Charlotte Ross To Play Felicity Smoak’s Mother In Arrow

Soon, we’ll find out where Felicity Smoak got her smarts from.  We have confirmation from TV Guide that Charlotte Ross is slated to play the mother of our favorite Arrow IT heroine.  Producers of the show have planned a series of flashback episodes dedicated to Felicity’s backstory of which they’ve called “the secret origin of Felicity Smoak.”  In a recent interview, executive producer Marc Guggenheim stated:

"We are absolutely going to get to know her … We know that she went to MIT, we know that her mom was a cocktail waitress in Vegas and we’re going to meet that mom. And we also know that her dad is not in the picture."

At Comic-Con, it was revealed that one of the episodes focusing on Felicity will be titled Oracle.  To comic book fans, this name has huge meaning as it was the alter ego of Barbara Gordon — formerly Batgirl (Editor’s note: Also now Batgirl again in the New 52).  Barbara became Oracle after she was confined to a wheelchair from a severed spine due to The Joker’s attempt on her life.  Donning the name Oracle, Barbara became a computer expert and assisted other superheroes with her hacking, surveillance, and intelligence skills, much like Felicity.  It’s unknown if the episode title has any relationship to Barbara Gordon or just a nod to the DC universe.

This particular portrayal of Felicity Smoak was created specifically for Arrow, and the character will make her comic book debut in Green Arrow vol. 5 #35.  Therefore, there is currently no prior incarnation to base Felicity Smoak’s mother on.

Charlotte Ross came into prominence as Eve Donovan on the soap opera Days of our Lives.  Appearing on the show from 1987 to 1991, Ross earned two Emmy nominations for her role.  From 2001 to 2004, Ross played Connie McDowell in the ABC hit police drama series NYPD Blue.  Acting since 1986, she has had roles in various television shows which included The 5 Mrs. Buchanans, Drexell’s Class, Pauly, Law & Order, Trinity, Beggars and Choosers, Frasier, Savage Land, Jake in Progress, Fall into Darkness, and A Kiss So Deadly.  Ross also earned a gold record in 1992 when she starred in The Heights and lent her vocals to the show’s soundtrack, which included the hit song “How Do You Talk to an Angel.”

Season 3 of Arrow will premiere on Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at 8:00PM EST on The CW.