Arrow lost one of its original cast members last week! Willa Holland, who has played Thea Queen/Speedy for six seasons, has exited the Greg Berlanti-produced DC Comics drama. Her last episode saw her character leave town in pursuit of righting her father’s wrongs.
The writing for Holland’s exit had been on the wall for quite some time. While still being credited as a series regular, Holland for the past two seasons has had a contractually reduced role. This season, she appeared in 10 of the show’s 16 episodes to have aired this season. In season five, Holland’s Thea — Oliver’s younger sister — was in 14 of its 23 episodes.
It seems like the departure was her choice to pursue other projects. Arrow exec producer Marc Guggenheim had this to say about her exit:
“We’re very sad to see Willa go. She’s been a critical part of Arrow since its inception and a wonderful and talented person to boot. But we’re in our sixth season now and supportive of her wish to stretch her legs and pursue other creative opportunities. The door is always open for Willa to return if she has a hankering to.”
Arrow was Holland’s longest tenure to date, having appeared in 130 episodes of the drama. Her credits include roles on Gossip Girl and The O.C.
