Katie Cassidy recalls when she found out her character on Arrow was being killed off and theorized about why the decision was made.
The actress started the CW superhero series playing Laurel Lance (Black Canary) during its first four seasons. In 2016, her character died, and she only found out about it a couple of days before it was going to happen.
“I had to eat some humble pie when they killed me off that show,” Cassidy said on the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast. “It was really hard.”
Cassidy said she “was sad” and “was sort of in shock” when she learned her character was going to be killed off. Arrow had teased at the beginning of the season that a character was dying, but Cassidy didn’t think it would happen.
However, as she was traveling to a comic convention in New York City, she received an email from the show’s creators about setting up a meeting to talk. Cassidy’s instincts kicked in, and she requested to have them tell her what the meeting was about. Throughout the weekend at the fan event, Cassidy had to act like she didn’t know which character was getting killed off.
“I was angry at first,” Cassidy said after finding out the news about her character. “And I was emotional because I was sad, and I was angry because I was so happy.”
Of the reason(s) why they decided to kill off Laurel, Cassidy said, “I think it was a couple of things. I have theories. I think it was political. It’s a lot.
“I feel like I’ve always been given the short end of the stick and I have to go,” she recalled telling producers. “And I didn’t yell. I just cried because I was sad.”
Cassidy said she was sad because she “worked really hard on that show and that character, and I just loved it.”
However, Cassidy would continue in the Arrowverse; she later was asked to guest star on The Flash as the Black Siren.
“I was like, ‘Yes!’” Cassidy recalled telling producer Marc Guggenheim when they offered her the role.
Her return to the Arrowverse paid off as her role was expanded, and she made a return to Arrow, something that she credits viewers for helping make happen.
“I had the support of the fans because that Flash episode I went on … ratings, I guess, were great and … unfortunately, I guess after they killed me, I guess their ratings went down a little. I’m not sure,” Cassidy said.
Guggenheim asked her to return as a series regular, telling her, “I think we may have made a mistake.
“And then I was back and like better than ever and happy,” she added.
