Emily Bett Rickards | |
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Born | British Columbia, Canada | July 24, 1991
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 2009–present |
Signature | |
Emily Bett Rickards (born July 24, 1991) [1] is a Canadian actress. She is known for her role as Felicity Smoak on The CW series Arrow , her first television credit. She has also reprised the role in the Arrowverse shows The Flash , Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl and voiced the character on the animated web series Vixen .
Rickards was born and raised in British Columbia. Her mother is Dr. Diane Greig, a dream psychotherapist in Vancouver. [2] [3] [4]
At a young age, she was introduced to musical theatre and dance. Graduating early from high school, she attended the Vancouver Film School, completing their acting essentials program. Following completion, she attended an open call audition, gaining an agent. [5] She studied at the Alida Vocal Studio in Vancouver. [6] Rickards made her first professional appearance in 2009, starring in the video for the Nickelback single "Never Gonna Be Alone". [7]
Rickards breakthrough role came in 2012 with her first television casting, as Felicity Smoak in the CW television series Arrow , which is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow. [8] Originally signed as a one-episode guest star, [9] positive reaction from her co-star, show-lead Stephen Amell, [10] and from Warner Brothers executive Peter Roth [11] [12] as well as from journalists at preview screenings, [13] led to Rickards being signed as a recurring star for the rest of the show's first season. The success of the character saw her signed as a series regular from the second season onwards. [9] [14] [15] Speaking in 2013 about that decision, Arrow Executive Producer Marc Guggenheim stated "we were very lucky that we cast Emily Rickards, who just lit up the screen." [16] In March 2019, Rickards announced that she would be leaving Arrow at the end of the show's seventh season. [17] In November 2019 Rickards was confirmed as a guest star for Arrow's series finale. [18]
Throughout the series run, Rickards received praise for her performance in the role, often described as the show's "fan favourite" [19] or "breakout" [20] character, with many critics describing the character, and Rickards, as an integral part of the show's success. [21] Notably her delivery of the monologue in the season six episode "We Fall" won her particular praise. [22] Rickards was nominated for multiple Teen Choice and Leo Awards for the role, and in 2016, her portrayal of the character was placed at number 15 in a list of 50 Favourite Female Characters, in a poll of Hollywood professionals conducted by The Hollywood Reporter . [23]
Rickards also portrayed the character in the spin-off shows to the series (collectively known as the Arrowverse) The Flash , [24] Legends of Tomorrow [25] and Supergirl , [26] as well as providing the voice for the character on animated show Vixen . [27] In 2013, she portrayed Felicity in web-based promotional tie-in series Blood Rush , sponsored by Bose, which also featured the characters of Roy Harper (Colton Haynes) and Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne). [28]
In March 2014, Rickards was cast in the sequel to Cowgirls 'n Angels , entitled Cowgirls 'n Angels: Dakota's Summer , as Kristen Rose, the sister of the film's protagonist, Dakota, portrayed by Haley Ramm. The film premiered at the 2014 Dallas International Film Festival. [29] In 2015, she had a supporting role in the Oscar nominated film Brooklyn . [30] In 2016, she appeareed in Slumber in 2016, starring Darby Stanchfield and Meaghan Rath. Filming took place in Los Angeles in May 2016. [31] She also appeared in Axis . [32] The film won the prize for outstanding achievement, feature film at the 2017 Newport Beach Film Festival. [33] [34] She also appeared in the super-hero themed short film Sidekick, directed by Arrowverse alum Jeff Cassidy. [35]
In 2017, she appeared in the comedy, Funny Story . [36] It was runner-up at the Slamdance Film Festival in January 2018, [37] in the festival's 'Beyond' programme. [38] It won the Stolman audience award for best American indie at the 2018 Sonoma International Film Festival; [39] the audience award for best narrative feature at the Vero Beach Wine and Film Festival; [40] best feature at the Santorini Film Festival; [41] and the grand jury prize at the Barcelona Film Festival. [42] At the Southampton International Film Festival, Rickards was nominated for leading actress in a feature. In May 2019, she appeared in the indie film, We Need to Talk, [43] co-starring James Maslow, and written and directed by Todd Wolfe. It was an official selection at the FirstGlance Film Festival in Philadelphia, in November 2020 [44] and Rickards was named best actress in a feature. [45] In 2024, Rickards reunited with Arrow co-star Stephen Amell in the western Calamity Jane, a fictionalized story based around the life of Martha Jane Canary, known as Calamity Jane. [46]
