Arrow season five hits DVD and Blu-ray in the UK on Monday and I recently had the chance to discuss The CW series with star Juliana Harkavy. She came into the series unexpectedly in season five as Tina Boland, a character we later learned is actually Dinah Drake. Over the course of the show's fifth season, we saw Dinah go from reluctant Team Arrow member to becoming the brand new Black Canary.
She'll suit up when the show returns to The CW and Sky 1 next month and talks here about everything from her favourite season five moments to Black Canary's impending battles with Black Siren and her hopes for the future when it comes to both the upcoming Arrowverse crossover and other DC shows.
You can find all of that and more below and, as you can see, it sounds like we definitely have a lot to look forward to when it comes to where Black Canary goes next in Arrow. Is romance on the cards for her and Oliver Queen? Will we learn more about her backstory? Juliana weighs in on all that and more and we'd obviously like to thank the actress for taking the time to chat to us about the show.
Be sure to click here to read Juliana's thoughts on donning the Black Canary costume in season six.
I wanted to start by asking you about the battle between Black Canary and Black Siren in the season five finale; what was it like shooting that with Katie Cassidy?
It was so cool and so intense. It was an amazing set; it felt real! There was the fire and it felt like you were in Game of Thrones! It was the first time we met and it was so funny because [Laughs] we came into it in a rehearsal both very in character and intense and as soon as they called cut, we just looked at each other and hugged! It was a very warm, loving moment but also very real and powerful moment in the show.
The trailer for season six showed a rematch between the two of you; will a rivalry between the two be an ongoing plot point this year?
Absolutely. I'm not sure where it's going to go in season six but I think her reemergence is definitely going to have an impact on the team. The fact that it's going to be Siren vs. Canary and the new against the old makes for a really cool dynamic that they're going to keep playing with.
In the comics, Green Arrow and Black Canary have quite the romance; with Laurel no longer around, is that something you'd be interested in exploring in the show?
[Laughs] I love everything that pays homage to the original comics and I think that's really cool but in terms of the show and what Dinah is going through, I don't know if she's ready for something like that with Oliver or anyone. I think if that were to happen, it would be so far down into the future. I don't know if it would even happen! But if it does, I think it would be very cool as it's such a great homage to the original stories.
You missed out on the big four show crossover last year so is that something you're excited to be part of next time and who would you like to see Dinah cross paths with?
I would love to see Dinah interact with Barry Allen just because their energies are so different. They shoot The Flash right next door to us so I've now befriended a lot of those people in real-life. I'm really excited to work with them and I can't wait for the crossover. It's coming up soon actually.
Would you like to see Dinah follow the first Black Canary by making the leap to a show like Legends of Tomorrow?
I think Dinah and Black Canary are so connected to Arrow and that story and mythology, I just don't know if I would fully drop her out there because that's her team and they're part of what forms her at this point in the game. I would love to have her be part of the other shows to go save some lives on other worlds and stuff. That would be fun!
Season five brought in a new team of vigilantes but you came in a little later than everyone else; was that a challenge for you?
Surprisingly, it was so easy and I kind of slipped in and felt like I had always been there. It was such an accepting and loving group of people. They're the warmest cast and crew. Just on the first day, we joked with each other, going back and forth. You know, 'Oh, you're the rookie and we've got to haze you.' They made jokes about that but it was always done with such love and they were teaching me things from the beginning and it was an easy transition because they were so wonderful.
As the show's third Canary, were you ever concerned with how the fans would react to you?
I didn't know what to expect. I guess I did expect that some people might be upset or surprised by the change but it was very few and far between in terms of negative reactions. Fans were very supportive for the most part and anybody who was upset did seem to do it out of love for the show and character which I can't be mad at anybody for. As an actor, that's a really good thing to see. It was really a very positive experience with the fans.
It's been said that season six will feature flashbacks for different characters. Would you be interested in exploring more of Dinah's backstory?
Definitely. As you mentioned, she came in so late last season, she kind of appeared as an enigma nobody knew with a meta power which allowed her to become the Canary and be part of the team but her story was only told in bits and pieces. I think she's a very dynamic character and I think she has a lot going on in her personal life, so it will be great to explore that so people can feel like they know her more.
What was it like coming into the show and dealing with the stunts and do you have any favourite Black Canary action scenes in particular?
[Laughs] Almost all of them! Especially because with the stunt crew being so talented, you can just stand there and they'll make you look amazing. Whenever we would do these things and I'd see them in playback, I'd always get chills when I watched because it's so cool and fun to be part of something like that. For battle scenes, I'm actually doing bo-staff training and boxing now, learning the choreography for the fights, it just feels like a big release of energy and adrenaline to do it and it's one of the most fun parts of the show. It's been life changing to allow myself to trust not only the stunt crew and trainers that are helping me get there but trusting myself physically in this way. I feel like it's really made me into a more confident person as well as physically stronger and I just really think the stunts have been one of the most transformative things for me as it's allowed me to start seeing myself as a real hero and a real fighter and not just an actor.
Looking ahead to season six, what should we expect from Dinah when Arrow returns?
Well, Dinah is definitely finding herself in season six. She's learning how to recover after what happens at the end of season five, come back together, and become a solid unit with everyone. She's settling in and the theme of season six is family, so she's learning how to become a team player and not just focus on her own endeavours anymore and build a unit with the team.
A lot of fans argue that DC is well ahead of Marvel when it comes to TV shows – what do you think makes a series like Arrow and those on The CW so special?
[Laughs] Well, I think there's a formula for each show and each brand has its own family. Arrow is just exciting. I keep talking about the stunts because I think they're such a huge part of the show and the talent is just unbelievable. There's a realness and grittiness to Arrow. Then, the other CW shows like The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends all have their own energy and it's the amazing, great, fun, and exciting way that they put these shows together and it totally makes sense that people are drawn to them. They're exciting.