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Miscellaneous > Personal Pictures > Public Appearances > 2015 > [February 11] KTLA Morning News

Willa Holland’s Thea Queen is showing off her physicality this season on “Arrow,” something that was previewed at the end of last week’s episode.

Thea is now being trained as a fighter under the tutelage of her dad, Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman).

“I’m still going through it,” Willa said when AccessHollywood.com asked her about her own fight training as an actress, during a set visit to Vancouver with reporters last Friday. “I’m still learning a lot, but I’ve been doing a lot of weight lifting, hitting the gym a lot with my trainer, Brady Roberts, who tortures me on a daily basis for at least an hour every day of the week, like seven days a week, Sundays even. And basically I’ve been working – I don’t know if I can reveal the other trainers that I’ve been working with. I’ve been focusing on weight lifting and getting my mobility going, and I’ve been hitting a few fronts, like kind of dabbling in almost everything the show has been offering, so it’s been kind of nice.”

In last week’s episode of The CW series, fans saw Thea fending off sparring attacks from several practice fighters using her martial arts skills.

“That’s right! They have revealed some of the katana, which has been awesome,” Willa continued, telling reporters what she is doing on the show. “That’s been one of my favorite things that I’ve been able to learn to do. It’s like crazy, awesome martial arts sword training. That has been amazing. I don’t know if I can reveal too much about it, though. I don’t want to spoil.”

Last season, Access spoke to Willa and asked if she was hoping she would eventually get to kick butt one day on the show. At the time (in April 2014), she said she couldn’t wait, telling Access, “Oh, I am praying for that. I am begging for that. I’ve been asking since day 1.”

Now that she’s finally doing that on The CW drama – or at least showing hints that that is what Thea’s future holds – Willa is having a blast, she told TV reporters.

“It’s probably my favorite part about my job,” she said last Friday. “It’s half the reason why I signed on to ‘Arrow’ in the first place is because the teasing of Speedy was in the pilot, and so I kind of just had this idea, ‘All right, I’m going to inevitably — if I’m on a DC show, maybe I’ll suit up and get to do some awesome stuff.’ And it’s slowly starting to happen, so I’m quite happy about it.”

“Arrow” continues Wednesday night at 8/7c on The CW.

(source)

GALLERY LINK:
Magazine Scans > 2014 > DA MAN (October/November)

The daughter of a famous movie director and an actress and model since the age of seven, it seems Willa Holland was always destined for stardom. Talented and tenacious, she now arrives on our screens for the third season of “Arrow,” an action drama show following the life of a billionaire playboy who returns home after a long absence to fight crime and corruption as a masked vigilante named Arrow. Holland plays Arrow’s sister Thea Queen, and subsequently has to put up with quite a lot. However, as our encounter with her shows, she appears to be more than up to the task.

DA MAN: Willa, thanks for chatting with DA MAN. Can you tell us a bit about your character thea Queen?
WILLA HOLLAND: Hey, my pleasure! Thea has always been a bit of a wild card, but she’s matured a lot over the years. The end of season two was a bit of a struggle for her to put it lightly, but she comes out in season three with a tougher, stronger side that we haven’t seen before. So watch out! [Laughs]

DA: Arrow has a lot of action-packed fighting scenes. do you have to do any training to prepare for these?
WH: Yes! I’m required to hit the gym daily so I can at least attempt to keep up with my incredible costars and the stunt guys and girls. It’s a lot of work but completely worth it. I find being in shape helps me get into character as I feel ready for anything.

DA: The show has an energetic young cast. What’s the atmosphere like on set?
WH: We have the best cast and crew. I’m sure every show says that, but this statement is 100 percent true in my mind. The general vibe on set is always awesome, as everyone actually gets along which is pretty rare for such a large group shoved together on a hot stage.

DA: “Arrow” is of course based on dc comics character green Arrow. Are you a comic book fan yourself?
WH: As a kid I was always partial to DC Comics rather than Marvel. I was a big fan Batman and the Ra’s al Ghul story line, which is one of the things I’m most excited about for season three. The idea of having the character of Ra’s on the show is just a childhood dream come true.

DA: You’ve primarily been filming in vancouver, canada. do you enjoy travelling with work?
WH: Yes, I do. While I’ve previously worked in Italy for a few months which was fantastic, I have to say that I have just fallen in love with this city. I actually moved here two years ago and now I can’t ever picture myself not having a place here.

