We recently had the chance to sit down with Kat McNamara to chat with her about her upcoming stint on The Flash: Armageddon, where she will be reprising her role as Mia Smoak from Arrow. Without further ado, let’s jump right into the questions!
*This interview has been edited for clarity*
Nerds & Beyond: So, a trailer and a few descriptions have been released for The Flash: Armageddon, giving fans a glimpse of the action that’s to come. Could you give us a little summary of what the five-episode event is going to be about and how Mia fits into this?
McNamara: Ah — isn’t that the grand question… In true Arrowverse fashion, there’s not much I can say at this point without spoilers, but I can say this: Mia is back with a vengeance on a mission of her own and ends up in Central City with Team Flash. I’m honored they asked me back and so grateful to the writers room of The Flash that they brought Mia back in such a bold and badass way. I was floored when I read the script at how perfectly they wrote for Mia’s specific tone of brooding brute force mixed with smart sarcasm, and gave her a story laced with the drive and vulnerability we worked so hard to build into her character on Arrow. I think CW Arrowverse fans will be thrilled with how they see her come to life once again on screen and don the ever-iconic Green Arrow suit once again.
Nerds & Beyond: So as we all know, unfortunately Green Arrow and the Canaries did not get picked up by The CW. But we’ve also seen across multiple shows in the Arrowverse/CWverse that lots of characters never truly disappear, with lots of them migrating over to Legends or making spontaneous appearances in other shows (like John Diggle, for example). What would you say is your ideal vision of Mia’s role in the future of the CWverse after this appearance?
McNamara: Truly, I would love to see Mia as the Green Arrow more often. It is always such a pleasure to be a part of the CW Arrowverse on any of the shows. Over the years, I have gotten to know so many of the amazing creative talents on both sides of the camera, so wherever I end up, it feels like home. Stephen [Amell] and Emily [Bett Rickards] set up the Smoak/Queen family and the Green Arrow legacy so beautifully, I always have some new avenue to explore in Mia’s journey. While she is more of a lone wolf like her father, she has learned the value of a team and can adapt to pretty much any situation in which she finds herself. She is a survivor on a mission — and now with the awareness of both her pre and post “Crisis On Infinite Earths” realities, the possibilities are limitless for where her journey could take her. Suffice to say, anytime you need someone in a hood shooting arrows around the CW Arrowverse, I’ll be there. Two years ago, my vision wasn’t great, but thanks to my PRECISION1 contact lenses, I am now able to see clearly for my stunts—you can’t shoot an arrow without precise vision!
Nerds & Beyond: If I have my facts straight, you graduated college when you were 17 (impressive) with a degree outside the arts. What first got you into the entertainment industry, and if you could go back and do it all again, would you take the same path?
McNamara: I wouldn’t trade my career path for anything. For me, becoming a storyteller is who I was always meant to be. However, both areas of my interest — economics and entertainment — play a big role in who I am and where my career has taken me. I loved math as a kid, and when I discovered that these puzzles I had been solving in a vacuum could be used to explain these overarching trends and patterns of human behavior and world events, I was floored. From that point on, I wanted to be an economist and specialize in developmental economics. However, part of the way through that education, I stumbled into a family friend who was directing a community theater production and needed a dancer. I had been doing ballet as a hobby for most of my life and being the outgoing kid I was, I was willing to give anything a go. I’ll never forget stepping on stage on opening night. I had one of those rare moments of clarity that hit me like a brick wall — I knew without a doubt in that moment that I was put on this earth to tell stories. If I could go back and do it all again, I would — if nothing more than to just relive the memories I wish I would have taken more of a moment to notice at the time. I’m eternally grateful for what my career has brought me so far and excited for the possibilities of what is to come in the future.
A big thanks to Kat McNamara for taking the time to sit down with us! The Flash: Armageddon five-episode special will begin airing on November 16. You can check out all of our information on the special here, currently including descriptions for the first two episodes and the poster for the special.
As always, check out all of our coverage concerning the Scarlet Speedster here. Stay tuned for more updates, and make sure to tune in to The Flash on The CW in its new time slot — Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT.
