Arrow's Amy Gumenick On How Her Character's Story "Represents" Olicity's Arc

Supernatural veteran Amy Gumenick has generate da ton of enthusiasm from fans for her upcoming [...]

Supernatural veteran Amy Gumenick has generate da ton of enthusiasm from fans for her upcoming (well, sort of) role on Arrow, The CW's hit adaptation of DC Comics' Green Arrow.

We say "sort of" because Gumenick appeared briefly at the end of last week's episode -- and periodically throughout it, hiding in plain sight. Fans spotted her at various locations throughout the episode and Gumenick says she actually filmed even more, but not everything made it in.

So...what's up with Green Arrow's creepiest, most dangerous fan? Gumenick joined ComicBook.com to talk about tonight's episode and what it's like to jump on the moving train that is Olicity.

You've got a pretty vocal fan base from Supernatural. Is it interesting to see how much they're crossing over to support you on Arrow?

Yeah. I will say that my experience at The CW started with Supernatural and the fans of that show -- and now I'm seeing their other shows -- are so incredibly loyal and enthusiastic and passionate about their shows in a way that I've never experienced or thought possible. So to be so welcomed into their world has been really incredible. There are no words for how grateful I am for all of them. I haven't ever experienced anything like it and I really had no idea what I was getting myself into, but it's been pretty remarkable. They are an awesome, awesome group.

People had a lot of fun playing "Spot the Cupid" last week. How did they sell you on that when you were signing on for the episode -- that you'd be in the previous episode for a non-speaking,  unannounced cameo for forty minutes?

Well, as soon as I saw the "I'm Cupid, stupid" line, I didn't need much more convincing. That line sort of sold itself. Part of the fun is that this whole journey for Cupid is a game. It's so fun for her and so hiding in the background just set her up for the game that we're all about to jump into with her.

So yeah -- I thought it was fun and that it added to the mystery for me.

Most people weren't probably watching for you; did you watch the Twitter feed to see who would figure it out and when?

Yeah. I have to say, I was impressed: there were a few moments that I almost missed.

And Cupid hadn't been seen before, so I was shocked that people knew what to look for. I was very impressed with the detective work. It was definitely fun and interesting for me too becuase I hadn't seen the episode until it aired. It was interesting to see which peek-a-boo moments they decided to edit in because there were a lot of things we filmed that weren't included. So I definitely played the "Spot the Cupid" game along with all the fans.

This character is interesting in that it was created by Andrew [Kreisberg] in the comics. Do you feel like you have an extra layer of connection there?

Absolutely. Andrew was definitely hands-on from the very beginning. He was involved in the casting process and sort of ran the audition, and he was on set for a couple of days while we were filming. It was definitely a little nerve wracking at first having the creator there and having that pressure of bringing his baby to life, but it's a rare thing as an actor to get that one-on-one time and that hands-on interaction from the creator of the character. For me, I felt like it was a huge gift and I tried to pick his brain as often as I possibly could.

I think that one of the things that  makes him such a successful writer and producer is that he created the character, he gave us his tips and his notes and was there if we needed him, and then he kind of allowed me to make it my own and fill in the gaps. So that collaboration and that freedom to discover who Cupid was and who  my version of Cupid is was a really fun process. I will continue to pick his brain and I still have and probably for years after the show is off the air will have questions about Cupid and where she came from and where she's going. I think she's a brilliant character, so to bring her to life was a really huge honor, especially in his presence.

One of the big things that's evolved this year is the relationship between Oliver and Felicity. Whenever you walk in and you're a character who's challenging that status quo, is it interesting to watch the reactions to your character?

Absolutely. It's a little terrifying, however I will say I think that Cupid is actually very intstrumental in that storyline in that I think that Arrow learns a lot from Cupid about himself and sees a little bit of himself in her.

I think that they relate in that core, fundamental level of, they are two people fighting for a love that they can't have or that they won't allow themselves to have. I think that through Cupid's interaction with Arrow he becomes a little more solid and that whether it's internal or whether it's ever confessed, I think that he learns a lot more about himself and about love in general and about his feelings toward Felicity that he perhaps didn't see before.

I think in some ways, Cupid kind of represents that storyline. I'm interested to see how it unfolds.

Often, in the comics, it's said that the other archers around Oliver aren't redundant because they each kind of represent a little part of him. Do you think your character fits into that?

Yeah, absolutely. I think she absolutely does.

I think she represents parts of him that he didn't know before, so it's neat to be a part of that discovery.

With a show like this, I think the assumption is that you'll recur at some point. Is this the kind of character where you have your ideas on her long-term arc or would you rather just go in blank?

I think both. As we'll see in this week's episode, it is definitely left open-ended and I think that there are numerous ways that they could continue the story and continue Cupid's adventures. So I'm excited and interested to see which of those many possibilities they go with.

Certainly I have my own ideas for my own character work and use as an actor of where I see her going, but I think one of the things that makes her such a fun role in this world is that the possibilities really are endless, so I'll be just as excited and surprised as the fans.

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