DA: Apart from “Arrow,” what else are you working on at the moment?
WH: Though its still in the early stages, my mother and I started working on some clothing designs for fun a while ago which may actually have sprung into something. So between the show, training, and now this little side project, I’m kept pretty busy.

DA: We noticed you’ve performed as a voice actress in several video games. How did this come about?
WH: I don’t really know how it all started but I’m guessing someone really liked my raspy, manly voice for video games! [Laughs] Not complaining at all though, it’s actually really fun.

DA: We hear you’re also a singer and musician. Are we going to see an album from you soon?
WH: Oh no. That’s just for the shower!

DA: What else do you get up to in your spare time?
WH: Photography has always been a big part of my life, so I try to venture out and have fun with that most days. Or just sit on the couch enjoying some “Homeland” or “Game of Thrones” as I’m completely hooked on both right now.

DA: Do you live your life by a certain motto?
WH: S**t happens, change your pants

DA: What has been the proudest moment of your career?
WH: Getting to be in the intro of “Pretty Sweet,” a skateboarding video by Spike Jonze for Girl and Chocolate skateboards.

DA: What are your future aspirations?
WH: I have quite a few, but the main ones will always be to live happy, heathy, and free. And to just continue on doing work that makes me feel exactly that.

DA: What qualities do you look for in a man?
WH: Someone who’s loyal and trust worthy. Oh, and good looking doesn’t hurt! [Laughs]

(source)

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Studio Photoshoots > Sessions & Outtakes > 2014 > WhoWhatWear

When Willa Holland arrived in Los Angeles for our October fashion shoot, it was a blistering 90 degrees outside. Hardly coat weather, but that didn’t deter the Arrow actress from playing dress-up in the season’s coolest outerwear. With a new chopped haircut and a giant smile on her face, Holland was game for anything—in this case, an arsenal of cozy pieces rich with of-the-moment textures, menswear detailing, and a touch of sport. Take a minute perusing the final looks, and you’ll be ready to try these fall essentials, too.

Within moments of meeting Holland, we couldn’t help but notice that the actress could be a long-lost Delevingne sister—blame it on her striking brows and prominent cheekbones. When asked if she ever gets mistaken for Cara, Holland laughed: “You mean, does she ever get mistaken for me?” It turns out the two grew up together in London, and people would often mix them up. Holland’s personality fits the bill, too. The bubbly 23-year-old is infectious, not afraid to crack a silly face in front of the camera or dance to Taylor Swift.

That carefree attitude came alive when she was in the day’s first outfit, a Hugo Boss houndstooth suit draped with a leather motorcycle jacket. Not surprising, considering the ensemble was essentially a nod to the actress’ real-life style. Living full-time in Vancouver, where her CW series Arrow films, Holland credits her first group of real girlfriends for shaping her current look. “They opened up my sense of feminist fashion and definitely helped me get into more sophisticated looks,” Holland says. “I wear suit pants with nice Alexander Wang shoes. They took my tomboyish, baggy style and refined it.”

But perhaps the most notable change for Holland is her hair, a short cut she’s been trying to do for years. “I was always told not to [cut it] because I would thoroughly regret it,” Holland says. “I kind of got mad that everyone was saying that, so I decided I would try to get my show to write it in. I cut my hair literally the day season two ended. I’m obsessed with it, and never growing it back.”

A hair style that only takes 15 seconds—simply plop in some pomade and mess it up a bit—is perfectly at home with the day’s more easygoing looks. An oversized pinstripe coat and cropped trousers can be all business, but when paired with a relaxed graphic tee and playful flats, are easily weekend-ready.

A self-proclaimed baggy jeans and t-shirt girl, Holland not only knows great denim—she showed up wearing the covet-worthy high-waisted vintage Levi’s shown above—but the power of a statement jacket, too. Holland recalled one of her greatest finds, saying, “I actually have this piece that I found in a vintage shop in Portland. It’s all brown wool on the inside and brown suede on the outside. It’s a bomber jacket with this really nice fashionista-like collar to it that kind of just pops up.”

It’s Holland’s eye for cool vintage finds that partially influenced her to start a fashion line, George Clothing Co., with her mother Darnell Gregorio-De Palma. “It’s just in the very early stages,” she says. “It’s being mixed inside the womb and yet to be birthed.” While on set, we got to take a peek at the collection, noting standouts like a paisley-print tee with a contrast pocket and a perfectly feminine polka-dot dress. “It’s based loosely on me and my mom’s style,” Holland added. “It came about because in the early ‘80s my mother was asked by Ron Herman to design pieces for his stores.”

