Cassidy had her breakthrough in 2012, after being cast asLaurel Lance / Black Canary, onThe CW television seriesArrow. Cassidy has reprised her role in theArrowverse seriesThe Flash andLegends of Tomorrow, as well as voicing the character in the animated web seriesVixen. Following her character's death in season four ofArrow, Cassidy began playingLaurel Lance / Black Siren, an antagonistic version of the character from a parallel universe, originating onThe Flash and continuing on toArrow.
Cassidy was born on November 25, 1986, inLos Angeles,California.[2] She is the only child of actor and singerDavid Cassidy and fashion model Sherry Williams.[2][3] Cassidy's paternal grandparents were actorsJack Cassidy andEvelyn Ward and she is the niece of teen idol and television producerShaun Cassidy and actorPatrick Cassidy and Ryan Cassidy.[2] Cassidy has a younger half-brother named Beau, born in 1991, from her father's third marriage to Sue Shifrin.[4] She also has two younger half-sisters, Jenna and Jamie, from her mother's marriage to Richard Benedon and three cousins Samantha Cassidy, Jasmine Cassidy and Chelsea Cassidy who live in Australia
After Cassidy's parents ended their relationship, she was raised by her mother and stepfather. David Cassidy spoke of his absence from Katie's life, saying in February 2017: "I've never had a relationship with her. I wasn't her father. I was her biological father but I didn't raise her. She has a completely different life. I'm proud of her. She's very talented. It's hard for me to even accept how old she is now."[5] In her youth, Cassidy was on the competitivecheerleader team the California Flyers.[3] A resident ofBell Canyon, California, she attendedCalabasas High School. During her time there, she signed a recording contract, releasing a cover of "I Think I Love You", a song which had been a hit for her biological father as part of the soundtrack to his TV showThe Partridge Family.[6]
In 2003, Cassidy made her television and acting debut appearing in an episode of theLifetime drama seriesThe Division. Cassidy has continued to guest appear in television shows such asCelebrity Apprentice 4,Listen Up andNew Girl. In 2005, Cassidy appeared in a recurring role onThe WB's series7th Heaven over the course of four episodes. That same year, she also appeared on theUPN teen drama seriesSex, Love & Secrets.
In 2006, Cassidy made her film debut as Tiffany Madison in the horror filmWhen a Stranger Calls. Cassidy has gone on to have notable supporting roles in filmsClick,[7]Taken andLive!.
In February 2006, Cassidy was cast asKelli Presley in theDimension Films horror-slasher filmBlack Christmas,a remake of the 1974 film.[8] The film centers on an escaped maniac who returns to his childhood home onChristmas Eve, which is now asorority house, and one by one kills all of the sorority sisters. The film was released on December 15, 2006 to negative reviews from critics. The film was a moderate success, making over $50 million worldwide.[9]
In 2007, Cassidy appeared onThe CW's supernatural drama seriesSupernatural. Cassidy played the role ofRuby, a demon. Making her debut in the show's third season, Cassidy appeared in six episodes. In 2008, though her character returned for the show's fourth season, Cassidy was replaced by actressGenevieve Cortese.
