Marissa Bode

Bode's record is short but unusual. She is the first wheelchair user to play Nessarose Thropp on screen, in a two-part adaptation that reached a global audience. That casting alone changed what a major franchise lead role can look like. In 2026 she turned the platform into action: a public account of being denied boarding a flight led to an airline investigation within days, and universities from Bucknell to Boston College brought her in to speak on disability visibility. The Wisconsin State Legislature citation in October 2026 marked official recognition from her home state.