As for Holland’s own designer obsessions, she was quick to call out Proenza Schouler, and doted over the olive green backpack by the New York design duo that she toted to our studio, a recent purchase she doesn’t plan on parting with anytime soon. “I have this weird thing that if I buy a backpack like that, I have to wait a year before buying another bag,” she says. “The moment I’ve spent that money, a year has to go by. I have to obsess over it for the next 365 days to know that I want it that bad. I will never become used to being that person that spends three grand here, three grand there. Nobody should do that, no matter how much money you have.”

When Holland isn’t hard at work on her fashion line or reading scripts, the beauty can be found catching up on the latest season of Sons of Anarchy and chilling out to Mazzy Star. “I’ve always been kind of stuck in a couple years back,” she says. “I’m in a Mazzy phase, but I love me some Taylor Swift, too. I like ‘22.’ [That song] was my jam, because when I turned 22 that was all I listened to. I feel like when you are at that age, you must listen to that song for a week straight. And then for the rest of that year, any time you are sad, you have to turn on that song.”

So what’s next for Holland? The actress is back to work on her hit comic seriesArrow, which premieres its third season tonight. With star power in spades, an incredibly chic fashion sense, and designs skills to boot, it’s clear Holland is more than just a pretty face.

(source)

“In general, I think that Willa is incredibly talented, and it really excites me because for all intents and purposes, she’s kind of been a bench player for the first couple of years,” the star continued, shifting the topic back to Willa Holland’s character, Thea. “This year, it’s us saying, ‘We know how much you’re capable of. So here you go. Here’s your episode.’ I know that Diggle’s had a couple episodes like that, but this year Willa is going to have an episode like that. And Emily [Bett Rickards as Felicity] is going to have an episode like that. That’s the most exciting part for me — aside from getting a couple of days off. I’m happy that everyone is getting their moment.”

(read the whole article)

With John Barrowman’s Malcolm Merlyn taking his (spoilers) biological daughter Thea Queen under his wing in the upcoming, third season of Arrow, there are a lot of unanswered questions as to just what Willa Holland will be doing this year.

And she isn’t the one to answer them, for the most part.

Holland joined ComicBook.com and a small group of reporters at Comic Con International: San Diego last month for a roundtable, where she dealt with Thea’s relationships with Roy, Oliver and Merlyn; her character’s love life; and how training to make Thea more of a badass has her in the gym for the first time in her life — for 20 hours a week.

Ed. note: It’s helpful to know that Snow is a 2004 made-for-TV movie starring Tom Cavanagh and Ashley Williams. Is spawned a sequel, in which the pair also starred.

Can you tell us about what’s different about playing Thea this year?

Willa Holland: I can say that the Thea [last name] that we saw leave at the end of season two is definitely not the Thea we see in — once we’re back — in Season Three. And she’s definitely…she’s gone through some stuff, and maybe taken out a little anger on the gym. I need a Band-Aid for how cut I am right now, guys. I mean, really, seriously.

Is there a specific kind of training you’re getting at the gym?

W: Right now they just really want me to bulk up. Limber up as well. They’re emphasizing a LOT on being limber. So, I’m like, “Okay,” and they’re not telling me why. [Laughs] That’s the thing. I’m also doing wrestling and boxing. Haven’t started the wrestling yet, but my personal trainer does do wrestling and he was told that he had to — he actually just got a phone asking to teach me ‘take-down wrestling moves,’ so I’m like, “All right, I’m down.”

What are the odds that we’ll see her following more down Malcolm’s path this year?

I think that the — I really can’t say much along those lines, but I can say that she was so broken at the end of season two, to the point where, season three is where she — her head space in season three is, she’s just not going to ever let that happen to her again. She is at a place where she is not gonna let anybody hurt her ever again. And that’s really all I can say about that. [laughs]

I’m NOT allowed to say much.

…Maybe a little evil?

Again, NOT allowed to say anything like that. What I can say is that, obviously season one was all about Oliver’s arc on the island. Season two was almost like a homage for Roy’s being on an island, or his version of the island. So, I’ve been getting teased about and am quite excited for it, the idea that season three is kind of Thea’s arc, on her version of the island.

Now, has it been fun working with John Barrowman? I don’t think you’ve done a lot with him before…

No, never actually.

