ARROW Deserves More Praise For Its Geektastic Guest Star List

ARROW Deserves More Praise For Its Geektastic Guest Star List

As The CW's Arrow prepares for unprecedented changes heading into Season 4, lets look back at an overlooked aspect of the superhero drama that definitely deserves praise - all the geektastic guest stars.

Feature Opinion
By MarkJulian - May 17, 2015 07:05 AM EST
Filed Under: Arrow



Ever since The CW's Arrow first premiered back in October 2012, the show has been dealing out weekly superhero fisticuffs like no one's business.  It's a superhero show that's laid the groundwork for The Flash and the upcoming CBS superhero show, Supergirl.  While there are a lot of things Arrow does right, one aspect of the show that does not receive enough praise is its penchant for having guest stars from other fan-favorite, sci-fi and geek TV shows.  To date, we've had Spartacus' Crixus (Manu Bennett), X2's Lady Deathstrike (Kelly Hu), Street Fighter's Ryu (Byron Mann) and Firefly's River Tam (Summer Glau) to name but a few.  

As the wait for Arrow season 4 begins, we're going to shine the spotlight on all the geektastic guest stars the showrunners manage to cram into Arrow each season.  Lets start where it all began, with Arrow season 1.


ARROW Season 1

  • Roger R. Cross -played Det. Lance's partner Lucas Hilton (geek cred: X2, Highlander, Eureka, The Strain)
  • Brian Markinson - played Adam Hunt, the first person on Arrow's list (geek cred: Continuum, Caprica, Millennium)
  • Darren Shahlavi - played Green Arrow nemesis Constantine Drakon (geek cred: Continuum, Watchmen, Mortal Kombat web series, Ip Man 2)
  • Kelly Hu - played Green Arrow nemesis China White (geek cred: The Scorpion King, X2, voices Karai on Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, voiced Cheshire on Young Justice)
  • Byron Mann - played Oliver's first mentor Yao Fei (geek cred: Street Fighter, The Man With The Iron Fists, Smallville, Dark Angel)
  • Christie Lang- played the widow of Diggle's slain brother Carly (geek cred: Once Upon A Time, Percy Jackson the Lightning Thief)
  • Chelah Horsdal - played Arrow's version of Kate Spencer, DC Comics' Manhunter (geek cred: The Cabin in the Woods, X-Men: The Last Stand, Supernatural, Rise of the Planet of the Apres, Stargate SG-1)
  • Currie Graham - played King of The Royal Flush Gang (geek cred: Fringe, Witchblade )
  • Kyle Schmidt - played Ace of The Royal Flush Gang (geek cred: Being Human, Smallville,
  • Sarah-Jane Redmond - played Queen of The Royal Flush Gang (geek cred: iZombie, Almost Human, Supernatural, Smallville, Millennium, The X-Files)
  • Tom Stevenson - played Jack of The Royal Flush Gang (geek cred: Smallville, Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome)
  • Jessica De Gouw - played Huntress (geek cred: NBC's Dracula)
  • Jeffrey Nordling - played Huntress' father Frank Bertinelli (geek cred: TRON: Legacy)
  • Tahmoh Penikett- played Frank Bertinelli's bodyguard Nick Salvati (geek cred: Man of Steel, Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural, Continuum, Mortal Kombat web series, Dolhouse, Smallville, Dark Angel)
  • John Barrowman - (note: not yet a series regular) played Malcolm Merlyn, the Dark Archer (geek cred: Doctor Who, Torchwood)
  • Andrew Dunbar - played the DC Comics villain Firefly (geek cred: SGU Stargate Universe, Battlestar Galactica: Razor)
  • Ben Browser - played Ted Gaynor, member of the DC Comics' Blackhawks squadron (geek cred: Stargate SG-1, Farscape, voiced Bat Lash in Justice League: The Animated Series )
  • Seth Gabel - played The Count, Arrow's take on Count Vertigo (geek cred: Fringe)
  • Manu Bennett - (note: not yet a series regular) guest stars as Slade Wilson (geek cred: Spartacus, The Hobbit trilogy, Xena: Warrior Princess)
  • Janina Gavankar - played Starling City detective and Oliver love interest McKenna Hall (geek cred: True Blood, Dollhouse, Stargate: Atlantis)
  • James Callis - played DC Comics thief Dodger (geek cred: Battlestar Galactica, Eureka)
  • Chin Han - played Frank Chen, a co-conspirator of Malcolm Merlyn's Undertaking (geek cred: The Dark Knight, Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
  • George Tchortow - played DC Comics and Nightwing villain Guillermo Barrera (geek cred: Kick-Ass, RoboCop, Wolves
  • Alex Kingston - guest stars as Laurel's mother Dinah Lance (geek cred: Doctor Who's River Song)
  • Christopher Redman - played The Savior, a Starling City/Glades vigilante (geek cred: Stargate SG-1, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters)
  • Colton Haynes - (note: not yet a series regular) plays Roy Harper, eventual Green Arrow sidekick Arsenal (geek cred: MTV's Teen Wolf)
  • Audrey Marie Anderson - guest stars as Diggle's ex-wife and ARGUS agent Lyla Michaels (geek cred: The Walking Dead )
  • J. August Richards - guest stars as an assassin named Mr. Blank, a take on Onomatopoeia (geek cred: Angel, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)
  • Jarod Joseph - plays Alan Durand, a member of Edward Fyer's group during Oliver's first year on Lian Yu (geek cred: The 100, Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief )
In only the first season of Arrow, the show had nearly 30 guest stars from the world of sci-fi and comic book themed television shows and films.  The extra effort from the showrunners and casting director to fully embrace and reward their fan base often times went overlooked by casual Arrow viewers but was an element that hardcore geek fans truly appreciated. 

