Katherine Evelyn Anita "Katie" Cassidy (born November 25, 1986 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actress, known primarily for her roles in television and horror films.
Cassidy had her breakthrough in 2012, after being cast as Laurel Lance / Black Canary, on The CW television series Arrow. Cassidy has reprised her role in the Arrowverse series The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. She also directed one episode of season 8 of Arrow.
Early in her career, Cassidy also appeared in the music videos for Eminem ("Just Lose It") and Jesse McCartney ("She's No You"), the latter of whom happened to be her ex-boyfriend.
She's the daughter of David Cassidy, best known for his work on The Partridge Family, and niece of Shaun Cassidy and Patrick Cassidy. She was married to Matthew Rodgers between 2018 and 2020 and briefly appended his last name in her acting credits.
Selected filmography:
- 7th Heaven (2005) as Zoe
- When a Stranger Calls (2006) as Tiffany Madison
- Click (2006) as Samantha Newman (27 years old)
- Black Christmas (2006) as Kelli Presley
- Live (2007) as Jewel
- Supernatural (2007-08) as Ruby
- Taken (2008) as Amanda
- Harper's Island (2009) as Patricia "Trish" Wellington
- Melrose Place (2009-10) as Ella Simms
- A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010) as Kris Fowles
- Gossip Girl (2010, 2012) as Juliet Sharp
- Monte Carlo (2011) as Emma Perkins
- New Girl (2011) as Brooke
- Arrowverse as Dinah Laurel Lance / Black Canary / Black Siren / Siren-X
- Arrow (2012-20)
- Flash vs. Arrow (2014)
- The Flash (2015-16, 2018)
- Heroes Join Forces (2015)
- Legends of Tomorrow (2016-17)
- Vixen (2016, voice)
- Invasion! (2016)
- Crisis on Infinite Earths (2020)
- The Scribbler (2014) as Suki
- Hidden Agenda (2017) as Rebecca "Becky" Marney (voice)
She provides examples of:
- Beam Me Up, Scotty!: Her absence in Crisis on Earth-X was purely because of artistic reasons; the writers decided not to feature her in the crossover. It wasn't because Katie had to attend her father's funeral. In fact, David Cassidy died after filming wrapped up.
- Casting Gag: She's a renowned "Scream Queen" and was cast as Black Canary, a character well-known for her Sonic Scream.
- Chronically Killed Actor: She's been killed several times on-screen. Specific examples include, being killed unceremoniously offscreen (When a Stranger Calls), unwillingly overdosed (Taken), body possessed by a demon then leaves it lifeless note (Supernatural), stabbed (Harper's Island, Arrow), repeatedly slashed (A Nightmare on Elm Street), briefly pulverized before Cosmic Retcon (Arrow).
- Creator Backlash: She was as unimpressed as the fans were when Laurel was killed off in the Season 4 of Arrow, claiming that she still wanted to star in the show. Fortunately, she returned the same year to star as her character's doppelganger in The Flash and eventually transferred back to Arrow.
- Dye Hard: Katie is a natural brunette, but her best-known roles are blondes. Zigzagged in Arrow; Laurel Lance was a brunette when she first appeared, but wore a blonde wig upon taking her superhero mantle of Black Canary and later dyed her hair blonde. Her Evil Doppelgänger was likewise a brunette when she first appeared but dyed it blonde while impersonating her original counterpart.
- Dyeing for Your Art: She lost a significant amount of weight during the production of Arrow Season 2, to better convey Laurel's addictions to painkillers and alcohol. The following season, she bulked up in the gym as Laurel suited up as Black Canary.
- Enforced Method Acting: In Arrow's fourth season, she apparently trained with Caity Lotz (her on-screen sister and Canary predecessor) occasionally, likely to establish their characters as a Sibling Team in future episodes.
- Evil Doppelgänger: She plays two evil incarnations of Black Canary in the Arrowverse. The first is a major character who eventually undergoes a Heel–Face Turn, while the second is a generic Monster of the Week.
- Horror: She made a career starring in these type of films.
- Ink-Suit Actor: Laurel Lance in Vixen and Becky Marney in Hidden Agenda.
- In the Blood: Many of her paternal relatives have worked in the show business. Other than David, her grandparents, Jack and Evelyn, and one uncle, Patrick, are actors as well. Another uncle, Shaun, is an actor-turned-television producer.
- Reality Subtext: In Arrow, she played a character who has an alcoholic father. Her real life father also had alcohol problems.
- Remake: Three of her films; When a Stranger Calls, Black Christmas and A Nightmare on Elm Street.
- Star-Making Role: Supernatural got her attention, but she really became a household name when she starred as Laurel Lance in Arrow.
- Those Two Actors:
- Has appeared with Leighton Meester on both Gossip Girl and Monte Carlo (2011).
- Has appeared with Willa Holland on both Gossip Girl and Arrow.
- Oddly, she and Stephen Amell both guested on New Girl in its first season on separate occasions, shortly before their stint on Arrow.
- Has appeared with Debby Ryan in two independent films in 2018, Cover versions and Grace.
- Typecasting: Her debut film appearance in When a Stranger Calls started her career as a Scream Queen of mostly forgettable horror films in the late 2000s/early 2010s. Her television roles in contrast are more diverse. Thanks to Arrow, she is mostly known today for her superhero role, rather than being a Scream Queen.
