Unless you’ve caught the Australian series Underbelly, there’s a good chance you haven’t heard of Jessica De Gouw, but that should be changing, shortly. The 24-year-old actress has been steadily building her resume since she first appeared in Australia’s The Sleepover Club in 2006. Now, she’s headed to Canada to film a part in The CW’s upcoming series, Arrow. She’ll play The Huntress in a multi-episode arc that may also feature an opportunity for her to play a love interest, as well.
The Huntress’ real identity is Helena Bertinelli, a young woman whose life has been spent around organized crime. After her mob boss father and the rest of her family are murdered, Bertinelli decides to avenge her family by becoming a vigilante. According to EW, Bertinelli will encounter Oliver Queen during the course of her hunts, and the results will be dynamic. With the couple’s similarly masked endeavors and skill sets, a potential romance should really come as no surprise. The real surprise will be whether or not The Huntress’ vigilante goals will get in the way of her romantic prospects.
One of the great things about playing a character occupying two identities is that the actress will get a chance to show an acting range a multi-episode arc usually does not allow for. De Gouw should get the chance to show her vision of The Huntress and Bertinelli, and if she does it right, the highly anticipated new CW show could open doors for her elsewhere. We’ll get the chance to see what the young actress is made of around episode 6.
The CW’s Arrow premieres Wednesday, October 10 at 8 p.m. ET.
