Emily Bett Rickards

Raised in Vancouver, Emily Bett Rickards knew early on that she wanted to perform. As she grew up, she participated in every bit of dance and theater she could. She was so driven that she graduated high school early and went, with plan in hand, to the Vancouver Film School to further focus on her acting. Following her graduation, she obtained an agent and began to audition for roles. Her first professional acting job was in the Nickelback music video for "Never Gonna Be Alone" in 2008. The next few years were quiet for Rickards. Her next credited role was in 2012, as she appeared in a few shorts and direct-to-video projects, including "Flicka: Country Pride" (2012). At the end of 2012, she made her first appearance as Felicity Smoak on "Arrow" (The CW 2012- ). While Smoak was initially meant to be a one-off character, Rickards' chemistry with the cast, specifically star Stephen Amell, led the writers to figure out a bigger role for the character. By season two of the popular show, she was a series regular. By season three, she was Oliver Queen's main love interest. Rickards made her big-screen debut in the Saoirse Ronan-starring "Brooklyn" (2015), based on a Nick Hornby novel and also starring Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters. Her next big screen appearance came in the indie comedy-drama "Funny Story" (2018), which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.