It was nearly 8pm on a Friday, but Katie Cassidy’s workday was just beginning on my recent visit to the Vancouver set of Arrow, as a long night of shooting was planned. With a tight schedule for the actress that night due to production demands, she offered for myself and other visiting press to interview under unusual and amusing circumstances – as she was having her hair done to be ready for camera as Dinah Laurel Lance.
Cassidy spoke about Laurel's evolving perspective on Arrow himself, some big episodes to come and the looming question of when and how she might transform into Black Canary.
Question: What can you tease about you’re filming today?
Katie Cassidy: In what we’re filming today [for episode 13], you definitely get to see some more of the relationship between Laurel and the Arrow. You’ll see a lot of betrayal going on.
Question: Do they bump into each other for this latest encounter, or does one seek out the other?
Cassidy: You’ll have to find out. I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s very interesting.
IGN TV: Stephen [Amell] said that episode 13 has a big ending. He was very surprised by it. Did you have the same reaction to it?
Cassidy: Yeah, this episode is a big episode for Laurel. There’s a lot of action and a lot of things happening. There’s a huge, huge ending that I’m really excited about that I think we shoot next week. We’re going to be on night shoots for a bit, so it’s kind of fun to have those scenes that are kind of eerie and dark. I don’t know, I kind of love night shifts too. There’s something that’s not right about it that I love. [Laughs] But there’s a huge ending, and this episode is so cool. I think it might be one of my favorites.
Question: Even though Oliver threw you off the scent a couple weeks ago, do you think that it’s still in the back of Laurel’s mind still that he could be the guy?
Cassidy: I don’t think that Laurel is thinking that at the moment. I think she has two different relationships, a different relationship with Arrow than she has with Oliver. I think right now she’s sort of learning herself that maybe going through the law isn’t necessarily always morally where her head is. She’s often caught between her head and her heart. She’s open to new ideas at the moment.
Question: Does that mean Tommy is going to have a better chance of worming his way in?
Cassidy: I think that there’s maybe some opportunity with Laurel. Her guard’s down, and if someone is persistent, I think that there could be an opportunity for Tommy at some point. I think she’s certainly becoming more open to new ideas.
IGN: The Arrow is in Starling City, but now characters like Huntress and others are running around in costumes. What does your character make of all this, especially because she’s already representing a very different side of the law?
Cassidy: I’m not sure how much Laurel is aware of all the other characters at this moment. Again, her relationship with the Arrow, you see it develop to where she’s open to it. She’s accepting of him. She sees that he’s doing good -- maybe not through the law, but she still sees it as “Okay, he’s taking care of the bad guys.” So the fact that she’s open to it and accepting of it says a lot about her, especially as a character for her to grow off of this law that she stands for. You’ll also get to see a chance for her and her father. Her father’s the one who’s always instilled in her “Follow the law, go by the book,” very blue-collar, he’s a cop. I think you’ll get a chance to see that relationship be challenged from what goes on with the Arrow, what goes on with Oliver. That relationship certainly gets heated and difficult. They start to sort of stand off, there’s a little bit of a standoff between Laurel and her father. She’s finding her way, without being influenced by anyone. She’s standing for what she believes; not her father, not the Arrow, just her.
Question: What can you say about the Christmas episode?
Cassidy: There’s obviously a lot of emotion that goes on. It’s a hard time. Again, I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s certainly an emotional episode for Laurel and her father. Paul [Blackthorne] and I work really well together because we like to create backstory and talk it out. It’s awesome. There’s a lot going on, but it’s a cool episode.
IGN: Would you like to see her find out Oliver’s secret sooner than later?
Cassidy: I really like the relationship that she sees them as two different people right now. I really enjoy the relationship with the Arrow. It’s really fun as an actor. It’s really challenging as an actor, too, because I forget how much I play off the other person. Arrow, I can’t see his face. Any time I’m working with him, I get nothing. As an actor, I realized how difficult that was when we first shot episode four on the rooftop. I was like, “Aaaahhh! This is driving me crazy!” But it’s cool because it’s a different technique, and it’s fun to learn.
Question: How would you quantify her interest in Arrow? Is she obsessed, curious?
Cassidy: I think there’s this magnetic, almost sexual tension between the two of them. I feel like she’s curious. I think she just wants to know. I think she likes to figure people out; she reads people. She’s a lawyer, she has to. There’s just this magnetic energy when he’s around. It moves her. She can’t breathe, and it’s almost like she’s a deer in the headlights sometimes. I say this to Stephen sometimes. I just can’t help it. I started to see it, and I go, “Do I look like a deer in the headlights when I look at you? This is just what happens.” He goes, “Yeah, sometimes you have that wide-eyed stare.” I’m like, “Oh, good! That’s what I thought was going on.” But that’s just what happens. It’s what moves me into it.
Question: Does what he does give her a charge?
Cassidy: He completely charges her, and she so wants to know how he does it, who he is. I think she wants to be a part of it.
IGN: Obviously, people are always wondering, “When is she going to be Black Canary?” Do you think a step in the metamorphosis is her saying, “Well, he’s doing something. He’s helping fight crime in a way that I never thought of.” Is that something she might look to as inspiration?
Cassidy: It definitely could be. I actually have no idea. That’s where our writers are sort of figuring it out, we’re figuring it out. But the fact that she’s letting her guard down and she’s actually having a relationship with the Arrow is a good step in the right direction.
Question: Do you have any fun scenes with Jessica [De Gouw]?
Cassidy: Yes, you will see Laurel and Helena interact in this next episode [airing this week], episode eight. I won’t say how, but there’s an interaction.
Question: Any Birds of Prey references?
Cassidy: You’ll see. Tune in. It’s a really good episode. My favorite episode - I really liked four and five, and I think this last episode was really good.
Question: Are there any other episodes that have really stood out to you?
Cassidy: The one that aired with Tommy and I -- it might have been six, actually -- at the gala when he throws Laurel a charity. That was really fun. I thought that was a really good episode. Then 13 is just badass. It’s so good. It makes me so excited. I love shooting episodes like this. I love waking up to go to work! It feels good.
Question: This show has quickly become quite a hit for the network. What do you think it is that quickly struck a chord with people?
Cassidy: You know, I think there’s a really nice balance between this action show, this show that’s so big -- it’s like a movie every week -- and it’s action-packed, it’s based off a comic book. But they did a really nice job with the parallel of it being accessible to people who were uneducated with the comic book. You can watch the show and not necessarily have to read the comics to get invested in the show. I think they did a really nice job of keeping it grounded and keeping it real. It’s very character-driven. It’s not just this superhero show. You have real people in real-life situations, real characters, other things going on. I think it appeals to both men and women. It’s also a huge age demographic because you have the Thea Queen story and the Moria story, then you have the Laurel story and the Green Arrow. I feel like a family could sit down and watch it, parents with their kids, and they could all enjoy something, which is nice. I really hope, if anything, I could say more families get into it together and spend more time together. I want it to be a show that brings people together. I feel like we don’t have enough face time and time to actually sit and watch TV and hang out. So I think this show is certainly something that families can watch and everyone can enjoy.
Arrow airs Wednesdays at 8pm on The CW.
Eric Goldman is Executive Editor of IGN TV. You can follow him on Twitter at @EricIGN and IGN at ericgoldman-ign.
Source : ign[dot]com
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