Emily Bett Rickards | |
|---|---|
Rickards at theGalaxyCon Austin convention in 2023 | |
| Born | (1991-07-24)July 24, 1991 (age 34) Vancouver,British Columbia, Canada |
| 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 asFelicity Smoak onThe CW seriesArrow, her first television credit. She reprised the role in theArrowverse showsThe Flash,Legends of Tomorrow andSupergirl and voiced the character on the animated web seriesVixen.
Rickards was born and raised inBritish Columbia. Her mother is Dr. Diane Greig, a dream psychotherapist inVancouver.[2][3][4]
At a young age, she was introduced to musical theatre and dance. Graduating early from high school, she attended theVancouver 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 theNickelback single "Never Gonna Be Alone".[7]

Rickards' breakthrough role came in 2012 with her first television casting, asFelicity Smoak inThe CW television seriesArrow, which is based on theDC Comics characterGreen Arrow.[8] She was initially signed as a guest star for one episode,[9] but after positive reaction from starStephen Amell,[10]Warner Brothers executivePeter Roth,[11][12] and journalists at preview screenings,[13] she was 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 producerMarc 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 leaveArrow at the end of the show'sseventh season.[17] In November 2019, Rickards was confirmed as a guest star forArrow'sseries 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] Her monologue in the season-six episode "We Fall" won her particular praise.[22] Rickards was nominated for multipleTeen Choice andLeo 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 byThe Hollywood Reporter.[23]
Rickards also portrayed the character in the spin-off shows to the series (collectively known as theArrowverse)The Flash,[24]Legends of Tomorrow[25] andSupergirl,[26] as well as providing the voice for the character on animated showVixen.[27] In 2013, she portrayed Felicity in web-based promotional tie-in seriesBlood Rush, sponsored byBose, which also featured the characters ofRoy Harper (Colton Haynes) andQuentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne).[28]
In March 2014, Rickards was cast in the sequel toCowgirls 'n Angels, entitledCowgirls 'n Angels: Dakota's Summer, as Kristen Rose, the sister of the film's protagonist, Dakota, portrayed byHaley Ramm. The film premiered at the 2014Dallas International Film Festival.[29] In 2015, she had a supporting role in theOscar-nominated filmBrooklyn.[30] In 2016, she appeared inSlumber, starring alongsideDarby Stanchfield andMeaghan Rath. Filming took place in Los Angeles in May 2016.[31] She also appeared inAxis.[32] The film won the prize for outstanding achievement feature film at the 2017Newport Beach Film Festival.[33][34] She also appeared in the super-hero themed short filmSidekick, directed byArrowverse alum Jeff Cassidy.[35]
In 2018, she appeared in the comedy,Funny Story.[36] The film was runner-up at theSlamdance Film Festival in January 2018,[37] in the festival's 'Beyond' programme.[38] It also won the Stolman audience award for best American indie at the 2018Sonoma 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-starringJames 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 Amell in the westernCalamity Jane, a fictionalized story based around the life of Martha Jane Canary, known asCalamity Jane.[46] She appeared in French film,Autumn and the Black Jaguar, as supporting character and will also appear inQueen of the Ring, a biopic movie about female wrestlerMildred Burke, where she portrays the lead role.[47]
In early 2016, she appeared in the Canadian webseriesParanormal Solutions, Inc., which was launched online in April of the same year.[48] In June, she appeared in an episode of the fifth season ofIFC comedyComedy Bang! Bang!.[49] In May 2018, she appeared inReborning for Reality Curve Theatre Group at the Annex Theatre in Vancouver.[50] The production premiered on June 20, 2018.[51] In April 2019, she reprised her role in Reality Curve'sOff-Broadway production at New York'sSoHo Playhouse, in July and August of the same year.[52][53] In September 2018, she narrated an audiobook ofThe Wicked Ones, originally published as part of theGhosts of the Shadow Market anthology, which is also part ofThe Mortal Instruments series.[54]
In 2016, Rickards launched a T-shirt campaign in support of the AmericanAutoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) through the crowd funding merchandise site Represent.com, with all proceeds going to the charity.[55]
Duringseason four ofArrow, 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 aPSA in conjunction with theChristopher and Dana Reeve Foundation advocating for advancements in the treatment of spinal injuries.[56]
In February 2019, theVancouver 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.[57]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Bacon and Eggs | Dite | Short film |
| Flicka: Country Pride | Mary Malone | Direct-to-video | |
| Random Acts of Romance | Young Wife | ||
| 2014 | Dakota's Summer | Kristen Rose | |
| 2015 | Normal Doors | Meg | Short film |
| Brooklyn | Patty McGuire | ||
| 2016 | Sidekick | Emma / The Princess | Short film |
| 2017 | Axis | Caitlin | Voice |
| 2018 | Funny Story | Kim | |
| The Clinic | Stevens | ||
| 2020 | We Need to Talk | Amber | [44] |
| 2024 | Autumn and the Black Jaguar | Anja Shymore | [58] |
| Calamity Jane | Calamity Jane | [59] | |
| Queen of the Ring | Mildred Burke | [47] |
| 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 Phillips | Television film |
| 2014–2017 | The Flash | Felicity Smoak | Recurring role, 8 episodes |
| 2016–2017 | Legends of Tomorrow | Recurring role, 4 episodes | |
| 2016 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Becky Simmons | Episode: "Joe Jonas Wears a Maroon and Gold Letterman Jacket with White Sneakers" |
| Whose Line Is It Anyway? | Herself | Episode: "Emily Bett Rickards" | |
| Superhero Fight Club 2.0 | Felicity Smoak | Short promo video | |
| 2017 | Supergirl | Episode: "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 1" |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Soldiers of the Apocalypse | Fourty | Main role, 8 episodes |
| 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 | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Reborning | Kelly | Annex Theatre, Vancouver | [50] |
| 2019 | SoHo Playhouse, New York | [52] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | The Wicked Ones | Narrator | Audiobook; part ofThe 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 | ||||
| 2024 | Queen of the Ring | Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival | Star on the Horizon Award | Won | [62] |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Arrow | UBCP/ACTRA Awards | Best Newcomer | Nominated | [63] |
| 2014 | Leo Awards | Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | [64] | ||
| Teen Choice Awards | Female Breakout Star | [65] | |||
| 2015 | The Flash | Leo Awards | Best Guest Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | [66] | |
| Arrow | Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | ||||
| MTV Fandom Awards | Ship of the Year(with Stephen Amell) | Won | [67] | ||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress – Fantasy/Sci-Fi | Nominated | [68] | ||
| Choice TV Liplock(withStephen Amell) | |||||
| 2016 | Leo Awards | Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | [69] | ||
| MTV Fandom Awards | Ship of the Year(with Stephen Amell) | Won | [70] | ||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress – Fantasy/Sci-Fi | Nominated | [71] | ||
| Choice TV Liplock(withStephen Amell) | |||||
| 2017 | Leo Awards | Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | [72] | ||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress – Action | [73] | |||
| 2018 | Choice TV Actress – Action | [74] | |||
| Choice TV Ship(with Stephen Amell) | |||||
| 2019 | Choice TV Actress – Action | [75] |
...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...
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)