In early 2016, she appeared in the Canadian web-series Paranormal Solutions, which was launched online in April of the same year. [47] In June, she appeared in an episode of the fifth season of IFC comedy Comedy Bang! Bang! . [48] In May 2018, appeared in Reborning for Reality Curve Theatre Group, at the Annex Theatre in Vancouver. [49] The production premiered on June 20, 2018. [50] In April 2019, she reprised her role in Reality Curve's Off-Broadway production at New York's SoHo Playhouse, in July and August of the same year. [51] [52] In September 2018, she narrated an audiobook of The Wicked Ones, originally published as part of the Ghosts of the Shadow Market anthology. [53]
In 2016, Rickards launched a T-shirt campaign in support of the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) through the crowd funding merchandise site Represent.com, with all proceeds going to the charity. [54]
During season four of Arrow, her character was paralyzed from the waist down following a shooting incident, later regaining the ability to walk through the use of a prototype microchip. Rickards filmed a PSA in conjunction with the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation advocating for advancements in the treatment of spinal injuries. [55]
In February 2019, the Vancouver Film School announced the "Emily Bett Rickards Acting Scholarship", a partnership between the school and Rickards, to fund a full scholarship for the school's acting programs, as well as partial funding of $250,000 for other students. She will select the scholarship recipients. [56]
Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Bacon and Eggs | Dite | Short film | |
2012 | Flicka: Country Pride | Mary Malone | Direct-to-video | |
2012 | Random Acts of Romance | Young wife | ||
2014 | Cowgirls 'n Angels: Dakota's Summer | Kristen Rose | ||
2015 | Normal Doors | Meg | Short film | |
2015 | Brooklyn | Patty McGuire | ||
2016 | Sidekick | Emma / The Princess | Short film | |
2017 | Axis | Caitlin | Voice | |
2018 | Funny Story | Kim | ||
2018 | The Clinic | Stevens | ||
2020 | We Need to Talk | Amber | [44] | |
2023 | Autumn and the Black Jaguar | Anja Shymore | Filming [57] | |
2023 | Queen of the Ring | Mildred Burke | Filming [58] | |
2024 | Calamity Jane | Calamity Jane | [59] | |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2012–2020 | Arrow | Felicity Smoak / Overwatch | Recurring role (season 1), main role (seasons 2–7), special guest role (season 8) [18] |
2013 | Romeo Killer: The Chris Porco Story | Lauren Phillps | Television film |
2014–2017 | The Flash | Felicity Smoak | Recurring role, 8 episodes |
2016–2017 | Legends of Tomorrow | Felicity Smoak | Recurring role, 4 episodes |
2016 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Becky Simmons | Episode: "Joe Jonas Wears a Maroon and Gold Letterman Jacket with White Sneakers" |
2016 | Whose Line Is It Anyway? | Herself | Episode: "Emily Bett Rickards" |
2016 | Superhero Fight Club 2.0 | Felicity Smoak | Short promo video |
2017 | Supergirl | Felicity Smoak | Episode: "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 1" |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | Soldiers of the Apocalypse | Fourty | Main role, 8 episodes |
2013 | Blood Rush | Felicity Smoak | Main role, 6 episodes |
2015 | Very Mallory | Herself (voice) | Episode: "Emily Bett Rickards" |
2015–2016 | Vixen | Felicity Smoak (voice) | 2 episodes |
2016 | Paranormal Solutions Inc. | Genevieve Kreme | 8 episodes |
Year | Title | Role | Artist | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | "Never Gonna Be Alone" | Woman | Nickelback | [7] |
2017 | "Sunday Morning" | Herself | Herself and Travis Atreo | [60] |
Year | Title | Role | Venue | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Reborning | Kelly | Annex Theatre, Vancouver | [49] |
2019 | SoHo Playhouse, New York | [51] |
Year | Title | Role | Author | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | The Wicked Ones | Narrator | Cassandra Clare and Robin Wasserman | Released for digital download in September 2018. Part of The Mortal Instruments series. |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Funny Story | Southampton International Film Festival | Leading Actress in a Feature | Nominated | [61] |
2020 | We Need To Talk | FirstGlance Film Festival Philadelphia | Best Actress (Feature Film) | Won | [45] |
Best Ensemble Cast (Feature) | Won |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Arrow | UBCP/ACTRA Awards | Best Newcomer | Nominated | [62] |
2014 | Leo Awards | Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | [63] | ||
Teen Choice Awards | Female Breakout Star | [64] | |||
2015 | The Flash | Leo Awards | Best Guest Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | [65] | |
Arrow | Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | ||||
MTV Fandom Awards | Ship of the Year (with Stephen Amell) | Won | [66] | ||
Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress – Fantasy/Sci-Fi | Nominated | [67] | ||
Choice TV Liplock (with Stephen Amell) | |||||
2016 | Leo Awards | Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | [68] | ||
MTV Fandom Awards | Ship of the Year (with Stephen Amell) | Won | [69] | ||
Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress – Fantasy/Sci-Fi | Nominated | [70] | ||
Choice TV Liplock (with Stephen Amell) | |||||
2017 | Leo Awards | Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | [71] | ||
Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress – Action | [72] | |||
2018 | Choice TV Actress – Action | [73] | |||
Choice TV Ship (with Stephen Amell) | |||||
2019 | Choice TV Actress – Action | [74] |
