‘Wicked: For Good’ Star Marissa Bode Wants to Throw a Drag Show

The unconventional operate to have a good time the discharge of Wicked: For Good featured pals performing as everybody from Wicked staples like Boc and Nessarose to Little Shop of Horrors characters and extra. It is simply one of many many unconventional anecdotes which have made following the press cycle for this film so totally pleasant, an inherent high quality of the fictional world Oz that has overtaken all that it encompasses. (Read my interview with costume designer Paul Tazewell for extra on how that world got here collectively, visually.)

Besides drag exhibits with pals and binging actuality TV as self-care after a lengthy day of press, Bode has discovered herself evolving stylistically over the previous 12 months. Like her costars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, the purple carpet appears to be like have been their very own type of storytelling.

She says, of working with stylist Alexandra Mandelkorn: “For the second film I had wanted to go with darker looks for press. Even for the London premiere, I had that black number, and so that’s been fun to play around with.” It matches together with her character, Elphaba’s sister Nessarose, and her character arc this film. “Obviously my character in the second film takes a bit of a darker turn. I was channeling a bit of my grungy emo era from when I was 14. That was nice to revisit in that way.”

Had she not been an actress, Bode likewise jokes she would have “dyed my hair a million different colors by now for sure.” She will get “bored” simply, like several true artist, and has even taken her off-duty fashion to new ranges. “I am very femme in the way that I dress, but I have worn more ties recently, and have done a bit more button-ups just in my own time, because I think having and wearing so many dresses when I’m going to events, it’s like I need that balance in my life.”

Here although, on the tail finish of the tidal wave of press and premieres and purple carpets and junkets, Bode is lastly coming again down to earth. “I’ve been trying to use an app blocker more on my phone,” she tells me, each for social media and to really feel extra productive. “I have been scrapbooking a lot this past year, which has been really fun, holding in physical memories and being artistic in the way of stickers and making backgrounds, and it’s just been nice to have a physical form of memory.” It is however one in all some ways she has come again to herself, after the “incredible opportunity” of Wicked spun into the biggest field workplace opening for a Broadway adaptation in Hollywood historical past this previous weekend.

Bode tells PAPER the previous 12 months was “Probably one of the best opportunities in my life really. It’s been overwhelming in a lot of ways and a lot of pressure, but I know myself, and I know I love acting at the end of the day, and I will always push myself to be my best.”

Still, with the movie now out and the Oz-ian chapter closing, Bode displays on the journey with Nessarose, and what she hopes audiences take from the expertise. “Maybe what you thought was good wasn’t as good as it could be, and maybe you are in the wrong bubble and you also need that bubble to pop. I believe in people changing for the better, truly, and I think the film definitely showcases that.”

How are you doing in spite of everything these premieres, and the large success of the film? How have you ever been feeling?

I’ve been feeling good. I do know we went from location to location, however now it is mainly the tip of that. I had a enjoyable day the opposite day with my pals. They threw me a gap day social gathering, which was actually enjoyable. My pal stunned me truly. She is aware of I like actuality TV, so she had a few totally different individuals gown up as individuals from actuality TV, after which we did a drag present primarily based on that, which was actually enjoyable.

Who did everybody gown up as?

I assume now that I say it, there wasn’t as a lot actuality TV drag. My accomplice’s going to gown up as Supernanny. I like Supernanny. Oh my gosh, who else did what? We additionally intertwined musical theater in it, as a result of I like Little Shop, and two of my pals dressed up as Audrey and Seymour, and did drag of that. Someone was Bach and the opposite was Nessa they usually did drag. That was enjoyable. And then as a result of I used to be tremendous obsessive about Justin Bieber after I was, no, not 15, in all probability like 11, 12? Someone dressed up as Justin Bieber and did drag of that additionally.

What good pals you’ve gotten to mainly throw a drag present to your premiere social gathering.

One hundred percent. We’re like, We ought to undoubtedly do that extra usually and I dunno, have a $5 entry after which put the donations to somebody’s high surgical procedure or one thing.

Have you all the time cherished drag? Is that one thing that is been a a part of your individual pursuits exterior of the world of Wicked?

