When you sit down to watch Wicked, whether it’s the massive 2024 Jon M. Chu film or a touring production in a theater that smells faintly of popcorn and old velvet, your eyes usually gravitate toward the green girl or the one in the bubble. It makes sense. Elphaba and Glinda are the powerhouses. But if you look slightly to the side, you’ll find Nessarose Thropp. She’s the "tragic" sister. The girl in the wheelchair. The one who eventually becomes the Wicked Witch of the East and gets flattened by a house. People often ask who played Nessa in Wicked because the role requires a very specific, difficult blend of physical vulnerability and simmering, localized rage.
Getting the casting right for Nessarose isn’t just about finding someone who can sing a few high notes in "Dancing Through Life." It’s actually become a flashpoint for disability representation in Hollywood and on Broadway.
The Big Screen: Marissa Bode’s Groundbreaking Turn
For the longest time, the conversation about who played Nessa in Wicked centered on Broadway stars. That changed the second Universal announced Marissa Bode for the 2024 film adaptation. This was a huge deal. Seriously.
Bode is a wheelchair user in real life, which makes her the first actor in a major film production of the musical to actually share the character’s physical reality. For years, the theater community had a bit of a "don't ask, don't tell" vibe regarding the casting of Nessa. Producers usually hired able-bodied actors and had them sit in a prop chair. It worked for the 2000s, I guess, but by the time the movie started filming in the early 2020s, that wasn't going to fly anymore.
Marissa Bode brings something to the role that you just can’t fake with "acting." There’s a specific way she navigates space. When she’s on screen with Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba, the sisterly dynamic feels weighted. It’s not just "oh, my poor sister," it’s a complex relationship involving guilt, resentment, and a very specific type of Munchkinland politics.
Bode started acting when she was about eight. She’s a Californian, a performer who has been grinding in the musical theater scene for years. Seeing her cast alongside Ariana Grande and Michelle Yeoh wasn't just a "win" for diversity; it was a shift in how we view the character. In the film, Nessa isn't just a plot device to give Elphaba a reason to be angry. She’s a person. A person who, honestly, is kinda manipulative and eventually becomes a bit of a tyrant. That’s the nuance Bode nails. She makes you feel for her, and then she makes you very, very uncomfortable.
The Broadway Blueprint: Michelle Federer and the Original Cast
If you’re a theater nerd, when you think about who played Nessa in Wicked, your mind probably jumps straight to 2003. The Gershwin Theatre. The original Broadway cast.
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Michelle Federer was the one who originated the role. She had this delicate, almost porcelain-doll quality that made her eventual descent into the "Governor of Munchkinland" persona even more jarring. Federer’s Nessa was soft. She was the "favorite" daughter of Frexspar, the Governor of Munchkinland, which created that immediate, sharp friction with Elphaba.
It’s easy to forget how much of the character’s DNA comes from Federer’s performance. The way she looks at Boq—that desperate, clinging need for affection—set the template. She played the role for years and even met her husband, Norbert Leo Butz (the original Fiyero), during the production. Talk about a "Wicked" love story.
The West End and the International Stage
Across the pond, the London production at the Apollo Victoria Theatre has seen some powerhouse Nessas. Katie Rowley Jones was the first to take the chair in the West End in 2006. She actually returned to the role later in the show's run, which is pretty rare. Usually, once an actor leaves Shiz University, they stay gone.
Then you have actors like Natalie Anderson and Carrie Hope Fletcher’s sister-in-law, or people like Brittany Nicholas. Each one of them has to handle the "The Wicked Witch of the East" sequence, which, in the stage show, is one of the few times Nessa gets to really let loose vocally and emotionally. It’s the moment she realizes she can walk (thanks to Elphaba’s magic) and then immediately realizes she still can’t make Boq love her. It’s brutal.
Why the Casting of Nessarose Matters So Much
Honestly, Nessa is a complicated character to cast because she has to be two people at once.
In the first act, she’s a student. She’s pink and white and smells like flowers. She’s the person Elphaba is trying to protect. By the second act, she’s become a dictator. She’s stripped the Munchkins of their rights just to keep Boq from leaving her. It’s a dark, psychological turn.
