CBR: Katie On Being The Black Canary

Written by owner on January 20 2015

It’s all about good news for Katie Cassidy these days.

Just as CBR News was sitting down with the actress to take about Laurel Lance’s long-awaited transformation from crusading D.A. into the full-blown superhero Black Canary (assuming the role from her late sister Sara), even more glad tidings came Cassidy’s way as she learned that “Arrow” had just been renewed for a fourth season.

To say Cassidy was in an upbeat mood was an understatement, especially after having the thrilling prospect of becoming TV’s incarnation of comics superstar Black Canary — first dangled before her by the producers when she first entertained the notion of joining the series two and a half seasons ago — finally came to pass, as she reveals in her chat with CBR.

CBR News: Congratulations on the renewal! What does it mean to you to know that this cool job of yours is going to keep going?
Katie Cassidy: I love it! I mean, we have such a wonderful cast and such a wonderful group of people — honestly, you become a family. I’m so happy and grateful and lucky to be working with everyone.

Speaking of the family, tell me what it means for your character to be without Oliver this season.
On January 21, you will see Laurel in the suit and becoming Black Canary — but just because she suited up doesn’t necessarily mean she’s good, first of all. But it’s part of her journey. In Season Three, she goes from avenging her sister’s death, to honoring to her sister, to basically becoming her sister, but her own version of it. And she really steps up to the plate, I think. Now that Oliver’s gone, [she] takes the reins and is like, “I got this.” She’s a strong woman, and I think she’s going to kick some butt.

Your costume’s been a long time coming, From the beginning of the series, everybody wondered if, when, how? So what did it mean for you to finally get to this point?
Yeah, I mean, it’s truly an honor. When I originally sat down and met with Greg [Berlanti] and Mark [Guggenheim] and Andrew [Kreisberg], they pitched me the characters attached to the show. And they had said Black Canary, and I was, like, over the moon. I wanted to do something action-packed. I thought that was great. And then it’s television — anything can happen. But Season Two, obviously, they brought my sister back, and she was the Canary. It was disappointing at first, but they explained to me, and it really made sense.

I’m actually happy that it worked out this way because they were like, “You can’t just come become a hero overnight. You have to earn it.” Oliver was on an island for five years. Laurel can’t just all of a sudden wake up one day, put on the suit and turn into the Black Canary. She has to earn it. I feel as though Season Two, she really hit rock bottom, and the writers really wrote for me, which I totally appreciate. She’s earning it. She’s training. She’s fighting. She’s following her heart, and she’s going out there on the streets. She’s doing what she believes in.