I truthfully really feel like I’m extra new to drag than something. I wasn’t acquainted with drag in any respect rising up in Wisconsin, and solely bought extra acquainted with it after I got here out in 2021. My first drag present, I would like to say, was at Rocco’s in West Hollywood.

Yes, I’m very acquainted.

I do not suppose that was till 2022, so I’ve undoubtedly been extra new to drag general, however I adore it. The ladies actually have to be good at every little thing, like lip syncing, performing dancing, humor, comedy, all the above, and I simply honor it a lot as artwork usually.

On the subject, I actually cherished the premiere look with the Louboutins that appeared just like the traditional slippers, and that Anne Barge gown was beautiful. I’m curious, what has it been like working along with your stylist, Alexandra Mandelkorn, during the last 12 months for this film?

I’ve all the time actually cherished trend and experimenting with trend in a variety of alternative ways. Looking again now on sure outfits, I might by no means do them once more, however that is simply a part of discovering personal private fashion. With that being stated, this previous 12 months… I’m not used to sporting such fancy attire by any means, so it has been cool discovering what matches, what perhaps appears to be like totally different standing up than it does sitting down, and navigating that and the way to tailor a gown and maintain a gown or briefly maintain it whereas I’m shifting and issues like that, making it accessible.

When I’ve extra of a grand gown, just like the Anne Barge one, and it is a lot larger… it is navigating, Okay, will there be someone there with me that may assist maintain it whereas I transfer, or crossing it over the underside of the skirt and crisscrossing it whereas I transfer, in order that it is not touching towards the wheels? It’s been a actually cool discovery, and enjoyable exploration I ought to say, by way of navigating what matches on me. Ally has a very clear imaginative and prescient and she or he’s additionally very down to simply attempt a variety of issues.

I’ve talked to quite a few individuals round Wicked now, and listening to the way in which that everybody has interpreted the transient in their very own private fashion has been fascinating. With the Anne Barge gown and the slippers, I may inform the refined nod with the inexperienced and the silver slippers. Did you type of take that on along with your styling during the last 12 months, like: How do I play with this world on the purple carpet?

There’s undoubtedly a few totally different nods that we did. Not all the time absolutely intentional, however we’re like, Oh, this gown works, and it additionally correlates and coincides along with your character. I feel particularly for the second movie, and we did a little little bit of it within the first movie, however for the second movie I had needed to go together with darker appears to be like for press. Even for the London premiere, I had that black quantity, and in order that’s been enjoyable to mess around with. Obviously my character within the second movie takes a little bit of a darker flip. I used to be channeling a little bit of my grungy emo period from after I was 14. That was good to revisit in that approach.

You had been saying you were not essentially so used to sporting such fancy attire on a regular basis. What have you ever discovered about your individual private fashion during the last 12 months? Has it developed in any respect in simply on a regular basis life?

I feel my fashion actually is all the time evolving, truthfully. I get uninterested in myself steadily, and so usually I like change and blend issues up. If I weren’t performing, I might undoubtedly have dyed my hair a million totally different colours by now for certain. I’m very femme in the way in which that I gown, however I’ve worn extra ties lately, and have completed a bit extra button-ups simply in my very own time, as a result of I feel having and sporting so many attire when I’m going to occasions, it is like I want that stability in my life. So I’ve been enjoying round extra lately with button-ups and sporting a little much less female issues, simply because I like that stability. I like being female and frilly generally after which much less different occasions. I feel it is enjoyable. Although to be truthful, once more, I do nonetheless gown fairly femme.

We’re speaking about evolution. You hinted at this earlier, however Nessarose has a transformation on this film, enjoying on the theme of Wicked. What was that like for you to discover a character who goes via such a dramatic transformation over the course of those two movies?

I’ve all the time seen Nessa as extraordinarily complicated. There’s so many layers to her. Of course, she is oftentimes egocentric, however a lot of it I feel is the circumstances that she was given when rising up, that she by no means essentially needed. But then in flip in her maturity, she did not acknowledge her privileges in a lot of various methods, and the therapy that she was given in a lot of various methods. First and foremost, as any actor, having empathy to your character is extremely necessary, with the intention to actually dig deep and discover the humanity even when they don’t seem to be one of the best individual or do not develop into one of the best individual. I did my finest to humanize her in a lot of the way. I did my finest to attempt to seize her vulnerability. Nessa is extremely complicated, and giving a lot of empathy to her and really understanding her and even journaling as Nessa helped me to fill in a lot of the blanks.

