Production on Arrow‘s final season is well underway, albeit without Emily Bett Rickards. The Felicity Smoak actress departed The CW series at the end of Season 7 and while her absence is one felt by the cast and crew, it’s not stopping series star Stephen Amell for showing his support for his former co-star and friend. The Oliver Queen actor is finding time in his busy schedule to check out Rickards’ latest project and is making sure fans know it.
In a post to Twitter on Saturday, Amell shared that despite all the long nights he’s put in on Arrow‘s final season in the past week he’s still making the time to go support Rickards in her off-Broadway play, Reborning.
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After a long week of night shoots, you can park yourself on the couch… or… you can fucking barrel across the continent because it isn’t everyday that your friend is headlining the coolest play in New York.
— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) July 27, 2019
“After a long week of night shoots, you can park yourself on the couch… or… you can f***ing barrel across the continent because it isn’t everyday that your friend is headlining the coolest play in New York,” Amell wrote.
Back in April, Rickards shared that she will be appearing in the play Reborning off Broadway at the Soho Playhouse this summer. It marks the second run of Reborning that Rickards has been a part of having appeared in the Vancouver production last summer.
Written Zayn Dohrn, Reborning is a one-act play centered around played by Rickards, an artist whose work is called “reborning” — a craft in which dolls are meticulously turned into unique, extremely realistic creations. In the dark comedy, Kelly’s creations are made for customers with a variety of reasons for wanting the hyper-realistic dolls, including those trying to get past the grief of a lost child. It’s the work on one such doll for a customer that sends Kelly, her boyfriend, and her client down an interesting path, one that explores mental health, trauma, and the nature of creation.
While Amell is showing support for Rickards in this new chapter of her career, he’s also been pretty open about the significance of her departure from Arrow.
Speaking with ET at San Diego Comic-Con last weekend, Amell said that there are no plans that he is aware of for Rickards to come back one last time as Felicity and it’s a reality leaves the show feeling different.
“I actually texted her when I was on the plane to Vancouver last week and I just texted her that I was sad,” Amell said. “The show feels different, in no small part because Em Bett’s not with us anymore. It feels different.”
Different or not, Amell said at the time that he’s proud of the work she’s doing beyond Arrow.
“She’s killing it,” Amell said. “She’s living her best life. I’m so proud of her. I’m going to see her play next Saturday. She’s doing great. We miss her a lot.”
Arrow‘s final season will begin Tuesday, October 15th, at 9/8c on The CW.