Arrow is an American superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is the first series of the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other related television series. The series premiered in the United States on The CW on October 10, 2012, and ran for eight seasons until January 28, 2020. Arrow was primarily filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Oliver Queen, also known by his alter-ego as the Green Arrow, is a fictional character in The CW's Arrowverse franchise, first introduced in the 2012 pilot episode of the television series Arrow. The character is based on the DC Comics character of the same name, created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and was adapted for television in 2012 by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg. Stephen Amell portrayed Oliver Queen, with Jacob Hoppenbrouwer portraying a young Oliver.
Felicity Smoak is a fictional character appearing in comics published by DC Comics. Her first appearance was in The Fury of Firestorm #23, created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Rafael Kayanan. She was originally the manager of a computer software firm who opposed the superhero Firestorm because of his recklessness, eventually becoming the second wife of Edward Raymond and stepmother to Ronnie Raymond, one-half of the integrated dual identity of the superhero.
The first season of the American action television series Arrow premiered on The CW on October 10, 2012, at 8:00 pm (ET) and concluded on May 15, 2013, with a total of 23 episodes, after the network ordered a full season on October 22, 2012. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series. The showrunners for this season were Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg. Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen, with principal cast members Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance, Colin Donnell as Tommy Merlyn, David Ramsey as John Diggle, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, Susanna Thompson as Moira Queen, and Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance.
"Green Arrow" is the premiere of the fourth season and seventieth overall episode, of the American television series Arrow, originally broadcast on The CW. Based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, the series follows the story of billionaire vigilante Oliver Queen who returns home after five years supposedly stranded on a Pacific island, featuring flashback sequences to his time away. The series is part of the Arrowverse franchise, alongside spin-off shows The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, Batwoman and other associated media. At the start of the fourth season, the character is attempting to start a new life away from vigilantism in Ivy Town, alongside girlfriend Felicity Smoak. The episode marks the first time that the vigilante persona of Oliver Queen is referred to by his comic book alias of "Green Arrow". It is also the first episode in the series to feature a flash forward sequence as well as the established flashback sequences. The episode was written by season four showrunners Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle, developed from a story written by Greg Berlanti and Beth Schwartz and directed by Thor Freudenthal. It was first broadcast in the United States on October 7, 2015, on The CW.
The fourth season of the American television series Arrow premiered on The CW on October 7, 2015, and concluded on May 25, 2016, with a total of 23 episodes. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series. The showrunners for this season were Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle. Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen, with principal cast members Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance, David Ramsey as John Diggle, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak, John Barrowman as Malcolm Merlyn and Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance also returning from previous seasons.
The fifth season of the American television series Arrow premiered on The CW on October 5, 2016, and concluded on May 24, 2017, with a total of 23 episodes. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series. The showrunners for this season were Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle. Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen, with principal cast members David Ramsey as John Diggle, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak, and Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance also returning from previous seasons. They are joined by Echo Kellum as Curtis Holt, who was promoted to a series regular from his recurring status in the previous season, and new cast member Josh Segarra.
The third season of the American television series Arrow premiered on The CW on October 8, 2014, and concluded on May 13, 2015, with a total of 23 episodes. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series. The showrunners for this season were Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg. Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen, with principal cast members Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance, David Ramsey as John Diggle, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak, Colton Haynes as Roy Harper, John Barrowman as Malcolm Merlyn and Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance also returning from previous seasons.
