Arrow Cast: Before They Were Stars

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Enjoy this look at the cast of Arrow before they were stars. Were you aware of all these roles?

1. Arrow Season 2 Cast

Not all of those who started out Season 2 as stars will remain in Season 3, but we're showing you how those featured in the upcoming season found their way to Starling City.

2. Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen/The Arrow

Amell lead up to his stunning turn as Arrow by way of Nick Harwell in Heartland (2007-2012), a hooker in the Showtime series Hung (2011) and hunky fireman Scott Becker in Private Practice (2012), where he wooed older woman Violet (Amy Brenneman).

3. Stephen Amell in Dante's Cove

Amell started out on Queer as Folk as a spinning instructor in 2004 before he landed a part on Dante's Cove, an LGBT-friendly mystery series (2005). Along the way he was on several other series in bit or recurring roles, including The Vampire Diaries and 90210 (both 2011). He also played Joran Van Der Sloot in TV movie, Justice for Natalie Holloway that same year.

4. Emily Bett Rickards is Felicity Smoak

All of Emily Bett Rickards roles were concurrent wtih her start on Arrow, including a part in a Flicka film in 2012. One part isn't noted. Find out what it is by clicking through!

5. Emily Bett Rickards in Nickelback's Never Gonna Be Alone

Emily Bett Rickards is one of the few lucky stars to find success right out of the gate. In 2008 Nickelback had the good taste to cast her as their lead in the music video for Never Gonna Be Alone.

6. David Ramsey is John Diggle

On his way to Diggle-dom, Ramsey played with Dexter as Anton Briggs (2008-9), was Al Druzinski in Outlaw (2010) and Mayor Carter Poole in Blue Bloods (2011-2013), a part that ran concurrent to Diggle. That's not where it started....

7. David Ramsey in Good Ones

Ramsey has had a long career, with his first credited role in horror film Scared Stiff in 1987. He had various parts before landing the lead as a pastor in UPN's Good Ones. Later he had bits in Charmed, The West Wing, Ghost Whisperer and Castle, among others.

8. Katie Cassidy is Laurel Lance

Before she was a Lance, Cassidy made a stop in Monte Carlo as Ella (2011) and was Juliet Sharp in Gossip Girl (2010-12). But where was she before that?

9. Katie Cassidy in When a Stranger Calls

Katie's first noted role was in The Division in 2003. She then had some series work with a focus in movies such as When a Stranger Calls and Black Christmas in 2006, before landing the recurring role of Ruby (#1) in Supernatural in 2007 and a significant part on Harper's Island in 2009, the same year she joined the Melrose Place reboot as Ella.

10. Willa Holland is Thea Queen

Holland had parts in Legion (2010) and Straw Dogs (2011) during her tenure on Gossip Girl as Agnes Andrews from (2008-12). Think she ever saw Katie Cassidy on set? There was another famous TV Star she met with earlier...

11. Willa Holland in The O.C.

Holland's first role was in a movie called Ordinary Madness in 2001. She went on to play Kaitlin Cooper (#2, after Shailene Woodley) on The O.C., on which she roomed at boarding school with a character played by Lucy Hale!

12. Paul Blackthorne is Det. Quentin Lance

Before reaching Starling City, Blackthorne was Stephen Saunders in 24 (2004), Wizard (yes, as in witch) Harry Dresden in The Dresden Files (2007-08), Shane Healy in Lipstick Jungle (2008-9), Christian Harper in The Gates (2010) and Clark Quietly in The River (2011) and that ain't all!

13. Paul Blackthorne in ER

Blackthorne started his career in the UK in 1999 on a TV series called Peak Practice. When he arrived in the states he starred in Presidio Med with Dana Delaney in 2002 and took a part on ER as Dr. Lawson in 2004.

14. Colton Haynes is Roy Harper

Haynes was best known as Jackson Whittemore on Teen Wolf before he donned the red hood, a role he played from 2011-12. Before that he had a guest role in The Nine Lives of Chloe King and was a werewolf in...

15. Colton Haynes in The Gates

Haynes has small parts in CSI: Miami (2007), Pushing Daisies (2008) and Melrose Place (2009) before landing a significant role in the horror series The Gates in 2010, in which he starred as Brett Crezski, a teen werewolf!

16. Caity Lotz is Sara Lance/Canary

Before poping on the mask, Lotz was in a horror movie called The Pact in 2011 and another called The Machine in 2012. Concurrently to Arrow, she's been featured as Don Draper's "niece" in Mad Men (2010-14). Before that? Find out...

17. Caity Lotz in Death Valley

Lotz got her start in Bring It On: All or Nothing in 2006 as a cheerleader. The movie starred Hayden Panettiere. She landed the part of Officer Kirsten Landry in MTV's Death Valley (a zombie series) in 2011.

18. John Barrowman is Malcolm Merlyn

Barrowman has had a great time being moderately good and evil. Before Malcolm he had a role in Zero Dark Thirty and helmed Torchwood as Captain Jack Harkness (2006-11), a character he created for the Doctor Who series. Before that? Click on!

19. John Barrowman in C.P.W.

In 1995 Barrowman landed the part of Peter Fairchild in C.P.W. (formerly Central Park West) alongside Madchen Amick and Lauren Hutton for his first credited role! Woot! He was in Titans in 2001 and stole our hearts as Captain Jack Harkness in a recurring role when Doctor Who returned in 2005.

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Arrow Quotes

I thought you took that book off your father's dead body. How could he have been so chatty?

Diggle

She was my sister. I couldn't be angry because she was dead. I couldn't grieve because I was so angry, that's what happens when your sister dies while screwing your boyfriend.

Laurel