I’m simply eager about the way you made your characteristic movie debut within the first movie, and it has gone on with the second to be the most important opening for a Broadway adaptation in Hollywood historical past, which is large accomplishment. What did that really feel like for this to be your debut, and for it to have been such a success? How do you maintain all of that collectively in your thoughts?

It is tough to maintain it in my thoughts, initially, as a result of it’s undoubtedly overwhelming in that approach. There’s undoubtedly additionally a ton of strain, so in fact I did my finest to actually put my coronary heart into it and take it very critically, as a result of this was my first ever large factor, and to be alongside individuals which are so extremely proficient… it simply really is an unbelievable alternative. Probably among the finest alternatives in my life actually. It’s been overwhelming in a lot of the way and a lot of strain, however I do know myself, and I do know I like performing on the finish of the day, and I’ll all the time push myself to be my finest. I’m my largest critic. I feel a lot of artists are comparable in that approach, of all the time wanting to be higher, do higher, all the above.

Being within the largest film of the 12 months, there should be a lot of noise. What do you do to block that out and are available again to your self, come again to your pals? What are your self-care rituals, to use a kind of shorthand?

I’ve been attempting to use an app blocker extra on my telephone.

Oh god, I want one.

Not solely do I want to flip it on extra, but additionally make it tougher to disable, as a result of they’ve totally different ranges within the one which I take advantage of. I want to flip it to its highest. I do usually discover myself disabling it, which defeats the aim, however I’ve been attempting to use app blockers extra usually, particularly for social media, and likewise so I can simply really feel and be extra productive. I’ve been scrapbooking a lot this previous 12 months, which has been actually enjoyable, holding in bodily reminiscences and being inventive in the way in which of stickers and making backgrounds, and it is simply been good to have a bodily type of reminiscence. Lastly, which type of negates the half about social media and attempting to get off of that, is rotting my mind by watching, once more, actually dangerous actuality TV. With how wild my world has been this previous 12 months, generally it is simply good to numb my mind whereas watching rubbish.

What’s your primary go-to rubbish? What is the factor that makes your mind the smoothest?

It adjustments steadily. Again, I become bored with issues in a short time, and so it adjustments each two to three weeks, however at present it is again to being Wife Swap. It’s too good. Of course, I watch the OG early 2000s episodes, and I usually do get pissed off, however I generally love making myself mad and rage-baiting myself. It has a sure je ne sais quoi. I like Wife Swap.

This additionally negates the aim of being off social media, however I’m certain you already know that the press for this movie has spawned so many viral moments and memes and whatnot. Do you’ve gotten a favourite that has pierced via for you, or do you not have a look at any of the social media stuff across the film?

Let me suppose. Oh my goodness. Currently, I like — she’s so cutie — I like Michelle’s “WW, upside down, Madam Morrible and Wicked Witch.” I feel it is so cute. I feel she’s so cutie.

I do not suppose I can scroll with out seeing Cynthia tapping her head. It has develop into a fixed tic of mine now, the place I do it. It’s actually satisfying.

I used to be going to say, it is type of soothing.

It actually facilities me, which is loopy, however after I do it, I’m like, wait, there’s one thing to this. I get it now.

It type of hits.

Going again to this expertise of Wicked: For Good, is there something that you simply hope individuals take away from this second movie?

I do not suppose anyone inside the land of Oz is inherently evil. Again, I feel it is circumstantial, and I feel it is necessary to replicate on that additionally, and notice that no person’s essentially inherently evil. Like Glinda, particularly on this film, perhaps what you thought was good wasn’t nearly as good because it might be, and perhaps you’re within the incorrect bubble and also you additionally want that bubble to pop. I imagine in individuals altering for the higher, really, and I feel the movie undoubtedly showcases that. That’s undoubtedly one thing that I take with me. The line particularly that actually stands out to me is: “Good can’t just be a word. It actually has to mean something.”

Image courtesy of Marissa Bode