The sixth season of the American television series Arrow premiered on The CW on October 12, 2017, and concluded on May 17, 2018, with a total of 23 episodes. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series. The showrunners for this season were Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle. Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen, with principal cast members David Ramsey as John Diggle, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak, Echo Kellum as Curtis Holt and Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance also returning from previous seasons. Katie Cassidy, a principal cast member from seasons one to four and a guest actor for season five, was reinstated as a series regular for the sixth season as Laurel Lance / Black Siren. They are joined by Rick Gonzalez as Rene Ramirez and Juliana Harkavy as Dinah Drake, who were promoted to series regulars from their recurring status in the previous season.
"The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak" is the fifth episode of the third season, and fifty-first overall episode, of the American television series Arrow, originally broadcast on The CW. Based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, the series follows the story of billionaire vigilante Oliver Queen, portrayed by Canadian actor Stephen Amell, who returns home after five years supposedly stranded on a Pacific island, featuring flashback sequences to his time away. The series is part of the Arrowverse franchise, alongside spin-off shows The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, Batwoman and other associated media. This episode is notable as the first Arrow episode to feature flashback sequences centered entirely on a character other than Oliver Queen, focusing instead on the backstory of the character Felicity Smoak, played by Emily Bett Rickards. The episode was written by Ben Sokolowski and Brian Ford Sullivan and directed by Michael Schultz. It premiered in the United States on The CW on November 5, 2014.
The seventh season of the American television series Arrow premiered on The CW on October 15, 2018, and concluded on May 13, 2019, with a total of 22 episodes. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series. The showrunner for this season was Beth Schwartz. Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen, with principal cast members David Ramsey as John Diggle, Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak, Echo Kellum as Curtis Holt, Rick Gonzalez as Rene Ramirez, Juliana Harkavy as Dinah Drake, and Katie Cassidy Rodgers as Laurel Lance also returning from previous seasons. Colton Haynes, a principal cast member for seasons two and three and a special guest actor for seasons four and six, was reinstated as a series regular for the seventh season as Roy Harper. They are joined by Kirk Acevedo as Ricardo Diaz, who was promoted to a series regular from his recurring status in the previous season, and new cast member Sea Shimooka.
"Haunted" is the fifth episode of the fourth season of the American television series Arrow, based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, revolving around billionaire playboy Oliver Queen as he returns to Starling City, after having been shipwrecked for five years, and becomes a bow-wielding, hooded vigilante who sets out to fight crime and corruption. It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe. The episode was written by Brian Ford Sullivan and Oscar Balderrama, and directed by John Badham.
Felicity Megan Smoak, also known by her code name Overwatch, is a fictional character in The CW's Arrowverse franchise. The character was first introduced in 2012 in the first season of the television series Arrow, which is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow. The series follows the story of billionaire Oliver Queen, who returns home after five years supposedly stranded on a remote Pacific island and becomes a vigilante on a quest to save his city. Felicity is based on the comic book character of the same name, created by Gerry Conway and Rafael Kayanan and was adapted for television by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg. Felicity was portrayed by Canadian actress Emily Bett Rickards between 2012 and 2020. Initially cast as a one-episode guest star in the first season of Arrow, she returned as a recurring character in the same season, and was promoted to series regular from season two. Rickards stepped away from the show at the end of season seven, but returned in a guest capacity for the finale of Arrow's eighth and final season. She has also featured in the spin-off shows The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and web series Vixen, as well as appearing in Supergirl. The character appears in the Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham video game as part of the Arrow DLC pack, and is one of the protagonists of the Arrow and The Flash tie-in novels and comics.
"The Dragon" is the nineteenth episode of the sixth season, and 134th episode overall of The CW series Arrow. Unlike most Arrow episodes, and as the promotional pictures released prior to its airing hinted, "The Dragon" features minimal participation from the main cast members. Stephen Amell, Emily Bett Rickards and Echo Kellum are only briefly seen as the plot focuses on main antagonist Ricardo Diaz's quest of becoming a crime lord. Katie Cassidy is the only main cast member to receive significant screen time due to her character aiding Diaz in his journey; none of the other main cast members appear despite being credited.
The eighth and final season of the American television series Arrow premiered on The CW on October 15, 2019, and concluded on January 28, 2020, with a total of ten episodes. The series is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed vigilante created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series and associated media. Executive producers Marc Guggenheim and Beth Schwartz returned as co-showrunners for this season.
"Star City 2040" is the sixteenth episode of the seventh season of the American television series Arrow, based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, revolving around billionaire playboy Oliver Queen as he returns to Starling City, after having been shipwrecked for five years, and becomes a bow-wielding, hooded vigilante who sets out to fight crime and corruption. It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe. The episode was written by showrunner Beth Schwartz and Oscar Balderrama and directed by James Bamford.
