Last week, we visited the set of The CW’s Arrow and spoke with members of the cast, including Katie Cassidy, whose character Laurel has become more and more of a part of the action, especially in the wake of the death of Laurel’s sister, Sara.
We have video of the interview which you can find at the bottom of this article; if you’re a reader, though, we have highlights for you, beginning with some talk answering the question of “how did Laurel get Sara’s bodydown to the Foundry, anyway?”
Surprisingly, due to technical issues, the sequence had to be reshot, and it was originally staged in a different way. “Having to reshoot a scene like that is very, very difficult, and I was like ‘oh, great. Let’s go through this again’,” Katie told us, alluding to the emotional drain that comes with a character losing her sister and friend, in this case for a second time. “Originally, I had Caity in my arms, and I was crying, and walking with her, but obviously that wasn’t in the show, and that happens with timing and stuff, they have to cut stuff, but I actually could carry her, believe it or not. It was really awkward and hard, but it helped my performance. And Laurel’s been training, so she’s kind of buff,” she continued.
That training with a new character named Ted Grant, played by J.R. Ramirez, involves Laurel learning how to box. In the comics, Ted Grant, also known as Wildcat, trained Dinah Laurel Lance to become the Black Canary. Laurel’s quest to get her sister’s killer is not necessarily going to get Oliver’s support. Having said that, “Laurel is very strong, and I think that she stands for what she believes in, and she’s a warrior. She’s a survivor. And I think hopefully, she will be able to prove it to him, and I think hopefully, he will be on her side, and support her, but who knows,” Katie said. We also shouldn’t count out future appearances by Caity Lotz as Sara. “I’m not sure exactly where or what, but I know that Caity – she is a very big part of this season, and their relationship, and Laurel’s journey, I’m not sure in what aspect they’re having her back, whether it’s a flashback or not, I haven’t seen anything. I’m sure that the writers have a lot planned for her, but they don’t necessarily always tell us,” Katie explained.
Could all of this lead to more interactions with Team Arrow? Katie, whose schedule has completely flipped to include night shoots, certainly hopes so. “It’s really cool and it’s really fun, and I’m really happy to get to be a part of more of the A story, and the action, and being in the Foundry. It was interesting, last season, when I first started shooting here [in the Foundry set], because I didn’t even know where the Foundry was on the stage, because I never shot here. It was always Laurel’s apartment, which was always torn apart and then put back together the following week!” she exclaimed. “I certainly hope that she will continue to be a part of Team Arrow, and more significant.”
“Honestly, I am so grateful, and so lucky, and so happy,” Katie said about Laurel’s journey in Season 3. “I’m having a blast, and it was really crazy one day and all of the sudden I had biceps! I was like ‘oh! Okay. I have shoulders and biceps! This is awesome’!” The next step after those biceps is to actually become the Black Canary, right? If so, how will Katie’s version of the heroine differ from the one played by Caity Lotz?
“The thing is, Caity was the Canary, and that was her take on it,” Katie said. “I think she very much possibly inspires Laurel to take over the role of the Black Canary. With Laurel, I think from Season 2 to Season 3, you can see physically a change in her, and then also, I mean, yes, [Laurel] is emotional, and cries a lot, but I do feel like she’s a very strong person, and I do feel like she has the drive, and the strength, and I think that she would have that strength that Caity was, but more internally.”
You can see our video interview with Katie Cassidy below. Come back soon for more interviews, check out the next new episode of Arrow on Wednesday, October 22 (it features the start of Laurel’s training!), and read more about Arrow at our Arrow portal, GreenArrowTV!
Disclaimer: Travel arrangements for our Vancouver trip were provided by Warner Bros. Television.
8 Comments
Laurel’s presence with Team Arrow is so contrived. I cannot stand her character, and fear she will drag the whole show down with her increased presence.
Great article! I’m really looking forward to Laurel’s Black Canary storyline this season, and I know that many more fans feel the same way. The writers are clearly planning to include her on team Arrow together with Roy, regardless of the protests of the “not-so-original Team Arrow” naysayers/shipper fans.
As for Laurel Lance and her storyline dragging the show down, I have heard more online complaints about the somewhat light-switched season three Olicity romance, and the focus on Felicity Smoak and her love life, than about Laurel’s storyline. What more, if we’re talking about ratings, there is no sign that MOAR Felicity and Olicity will bring in the masses, and that more Laurel will drive them away. Some people claim that Laurel’s mere presence brought down the ratings in “Sara”, but since the “Sara” promos were more focused on Olicity and Felicity than on anything else, there is no way the general viewer could have known much about the content (especially since the great majority to search the Internet for spoilers). Besides, Felicity had a large presence in “Sara” as well, and her fans even got a “moment” in the “Arrowcave”, so this ep wasn’t really Laurel-centric (unless giving Laurel/KC more than 5 minutes of screen time makes an ep Laurel-centric!).
Anyway, as long as the writers focus on giving us a good action show and good character development, I’m sure that the general viewer will enjoy season three I mean, general viewers are usually less fixated on specific characters and storylines than the online (shipper) fandom.
Katie is amazing, I can’t wait to see Laurel as Black Canary!
So tired of people bagging on Laurel and Katie Cassidy simply because her character has realistic reactions to loved ones dying and to being betrayed by people. It’s so ridiculous. At the same time they rave about Sara who was a character that not only slept with her sister’s boyfriend, but seemed to fully enjoy betraying her sister in such a way and then she comes back and basically says; “Oh yeah, I’m alive and I’m already rotating on top of Oliver again. Get used to all of it right now! Now I wanna go kill some people”. Yeah, not sorry that Sara is gone and I can’t wait for Laurel to become the REAL Black Canary!
Still unsure about her journey into become the black canary, the plot is too forced so she can be the black canary. The storyline about Thea training in Corto Maltese with Malcom Merlyn is more make sense than Laurel training with Ted Grant and become a kick ass superhero. But we only can wait and see, i hope Laurel storyline this season is great because what happen to Laurel in season 2 is far from great.
Great interview! Laurel’s storyline is one of the things that got me most excited for this season!
Guys I’m excited for Laurel’s transformation. I hear people constantly trashing Laurel for wanting to become black canary. Why is it ok for Diggle to work with Oliver to kill Deadshot in season one but Laurel can’t take boxing lessons to get stronger to get her sister back. People just hate on Laurel for no reason. You complained that she doesn’t do anything yet now she is apart of team arrow you still complain. If you don’t like laurel’s expanded role mute her when she is on screen or fast forward on your DVR. Stop complaint on comments sections! By the way screw Olicity! #Nolicity
Ok. You all remember that Black Canary is one of the best fighters in the DC Universe. She is tougher than Green Arrow. She is the leader of the Birds of Prey and one of the leaders in the Justice League. She is no joke. I just don’t see how that will happen in this story line in such a short period of time from a few boxing lessons. It seems like anybody that has a bad day, a strong jaw line and a good workout partner can become a super hero.