…And now you’re really in the thick of his storyline, obviously.

Yeah, yes, he’s amazing. We had maybe two scenes where we would walk past each other, we never really had any scenes together. We had so much fun together off-set, all the time. How could we not? We all have a lot of fun.

I have a feeling that they’re going to just have to look like two pods on either side so we don’t talk in between takes because we have so much fun to the point where he’s distracting anybody from actually getting their work done.

And I feel bad but I also can’t not do it. He’s kind of the most amazing person ever, so it’s kind of a great time!

Are you excited about working with the cast of The Flash down the line?

I am so stoked about that because everybody that’s on The Flash are great people. I’ve known Danielle for a really long time. She’s amazing. Grant is the best and Tom is amazing — we all know Snow, right?

I brought that up to him — he was not too happy about it.

It’s kind of the greatest thing ever. We actually shoot not even across the street but across the lot from each other, so it’s like our studio and then their studio and it’s like, we should probably just have joint lunches all the time and joint parties. It’s pretty amazing and the idea of the crossovers is really, really fun for us. I mean, I definitely know that I’m not going ot be in the first one but I don’t know about the rest and there’s some fun stuff ahead.

How does this season deal with identity and secret identity? You’re one of the few principal leads left who don’t know Oliver’s secret.

It is actually pretty hilarious the way that it will be perceived for the two of us. It’s great that you bring up the question but unfortunately I can’t answer it — which is really making me mad because I have the greatest answer for that, but I can’t say it and it’s pissing me off a lot. I’m so sorry!

Will it last the entire season?

Yes, I think so. I very much think so. But God, I wish I could answer that question!

Roy’s final lie to you was the last straw. Now, you’re both transitioning into new roles. Do you guys ever cross paths? Is that lie dealt with?

Do me and Roy cross paths? Yeah, we definitely, definitely cross paths again. There is so much love between those two. They are in love with each other; they’re just both in a broken place. Or Roy at that time was in a broken place and is now definitely changed a lot and become far more put together but Thea is not. Thea’s gone through a lot.

I don’t think that there’s going ot be a rekindling off the bat, but who knows in the near future?

What are your thoughts on how varied the strong female characters are on this show? They aren’t all written as a typical “strong woman” icon.

It’s kind of amazing to be able to have all of these women. I mean, Katie Cassidy’s character Laurel is such a strong, independent woman. Same with Sara Lance, same with Felicity. There’s just too many good roles on the show for females [to list them all now]. And if anything, Thea’s was kind of the one that was the lesser of and now maybe she’s gonna be the best one. Who knows?

Obviously because Merlyn knows Oliver’s secret, does that put him in an awkward position with you? Either he tells you, or he doesn’t and then he’s holding a secret all season like Oliver was.

That’s something I can’t answer! But it’s a really good question [laughs]

Do you have any ideas for your costume if you get one?

One thing Stephen has always told me and it’s something that I’m very adamant about now is, “Make sure you don’t wear boots in your costume.” And if you do have to wear boots, make sure that they build you a pair of fake boots into Nike free runs or something like that. Because it’s impossible to do anything in boots. Actually Black Canary was in these really heavy Florentine and Baker boots, these crazy, heavy, stalky boots and she forgot to say that in the meeting and it didn’t happen and then every single day she had to run around in those crazy, horrifyingly heavy things. But she somehow pulled it off amazingly; nobody could tell! That shows how amazing Caity Lotz is, right there.

I think, you guys saw a long, black trench coat and I might be wearing that thing quite a few times.

Is there any more feedback you’ve got from your castmates other than the boots?

Don’t wear heavy boots and wear a mouth guard. I’ve already been hit in the face, and it hurt really bad.

[My trainer and I] were sparring and he grazed the side of me, if anything it hit my ear more becuase I kind of dodged it a little bit but not enough. It was my fault because he wasn’t really going all the way. I came forward, but I didn’t know that was happening.

Taking a hit of any kind has to be kind of new for you.

Oh, no. I get into a lot of bar fights. I brawl.

No, definitely not, but I’m definitely prepared for a lot of that to happen, for sure. Our trainer’s the best, he’s really amazing and actually kind of scary when he takes his shirt off.

It’s like, “Okay, he can crush me into powder, probably.”

Does Thea’s training come from Malcolm?

Stop asking me things I can’t answer, damn it! [Laughs]

How do you feeling being a show where it’s the guys who are always taking their shirts off, not the girls?