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If the actor playing her is too sweet, the transition to the Wicked Witch of the East feels unearned. If they’re too mean from the start, you don't care about Elphaba's sacrifice.
This is why the 2024 film’s decision to cast Bode was so vital. By grounding the character in a real physical experience, the "miracle" of her walking later in the story carries way more emotional weight. It’s not just a stage trick anymore. It’s a moment of profound, life-altering magic that, ironically, leads to her moral downfall.
A Quick List of Notable Nessas
If you’re looking for a specific era or production, here is a breakdown of some of the most influential actors who have stepped into the silver shoes (or ruby slippers, depending on which legal department you ask):
- Michelle Federer: The Broadway Original. Defined the "tragic sister" archetype.
- Marissa Bode: The 2024 Movie Star. The first authentically cast actor in a major production.
- Katie Rowley Jones: The West End Original. Set the standard for the London production.
- Jenna Leigh Green: You might remember her from Sabrina the Teenage Witch. She played Nessa on Broadway and in the touring companies, bringing a bit of a "mean girl" edge to the role.
- Cristy Boyle: Often recognized for her work in the Chicago sit-down production, which was a massive deal in the mid-2000s.
The Evolution of the Character’s Identity
The question of who played Nessa in Wicked is also a question of how the character has evolved since Gregory Maguire first wrote the book in 1995. In the book, Nessarose is born without arms. In the musical, that was changed to her being a wheelchair user.
Why the change? Practicality, mostly. It’s much harder to depict a character without arms on a live stage while they’re also expected to handle props or move around a chaotic set. But the shift to a wheelchair opened up a decades-long conversation about disability in theater.
For a long time, the theater world hid behind the excuse of "stunt casting" or "insurance risks." They claimed they couldn't cast a disabled actor because the "Oz" set was too dangerous or the choreography was too demanding.
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Marissa Bode’s casting in the film basically nuked those excuses. It proved that the character is most effective when played by someone who understands the nuances of the role's physical journey.
What to Look for in Future Productions
If you’re heading to see Wicked on tour or back on Broadway anytime soon, pay attention to how the actor handles the chair. It’s become a bit of a litmus test for the production's quality.
Is the chair an integrated part of her movement, or does it feel like a prop she’s just sitting in? The best Nessaroses—like Bode or some of the more recent Broadway replacements—treat the chair as an extension of themselves.
Also, listen for the bitterness in "The Governor’s Mansion" scene. That’s where the real acting happens. It’s easy to play "sad." It’s much harder to play "entitled and heartbroken," which is Nessa’s sweet spot.
Real-World Impact and Next Steps
The legacy of who played Nessa in Wicked is shifting from "who has the best soprano voice" to "who can best represent this lived experience." This has real-world implications for how casting directors approach other roles, like Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol or Laura in The Glass Menagerie.
If you're interested in following the careers of these actors or learning more about the production side, here’s what you should do:
- Follow Marissa Bode on social media. She’s been very vocal about the filming process and what it meant to be on that set. Her perspective is the most current and relevant for anyone looking at the franchise today.
- Watch the "Behind the Emerald Curtain" videos. These are often available on the official Wicked YouTube channel and give you a look at how the stagecraft for Nessa’s character actually works, from the mechanics of the wheelchair to the costume changes.
- Compare the soundtracks. Listen to Michelle Federer on the Original Broadway Cast Recording and then listen to the 2024 film soundtrack. You’ll hear a massive difference in how the character is vocalized—Federer is very "musical theater," while the newer interpretations tend to be more cinematic and grounded.
- Look up the casting of the "Wicked" Part 2. Since the movie is split into two halves, the development of Nessa’s character into the full-blown Wicked Witch of the East is going to be the focal point of the second film. Seeing how Bode handles that transition will be a masterclass in character arc.
The character of Nessarose is no longer just "the other sister." She’s a symbol of how Broadway and Hollywood are finally starting to catch up with the real world. Whether it's the nostalgia of Michelle Federer or the ground-breaking presence of Marissa Bode, the actors who play Nessa are the ones who give the story its necessary, darker edge. Without a great Nessa, Elphaba’s journey doesn't have the same stakes. It’s her love for her sister—and her failure to "fix" her sister’s life—that truly drives the plot toward its tragic end.