Arrow Actor Didn’t Know She Was Playing Oliver Queen’s Daughter When Cast

Arrow actor Katherine McNamara wasn’t told ahead of time she’d be playing Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak’s daughter. After a successful eight seasons on The CW, Arrow ended its run earlier this year. However, as the flagship Arrowverse series, the show went out with a bang. Just before its series finale, The CW aired Crisis on Infinite Earths, a massive crossover that brought together heroes from every corner of the DC Universe. Though billions of lives were saved throughout the event, the Green Arrow gave his life for the cause.

Of course, this was heartbreaking for his daughter, Mia Smoak. McNamara only joined the cast as Oliver and Felicity’s adult daughter in the last two seasons of the show, so the two didn’t have much time together. Luckily, Mia’s journey may not be over just yet, as a spinoff series, Green Arrow and the Canaries, is still in contention at The CW. The potential show would star McNamara alongside Katie Cassidy and Juliana Harkavy, also reprising their roles from the original series. However, there has been little in the way of updates since The CW announced its 2021 schedule.

No matter how things shake out, it’s clear Mia was a memorable role for McNamara. Speaking with BuzzFeed, she revealed she didn’t actually know her character’s importance to the series until after she was cast. McNamara explained she got a call from Arrow showrunner Beth Schwartz who said, “Hey, we’re so happy to have you. By the way, everything you know is a lie. You are Oliver and Felicity’s daughter, and we’re not sure what your name is yet, but we’ll figure it out. Awesome.” McNamara also discussed the generally secretive nature of her audition process for Arrow:

The sides were not even for anything like Mia Smoak. They were for a rookie cop with a different name with a dark past. It was this whole, sort of, disguised situation. So I had a completely different mindset going in. But I just remember having the best time just playing with it and really working with them and just experimenting in the room, and it felt very comfortable straightaway.

McNamara’s comments speak to just how important reveals are to the Arrowverse. The shows are built on gasp-worthy moments that surprise viewers, and the Mia Smoak reveal certainly qualifies. It makes sense those working on the show didn’t want to risk it getting spoiled ahead of time, even by the actor they ended up casting in the part. Choosing McNamara was clearly the right call; her Mia fit right in with the rest of the show’s cast and was also believable as Oliver and Felicity’s daughter.

Hopefully, Arrowviewers haven’t seen the last of McNamara as Mia Smoak. Though The CW’s schedule is pretty full thanks to holding scripted programming until 2021, there’s still hope for Green Arrow and the Canaries. At this point, it seems likely the network would have made some sort of announcement if they didn’t plan on picking up the series eventually. It’s possible it could be held for summer 2021, as that’s now a time of year networks try to have original shows airing. Until Mia’s future in the Arrowverse becomes clear, it’s interesting to hear how McNamara landed the gig in the first place.

Source: BuzzFeed

About The Author

Rebecca VanAcker
(886 Articles Published)

Rebecca VanAcker is a trainer and news editor at Screen Rant. In the past, she’s written TV recaps for Screen Picks and reviews for Yahoo. She enjoys covering all things superhero, especially the MCU and Arrowverse.

A graduate of Michigan State University, Rebecca got her teaching certificate before falling in love with writing and the entertainment industry. She has a B.A. in English and can often be found ignoring everyone in favor of a good book. Her other hobbies include baking, anything Disney, and exploring with her dog, Beckett.

You can follow Rebecca on Twitter @BecksVanAcker, or contact her directly at rvanacker23(at)gmail(dot)com.

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