nessarose to float instead of walk after using magic on her shoes. Bode appreciates this change, saying it adds more humanity to Nessa's character and acknowledges that disabled people are complex and deserving of more nuanced portrayals.
The industry still has much work to do to overcome its biases against disability representation. Even with awards like the Christopher Reeve acting award, which aims to support up-and-coming disabled actors, unawareness persists. Bode attributes this to a lack of education surrounding disability and inappropriate language being used.
To combat this, Bode suggests seeking out more information about disability and promoting prominent disabled figures and content creators who inspire her to use her voice. She encourages producers to hire and cast disabled actors, writers, and crew members, believing that there is a thriving community waiting to be tapped into.
Ultimately, telling our own stories is key to creating a more inclusive industry. By casting disabled actors in disabled roles and giving them opportunities to tell their own stories, we can start to break down the barriers that have prevented disability representation for too long. It's time for the entertainment industry to listen to and amplify the voices of people with disabilities, rather than relying on stereotypes or tokenism.
As Bode says, "We just don't have any education surrounding disability or the type of language that is appropriate... We need to educate ourselves and each other." By doing so, we can create a more inclusive industry where everyone has the opportunity to shine.
! But, let's be real, there's still a long way to go in terms of inclusivity 
. I mean, 21% of disabled characters on US TV between 2016 and 2023 were played by disabled actors? That's just not cool 
. We need more diverse casting, including behind the scenes 
.
! Casting disabled actors in disabled roles is crucial, and it's awesome that Wicked made changes like allowing Nessarose to float instead of walk after using magic on her shoes 
. It adds so much humanity to the character and shows that we're complex and deserving of nuanced portrayals.
. I think it's awesome that Marissa Bode is promoting prominent disabled figures and content creators, like the Christopher Reeve acting award 
. Let's keep supporting and amplifying each other's voices to create a more inclusive industry where everyone can shine 
!
. And yeah, a disability coordinator can make all the difference, but it's not just about having someone to wrangle accessibility, it's also about creating characters that aren't just stereotypes or one-dimensional.
. It's so frustrating when you see a character with a disability being reduced to their condition rather than being a full-fledged person. Like Marissa Bode said, we just don't have enough education around disability and that's why we still use the wrong language and make the same old mistakes 
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. It's time for a shift in representation and it starts with education and self-awareness 
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. 21% of disabled characters on TV in 7 years? That's like, what even is that number? It feels like they're still stuck in neutral 
. And don't even get me started on the lack of education around disability - it's like they think a simple acting award is going to magically solve everything 
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. And can we please get over the fact that people with disabilities aren't just "inspiring" because they're breaking barriers? They're already worthy of representation and respect, period 
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. u know, i was thinking the same thing, why can't we just tell our own stories & showcase ppl w/ disabilities in a more nuanced way? 
. The industry doesn't need some tokenism, it needs real talent.
So I think its really cool that Wicked brought more representation to screen for ppl with disabilities like marissa did playing Nessarose Thropp but honestly still a lot of work to do 
. Idk why they cant just hire ppl with disabilities for roles and be done with it 
. Its not just about representation, its about creating a world where ppl with disabilities feel like they belong 
.
, and then branches coming out of it, each one labeled with different words: casting, scriptwriting, education, diversity, inclusivity... 
: we start with "we're not getting it right", then we get "more education needed", and finally we end up with "we're doing better!" 
, if they're not even teaching disability awareness in schools, it's no wonder there's still so much ignorance around it...
. I mean, we've seen it work beautifully in Wicked: For Good, and I think more productions should follow suit 
. It's time to break free from stereotypes and tokenism, you know? 
. Marissa Bode is a total boss for speaking out about this stuff 
!
. We need more voices like Marissa Bode's 
we need more Marissa Bodes out there who are willing to speak up and demand change, not just complaining about how much work needs to be done but also actively trying to make a difference in their own industry 
. I love how Wicked: For Good made that change in the stage musical too, it shows they're actually listening to what we need. We just need more education on disability and better language around it, can you even imagine?! 
It's amazing to see more representation on screen for people with disabilities. Marissa Bode's experience on set was super positive thanks to a disability coordinator, but sadly it still highlights how far the industry has to go in terms of inclusivity. Only 21% of disabled characters on US TV between 2016 and 2023 were played by disabled actors - that's just crazy! 
I'm totally stoked about Wicked: For Good making those changes to Nessarose's scene! It shows that people with disabilities are not just token characters but actual humans with complex stories 
. I think Marissa Bode's point about education and language being a thing is SO important 
and it's literally the funniest thing I've seen all week. I mean, who needs representation on screen when you have adorable animals doing weird things? 
But seriously, speaking of representation, have you guys ever noticed how hard it is for people with disabilities to find roles that actually make sense for them? Like, Bode's character in Wicked was way more nuanced because she didn't just get to float around all the time 
. I think it's so important for us to hear from disabled people themselves and not just rely on able-bodied actors or writers trying to "rep" us. And can we talk about education? Like, how many people even know what a disability quota is?