Stay tuned for the next installment as we tally up the geek guest stars in Arrow season 2. 
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ComicsDoneRight
ComicsDoneRight - 5/17/2015, 7:51 AM
Arrow deserves all the credit for the Superhero TV boom we have. Love or hate the 3rd season, Arrow's success made all this possible.
ComicsDoneRight
ComicsDoneRight - 5/17/2015, 7:51 AM
Also, 1st!
grif
grif - 5/17/2015, 8:04 AM
yep because of arrow there is not one good comic book tv show on right now.
DiggedyDave
DiggedyDave - 5/17/2015, 8:16 AM
I for one, while season 3 suffered a bit, no doubt from expanding this TV universe, I can still appreciate it. At least they know how to keep a narrative going. Unlike in Smallville and many other shows where you'd have to wade through countless filler episodes to see a particular story arc come together. One of my favorite offenses.. Clarks girlfriend dies tragically in one episode.. next episode.. he's playing football with out a care in the world.. oh and kryptonite gatorade.. sigh.. is that where you want to go back to?
James99201
James99201 - 5/17/2015, 8:22 AM
Dont watch then @grif because regardless if you are watching or not these shows are successes and are going to continue to exist. And other than NBC's mishandling of Constantine every Comic Book show keeps getting renewed and it is all thanks to arrow, we are even going to get a Vandal Savage one of DCs best villains.
Saoshyant
Saoshyant - 5/17/2015, 9:14 AM
Hail Arrow!
mattattack
mattattack - 5/17/2015, 9:17 AM
See the problem here, however, is all their guest stars look like a made for TV movie with a micro budget. Even recurring characters like Deadshot looked like hot garbage. I want quality over quantity but the people at the CW don't get that. They stuff hella random characters into a season that have no purpose but to be the "villain" of the week and it's so annoying. After this last season of Arrow which disappointed so greatly- im over it. Flash is cheese and Gotham is a show that I don't get how I watched a whole season of. Like I said in a previous thread- the only truly cinematic and true cbm adaption done right is Daredevil. The rest is shit and saturating the market. I can't believe I see people digging the god awful trailer for Supergirl. People on this site shit on Zack Snyder/the whole DC universe but liked Supergirl? LOL

