'Arrow' Star Explains Why Oliver and Felicity Are the Perfect Couple
Arrow fans quickly fell in love with the future Mr. Terrific, and thankfully Curtis Holt’s story is only just beginning.
In tonight’s all-new episode, Curtis finally comes face to face with Oliver Queen, whom he knows only as Felicity’s ex-billionaire boyfriend. The Palmer Tech whiz, meanwhile, has been chipping away at the “mystery” identity of Green Arrow. (Neal Adams? So close, yet so far.) His progress, let’s just say, is almost nonexistent -- but it's not for a lack of trying.
“He’s very wrong,” Arrow star Echo Kellum told ET during a recent visit to the Burbank, California offices. “He’s on a mission to find out who the Green Arrow is, now that he knows Felicity’s working closely with him, so I definitely think it’s something on the forefront of his brain: Who is this guy who’s saving our city and doing this amazing thing that he looks up to?”
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That moment is nearing. When the time does come for Curtis to discover Oliver’s side gig, his mind may be blown.
“That’s going to be quite an episode,” Kellum said, chuckling at the thought. “They teased Curtis checking out Oliver’s chin with his hand, so I think, if he finds out [Green Arrow] is Oliver, he’s definitely going to be enamored and putting together so many pieces of the puzzle based on all his interactions with him. He’ll definitely be very surprised and happy to learn it’s Oliver.”
For Kellum, a self-proclaimed fanboy, it’s been a ride of a lifetime, being included in a fandom as welcoming as the one Arrow has created and nurtured. And, he’s just as passionate about the show’s core relationships as the fans are. Ask him about Olicity, for instance, and Kellum (he’s a fan!) has a beautiful response explaining why the unlikely couple works.
“I learn how to have better relationships in my real life by watching those characters on TV,” Kellum said. “If they can get past the issues that they’re dealing with, then I can stop complaining about there being no French toast in the morning.”
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“I don’t have to have a woman who knows how to cook because Felicity doesn’t know how to cook to be amazing,” he added. “She still kills it in every other aspect and I love seeing these two people, from two totally different places come together and just make it work.”
“That’s what you need in every relationship and they’re doing it in aces,” Kellum continued.
With Ray Palmer under the evil guise of the powerful Damien Darhk, Felicity will need Curtis more than ever.
“That’s an aspect to their relationship where he gives her the motivation to do the hard thing, especially in terms of Ray Palmer, and he will be that friend she can go to and cry on and talk about stuff that’s going on with her and Oliver, or anything,” Kellum said of Curtis and Felicity’s fast friendship. “You’ll see them helping each other out through all their issues.”
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Kellum was coy on whether Curtis makes it to the swanky Team Arrow HQ, but he has stepped foot in the killer new digs.
“It’s phenomenal,” Kellum marveled. “Like, oh my god, this is high-rollin’! This is some superhero stuff going on right now! But it’s time that lair was brought into the 21st century, you know?”
His favorite part? The personal pods for the suits, of course! “Maybe one of two more in the future, that’s all I’m saying,” Kellum joked, subtly hinting at Curtis’ comic-book alter ego, Mr. Terrific.
Not an official member of the team just yet, he hinted that his character will become an asset fairly quickly. “In the comic books, he’s the third smartest person in the world, a technological genius and an engineer, so he’ll definitely be able to craft tools that’ll be very useful for the team,” he said.
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In coming episodes, Curtis will begin to integrate himself into Team Arrow “where the team starts using tools Curtis brings,” Kellum hinted, adding that the former Olympian will be bringing some “kick-assery to the field” and “mixing it up with some bad guys.”
But there’s more to Curtis than being Felicity’s right-hand man at Palmer Tech -- we’ll meet his adoring husband before the Dec. 9 winter finale.
“Curtis and his husband have a really great dynamic with each other. It’s really about those two individuals having a love and understanding as people,” Kellum teased. “They love each other; just like any couple does and they support each other. It’d be nice to see that expressed in a superhero show.”
Though he’s a relatively new addition to the cast, Kellum voiced his appreciation to the producers, who have entrusted him with a character whose future remains boundless.
“When you sign on, you hope to add an interesting dynamic to the cast but to have them really delving into Curtis’ personal side and allowing him to be a sign of levity and silliness to the show [has been] very cool,” Kellum said. “The writing is so great, and I’m honored to have an origin story and to know that one day, this character will become Mr. Terrific.”
Arrow airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.