‘Arrow’ star Katie Cassidy teases Laurel’s growth and destiny

VANCOUVER, BC. It may not have happened the way comics fans initially expected, but Canary is coming. Or is she?

[Stop reading here if you fear all spoilers from the DC Comics Universe and you've been able to avoid those spoilers on TV's “Arrow.” And stop reading if you haven't watched the third season's first two episodes of “Arrow.”]

When Katie Cassidy was initially cast as Laurel Lance on The CW's “Arrow,” readers nodded with understanding, thinking they were able to anticipate the next few narrative stops for the vigilante drama.

Then an unexpected thing happened: Canary arrived in Starling City on “Arrow” and it wasn't Laurel at all. As Laurel was moping around after Tommy's death and confronting various personal demons, sister Sara (Caity Lotz) returned from the dead with a form-fitting costume and a not-especially-concealing mask and took the Canary mantle.

But Laurel's destiny took a leap forward in the third season premiere.

Yes, that was the last bit of warning for people who haven't seen said premiere.

In the waning moments of the premiere, Sara's Canary returned and, within minutes, took several arrows to the chest and then, for good measure, fell off a building.

So out with the old Canary and in with the new?

“It's so sad when somebody leaves,” Cassidy told reporters on the “Arrow” set in Vancouver last week. “Caity and I were really close, and she is a great actress, and we loved having her. It's always sad when somebody leaves, but exactly like Colin Donnell, it's like he took one for the team, because something drastic needed to happen, and he is an amazing an actor as well. It's always tough when you lose an actor, but she seemed to be very supportive, and yes, of course I was excited to continue to see what was going to develop for Laurel and her journey, and hopefully one day becoming the Black Canary.”

Not so fast. You probably shouldn't expect Laurel's Black Canary to be popping up any time soon, but Cassidy is getting prepared just in case, which brings a new set of challenges.

“Honestly, I am so grateful, and so lucky, and so happy. I feel like, of course emotional scenes are challenging, but it's why… I have a passion for acting, because, I mean, I don't know. I do love a challenge and I do like that the writers are writing for me. It is tough to cry a lot. I feel like Laurel has cried a lot in Season Two. I have to say, the night shoots, and for me, working out and training at least two to three hours a day, and sometimes I'm on set for 12-15 hours, so it gets really tiring, but it's so worth it, and I can't – I don't want to say it's a challenge as though that's a complaint in any way – I am so happy, and 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!'”

And just as Cassidy has been working out, Laurel has been developing her muscles as well, which paid off in a scene that viewers will never get to see. On the set, one reporter asked a not-unreasonable question: How the heck did Laurel single-handedly get her sister's body from the alleyway to Arrow's lair in the Foundry?

“It's interesting, because we actually shot…” Cassidy paused, getting emotional. “It's hard/difficult to talk about, but that scene with Caity, we actually shot it, and then actually had to reshoot it, because technically, with the stunt, for whatever reason, they didn't get a certain camera angle, but having to reshoot a scene like that is very, very difficult, and I was like 'Oh, great. Let's go through this again.' But, 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 like I said, Laurel's been training, so she's kind of buff.”

Check out video highlights from Cassidy's chat with reporters above.

“Arrow” airs on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW.

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