Same goes for the cheesy Legends of Tomorrow. All corny and crappy with terrible dialogue. At least Arrow is shot very well but with the terrible third season I just can't anymore.
DarthBastard
DarthBastard - 5/17/2015, 9:18 AM
And it should be hated even more for wasting them all...
mattattack
mattattack - 5/17/2015, 9:19 AM
The only thing I do have to hand to Arrow is that show was the first to come out guns blazing and the first season is amazing. I just wish they kept the show on par but it's definitely fallen in quality and now everyone knows its oliver, everyone turns into a goddamn superhero, no one ever truly dies, and things become so predictable.
Darkjedi41
Darkjedi41 - 5/17/2015, 9:21 AM
I don't get this Amell can't act stuff, is he going to win any Oscars? No, but most actors on network TV aren't. He plays several different versions of Oliver Queen each requiring different tone. When you go back and watch the first season and see how different he played Oliver island vs. Hood Oliver you see that the dude can act. Is he amazing? No, going to win an Emmy? Probably not, but he can act.
blackandyellow
blackandyellow - 5/17/2015, 9:24 AM
Praise be to Guggenheim.
Gigacrusher45
Gigacrusher45 - 5/17/2015, 10:01 AM
Holy crap the children on this website. Out of nowhere everyone hates Arrow. Sorry they actually mixed things up season three. Too much for everyone to handle. Everyone's gotta moan and complain about SOMETHING... ANYTHING!

Arrow did in fact lay the groundwork for DC to have a awesome television universe. Now we have The Flash and getting Legends of Tomorrow.
Darktower
Darktower - 5/17/2015, 10:28 AM
Arrow started it this on going CB TV show!
MarkJulian
MarkJulian - 5/17/2015, 11:51 AM
@collectordude No, I did not. She's an obvious one.
EntertainmentAddict
EntertainmentAddict - 5/17/2015, 11:52 AM
Arrow is the best show currently on TV imo. Sorry to all you Marvel vs DC people who can't allow themselves enjoy adaptations of other companies. Arrow's success is the reason we have the more successful The Flash as well as Gotham & everything else that is getting made. Don't like it? That's fine, but don't crap on everyone who disagrees with you. Personally, I think Daredevil has been over praised but won't tell someone they are wrong to love it. As for the hatred of Stephen Amell, I REALLY don't get that. He is a fine actor & he actually CARES about his fans & really interacts with them. I have seen no other actor give back to the fans as much as Stephen Amell does...
ManDeth
ManDeth - 5/17/2015, 11:56 AM
@RobinHood It was. Arrow was a CW replacement for Smallville. Arrow started nothing. Some just want the series to appear as more than it is.
Darkjedi41
Darkjedi41 - 5/17/2015, 12:26 PM
Here is my issue with Arrow at this point. The desire by the writers to have the flashbacks so heavily mirror the present in seasons 2 and 3 have painted them into a corner. He now has 2 years to look like the picture above; become a member of the Russian mob, a captain no less, learn Russian, hear stories about the League of assasins and Ra's, learn to fly a plane, get all the gear he started with in season 1, and become the hood we saw in season 1. That is a lot to do in a short narrative...oh and get back to the island and engineer his "rescue"
Carl
Carl - 5/17/2015, 12:44 PM
Darren Shahlavi is a joke and deserves no credit.
superbatspiderman
superbatspiderman - 5/17/2015, 2:56 PM
Arrow season 3 might not have been as good as the first two but I still enjoyed it for the most part. It picked up towards the end of the season. Here is to hoping season 4 is the best season yet.
mattattack
mattattack - 5/17/2015, 3:20 PM
LOL!!!! @entertainmentaddict

There's dozens of shows that's far more superior in every aspect. Best show on the CW? Sure. That's not hard at all but sure.
Toshitheshadow
Toshitheshadow - 5/18/2015, 1:05 AM
@AOKRCEO I agree. Season 1 and 2 despite their flaws (cuz nothing's perfect) were awesome. I still love Arrow but season 3 killed it for me. I'm hoping it gets back on track with a new and improved Green Arrow for season 4. :D
SWelch
SWelch - 5/18/2015, 5:12 AM
@Darkjedi41 I agree. He can certainly act.

As I said on another article the problem with this season it felt like they were trying to hard to make him another Batman. After seeing the trailer for the spin off DC Legends of Tomorrow I think it would have been better to use Vandal Savage as the main bad guy for season 3.
MarkJulian
MarkJulian - 5/18/2015, 1:17 PM
@AOKRCEO Bravo, sir. Bravo!
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