Katie Cassidy stars as lawyer Laurel Lance in the CTV action series Arrow, which premieres its second season Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 8 p.m.
The series based on DC Comics’ Green Arrow follows crime fighter and billionaire playboy Oliver Queen (played by Toronto’s Stephen Amell), who is also Laurel’s love interest.
Cassidy, 26, didn’t grow up in the spotlight, but she does know a bit about fame. She happens to be the daughter of former teen heartthrob David Cassidy of The Partridge Family. The Star caught up with her in Toronto.
Q: Arrow has been a bona fide hit. But did you think one more superhero series would fly in this kind of oversaturated environment where everyone seems to have a superpower?
A: I honestly had no idea. My gut said it would. After reading the script, all the pieces were there, but you never know if the world is ready to see a show like this. We are really lucky and really fortunate it all worked out.
Q: In the season finale, one of the major characters gets knocked off in an explosion, which shocked a lot of viewers. Did you see that coming?
A: Yeah, it was definitely a shock. We found out a couple episodes beforehand, so it was obviously very sad. It definitely was a shock, but we needed something to have that impact to have something completely unexpected and it became a huge cliffhanger for Season 2.
Q: Your character Laurel finally hooks up with Oliver Queen in the season finale. Where do you think this is going to go?
A: Things are definitely always changing in television. For what Laurel has gone through in life, she has certainly had a huge arc. It’s opened her eyes to see things from a different perspective. I definitely think emotionally she’s taken on a lot. She lost her sister, she lost the love of her life and then he shows back up, her mother comes back, then leaves again, and now her boyfriend has passed away. There will likely be a lot of darkness and emotion that she has to go through. As far as her relationship with Oliver and where they go, it’s up to (creator) Andrew Kreisberg.
Q: But where do you think it should go?
A: I definitely think it worked when it was a will they, won’t they kind of dance, back and forth. It’s almost like that Dawson’s Creek theme, where you want Dawson to get together with Joey so bad, it just keeps the audience wanting more. I would eventually like to see them together. They have a star-crossed lover type aspect to them. But after all she’s gone through, I don’t even know how you get to that place.
Q: What was it like having David Cassidy as a father? How did you react to seeing him mobbed by fans?
A: I didn’t grow up with my father. I grew up with my mother and stepdad, so I never really experienced that thing. That’s the only thing I know. I really didn’t see any of that craziness.
Q: Your dad seems so grounded decades later that I was going to ask you for advice for the Justin Biebers of the world. As you know, he’s not been getting the best press lately.
A: That’s hilarious. I guess he should stay humble, stay grounded. What you do doesn’t define who you are. At least for me, this is my passion and my job, but it doesn’t make me who I am. I like to think I’m normal and have a good head on my shoulders.
Credit: thestar.com