"Fadeout" is the series finale of the American TV series Arrow, based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, revolving around billionaire playboy Oliver Queen as he returns to Starling City, after having been shipwrecked for five years, and becomes a bow-wielding, hooded vigilante who sets out to fight crime and corruption. It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe. The tenth episode of the eighth season and the 170th overall of the series, it was written by showrunners Marc Guggenheim & Beth Schwartz, and directed by James Bamford.
"Welcome to Hong Kong" is the second episode of the eighth season of the American television series Arrow, based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, revolving around billionaire playboy Oliver Queen as he returns to Starling City, after having been shipwrecked for five years, and becomes a bow-wielding, hooded vigilante who sets out to fight crime and corruption. It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe. The episode was written by Jill Blankenship and Sarah Tarkoff, and directed by Antonio Negret.
Calamity Jane is a 2024 Western film directed by Terry Miles and starring Emily Bett Rickards and Stephen Amell.
...reaction of Warner Bros. TV President Peter Roth who, Andrew Kreisberg reported, called to say: "I love the blond computer girl."...
... And, then, when they showed the episode to journalists for the first look, everyone was sort of asking who Felicity was, and that sort of sparked some interest. ...'
...Emily Bett Rickards was only supposed to appear on The CW's DC Entertainment drama "Arrow" for a quick scene. Now, her portrayal of Felicity Smoak has resulted in a truly fan-favorite character original to the series....
...He adds that several fan favorite characters from "Arrow" will make their way into the pages of "Green Arrow" – including Felicity Smoak, the titular hero's computer hacking helper...
...Was there a moment when you realized that Felicity Smoak was such a fan favorite character? RICKARDS: I was told, "Oh, she's a fan favorite," and I was like, "Oh, that's nice!"...
...Ever since she first logged on as Queen Consolidated IT expert Felicity Smoak, Emily Bett Rickards has been an Arrow fan favorite...
...Emily Bett Rickards (who plays fan-favorite Felicity Smoak) has been promoted to series regular status for next year. ...
...After starting off on The CW superhero drama as a supporting player, the doe-eyed, socially inept tech whiz aiding Oliver Queen/Arrow (Stephen Amell) with his technological inefficiencies became a fan favorite, to the point where producers made Felicity part of the series' central mythology...
...The producers have all admitted that IT whiz Felicity was never meant to last on Arrow. Still, it's hard to imagine a first season without her, and the sparks of sarcasm and semi-romantic feist she throws off...
...Emily Bett Rickards, one of Arrow's biggest surprises who plays the breakout character Felicity Smoak on the series....
...Felicity SmoakProbably the breakout character of Season 1...
... As the story goes, Felicity was only supposed to be a one-off character; however, that ended up not being the case because of Rickards' endearing performance made her an instant breakout...
...When news of her departure broke on Saturday, executive producers Beth Schwartz and Greg Berlanti said they were "heartbroken" in a statement – and it's easy to understand why: Felicity is an integral part of Arrow...
...DC's TV version of the character, portrayed by Emily Bett Rickards, has gone on to become an acclaimed key member of Arrow's main cast and a fixture in the shared television universe...
...The producers have all admitted that IT whiz Felicity was never meant to last on Arrow. Still, it's hard to imagine a first season without her, and the sparks of sarcasm and semi-romantic feist she throws off...
...Felicity Smoak was, and still is, one of the best revelations of Arrow, as is Rickards. Whenever Felicity would show up on Arrow in the early days, she brought with her a jolt of energy. Beyond Stephen Amell and the show's action, it was her character that really made a lot of people take notice – that is a great thing...
...it serves as a reminder of what Emily Bett Rickards can do when she's given great material. Like director Wendey Stanzler, Rickards's touch is exactly as light as it needs to be, and it's unreservedly great....
...three scenes that could be considered among the best in the series...
...Rickards – with warm looks and her physicality – communicated the deepest connection ever between the newlyweds. ...
...it's been clear from both the writing of the Arrow staff and Emily Bett Rickard's performance that Felicity genuinely cares about him as a member of her family. She sees so much of Oliver in William and knows that the two of them should be closer than they are right now, which is why she's able to bridge the gap between the two men with her wonderfully moving speech...
... Hearing Felicity describe her relationship with and trust in Oliver over the fight scene was actually pretty moving, and a good reminder of how very long the original team has been at it...
...Rickards' delivery is perfectly restrained and her performance conveys the years of history...
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