Well, it’s kind of hard for us. We’re not on HBO or Showtime or Starz, so we can’t really do that. But I will say that the poster for Season Three is no longer Stephen’s abs, it’s now my abs. So…yeah. That’s a complete falsified statement; I just like saying it.

How have you found the fan following?

I get some of the most enthusiastic reactions ever and I actually quite love it. The Arrow fans are the best fans, actually. I’ve had some trickle in from The OC and kind of follow over and The OC fans are great, amazing. There was really only one incident with one of them attacking me, thinking that I really did kill Ryan. They were thoroughly convinced that I killed Johnny, Ryan Donahue. I remember walking down the street hearing my name…or, “Kaitlin, Kaitlin! You bitch!” And before I could turn around, I got bodyslammed down on the ground.

She was like, “I should kill you for killing him!” It happened. So…that happened. And I had to get Ryan on the phone and be like, “His name is Ryan Donahue, it’s not Johnny Harper, and he’s alive. Here, I have a photo that I took with him like two weeks ago! He’s totally alive!”

It’s not like that with these fans at all. I don’t feel that at all. I think Arrow’s guys got their heads on their shoulders a little bit better.

Do you think as your character comes to the forefront as a villain, that could change?

It could change for the better. I don’t see anybody tackling John Barrowman.

Actually, I do, in the greatest way possible.

But I’m quite excited for it all, and I’m at the gym now, so I can take anyone down.

You’ve got a great fight choreographer, too…

Oh, we do. James Bamford is the best. He’s a legend beyond legends, actually amazing.

Is this a different kind of workout for you?

I’ve never hit the gym before. I’m not the kind of person who does that. So yeah, I went from never going ot the gym to going every single day, seven days a week, from 8 a.m. until 11, pretty much. Or 11 to 1. I tried to go gluten and dairy free. It didn’t work.

Have you had weapons training, too?

Not yet, not yet. First we need me to be able to pick up a weapon.

Do you think you’re going to continue with it now?

Yeah, I definitely think I’m going to be sticking with it. The few days that I haven’t been working out because I’ve been down here has made me feel really weird and it’s kind of crazy how it does that do you. But I’m definitely getting to that place where I want to have an Elliptical in my apartment and go running every day.

How close are the cast?

We could not be any closer. if we were all blood-related, that’s as closer as we could actually get. It’s like a hilarious family on set and a very, very tight-knit one. We all are very much there for each other in great ways. Stephen is probably the best older brother anybody could ask for and is one of the greatest friends in the world and just an all-around great person. And Colton is the best on-screen boyfriend I could ask for to…and i wish he was my real boyfriend! [Laughs]

How do you feel about being a part of the long-running legacy of these comics?

It’s the greatest honor ever, actually. Pretty great, I’ve got to say. I think all of us feel so honored to be working on this show and the way that it’s gone, the trajectory. We expected it to be big, but nobody expected it to go this big and we are so happy and proud of it, it’s actually pretty nice.

When you do your flashbacks, is there a chance you could be working with Susanna Thompson again?

I absolutely hope so! I’d entirely love to. Susanna is one of the greatest people that has ever entered into my life and I actually had dinner with her about a month ago down here. That would be the greatest thing ever, absolutely. I would love that to happen.

When you say you’ll be crossing paths again with Roy…will that be romantic, or…?

I can’t say. It’s another one of those, but there’s definitely going to be some paths crossing again. It’ll be interesting, really interesting. Yeah.

Can you talk about the characteristics you’ve had to take on for this role and how it informs what you want to pursue outside Arrow?

Being able to start training on the show has been the greatest thing because I feel like it’s going to open so many doors for me just physically on my own. I’ve always wanted to play a kick-ass girl like a Kate Beckinsale or a Resident Evil or something rad like that. But yeah, being able to have that under your belt is an amazing opportunity.

Are there certain other skills you want to have on your resume? Archery, perhaps?

Yes. I want to do boxing, really badly. I want to be an all-star boxer; I want to Million Dollar Baby the heck out of my life. And I keep watching Stephen with his parkour stuff and I think that’s got to be the most fun thing ever — like, it’s got to be painful and hard, but it also looks like it’s so much fun. So I would not mind doing something like that, either.

With all of that training, is there another role you’d like to land in terms of superheroes?

Umm…I’d like to play Speedy! [Laughs] That’s all I got for that one.

(source)