In October 2008,Variety announced Cassidy had been cast on theCBS horror mystery limited seriesHarper's Island. Cassidy portrayed the role of Patricia "Trish" Wellington, a bride-to-be. The series centered on a group of family and friends who gather for a wedding on an island known for its sinister past full of gruesome murders. In each episode, at least one character is killed off. Cassidy and her fellow cast members were not told about their characters' deaths until the day they received a script. The series premiered on April 9, 2009 to 10.21 million viewers. Despite ratings failing to maintain the pilot's success, CBS aired the remainder of the series with the series finale airing on July 11, 2009.[10]
In February 2009, The CW cast Cassidy as a lead in the drama seriesMelrose Place, a reboot of the 1990sseries of the same name.[11] Cassidy portrayed the role ofElla Simms, a publicist who resides in a West Hollywood apartment complex and centers on its residents.[12] The series premiered on September 8, 2009 to 2.31 million viewers. Despite mixed reviews, Cassidy's performance was praised by critics and was cited as "the best thing about theMelrose reboot" byNew York magazine.[13][14] The CW canceled the series in May 2010 due to low ratings.[15]
In April 2010, Cassidy appeared in another remake; this time the horror classicA Nightmare on Elm Street,[16] originally released in 1984 of thesame name. Cassidy portrays thefalse protagonistKris Fowles; a high school student who becomes a victim toFreddy Krueger. Filming began inChicago with the film earning over $31 million in its opening weekend.[17] Cassidy was nominated for aTeen Choice Award in the Horror/Thriller Actress category for her role, which she lost toMegan Fox.[18] Cassidy's work in the horror genre has led to her being labelled aScream Queen.[19][20]
Shortly after the release ofA Nightmare on Elm Street,Variety announced Cassidy had been cast in the adventure comedy filmMonte Carlo. The film, which also starsLeighton Meester andSelena Gomez, follows three friends who pose as wealthy socialites while on holiday inMonte Carlo. Production began in May 2010 with filming taking place inMonaco,Budapest,Paris, andTexas. The film was released on July 1, 2011 and received mixed to negative reviews from critics, and went on to gross $39 million worldwide.[21]
In June 2010, The CW announced Cassidy would have a major recurring arc in thefourth season of the teen drama seriesGossip Girl. Cassidy portrayedJuliet Sharp, who attendsColumbia University and sets out to ruin the life of the show's central characterSerena van der Woodsen. Cassidy made her first appearance in the season premiere and went on to appear in over 11 episodes of the season.[22]
In March 2011, Cassidy was cast in theABC drama pilotGeorgetown as Nikki, a smart and quick-witted junior staffer in the White House Communications Office with connections to theFirst Lady. The pilot was created byGossip Girl executive producersJosh Schwartz andStephanie Savage.[24] The series was not picked up by ABC.[25]
In February 2012, Cassidy landed the main cast role ofLaurel Lance / Black Canary in The CW's seriesArrow, which is based on theGreen Arrow comic books.[26] The series premiered on October 10, 2012.[27] Cassidy left the show as a series regular after her character was killed off in episode 18 of the fourth season on April 6, 2016.[28] On May 17, 2016, she guest-starred in theArrow verse spin-off seriesThe Flash for the second time, but as themetahumanBlack Siren, Laurel'sEarth-2 doppelgänger,[29] in the second-season episode "Invincible". On July 23, 2016, it was announced that Cassidy had signed a deal withWarner Bros. to appear across multiple CW Arrowverse shows.[30] On March 27, 2017, it was announced that Cassidy would return toArrow as a series regular for season 6; reprising the role of Black Siren.[31] She continued in that role for the remaining duration of the show. The season 8 episode "Leap of Faith" marked her directorial debut.[32]
In 2016, Cassidy portrayed the character of Sharon (a character inspired by late fashion model and actressSharon Tate) in the direct-to-digital-HD horror filmWolves at the Door, loosely based on theManson Family'smurders.[33]
Cassidy is a spokeswoman for the charity H.E.L.P. Malawi.[35]
In 2016, Cassidy began dating Matthew Rodgers. The couple announced their engagement on June 5, 2017.[36] Cassidy and Rodgers wed on December 8, 2018.[37] Cassidy filed for divorce on January 8, 2020, in Los Angeles.[38][39] The divorce was finalized on March 22, 2021, and it became public on March 26.[40]
Since March 2023, Cassidy has been in a relationship with Canadian actorStephen Huszar. The two had met on the set of the Hallmark Channel movieA Royal Christmas Crush.[41]
^Cassidy also played Laurel Lance / Siren-X, the Earth-X version of Black Canary and Black Siren in the episode "Fury Rogue" of thefourth season ofThe Flash.
^Also credited as "Katie Cassidy Rodgers" season 7
^Although billed as a "special appearance" inseason 8, Cassidy is still considered a series regular for the season.[45]