Arrow is one of the most highly anticipated comic adaptations to hit the small screen in quite some time. Fans of Smallville expecting Justin Hartley to walk easily onto the new series were surprised to find a stranger in their midst. From co-starring roles as a prostitute on Hung to a firefighter on Private Practice, Stephen Amell takes on the role of the Green Arrow, Oliver Queen, and Katie Cassidy comes off a long line of less than savory characters to play the sweet girl that got away, Dinah “Laurel” Lance. Find out what they had to say about the show and their characters after the jump.
Laurel seems to be somebody who really wants to do good by people with the CNRI and things like that. Can you talk about that and why it’s so important to her?
arrow katie cassidyCASSIDY: I feel like at a really young age she sort of had to take care of her sister and her father. She seems to have lost her mother at a young age and became a caretaker. After taking on that role she wanted to become a lawyer and she tries to see the best in everyone. I think she’s very, very driven, has a good heart and really really strong morals and values and wants everyone to live up to them as she does. Oliver and her obviously had a pretty huge history and as angry in her heart as she has been at him, she does have it in her heart to forgive him, but has to go through the process to get there.
What attracts her to Tommy Merlyn?
CASSIDY: I think Tommy was there for her when Oliver disappeared. It affected both of them and it was a huge loss and they sort of leaned on each other as a shoulder to lean on. I think when they grew up together it was the three of them. He was the best friend. Once Tommy disappeared, she looked to him and he was there, he took advantage, but he was there. He’ll never be Oliver to her, nobody will ever be Oliver but Oliver. I think there were a few nights, maybe they were romantically involved, but for Laurel I don’t think it was ever anything too serious.
As we know, the comic book universe is very wide. Is there any chance that Laurel might end up being Black Canary or if not a super hero at least join the fight?
CASSIDY: Please take notes! Katie wants to fight. I think that she does get involved in the action story part of it. As Oliver is out there plotting and fighting crime, she will become a part of it, but as far as becoming a super hero, I don’t know.
If there was something that you wanted them to write something into the script for you what would it be?
CASSIDY: I don’t know. Probably that! Maybe if Oliver sort of took her under his wing and teaches her. That would be awesome.
So how is your character feeling about her sister now? It’s been five years since her supposed death. Is she coming to terms with that?
CASSIDY: You know, as much as one can. Having been betrayed by someone and then losing them. I have two sisters and thinking about that, if one of them betrayed me that way and then died, I think I would quickly forgive her. Whatever she did to me wouldn’t even matter. If I saw that dude again and one of my sisters was gone, yeah, it would not be good!
Was there anything you were really excited about doing in the pilot as an actor?
CASSIDY: Just someone real, and grounded and centered. For me, Laurel is almost angelic, if that makes sense. She is just so pure and honest, and I’ve played so many bad girls in the past it’s nice to get to be able to play a character like this.
Credit: collider.com/