Was Felicity Smoak always planned to be a main character in Arrow?

According to the trivia section of this article "Emily Bett Rickards was originally only intended to appear as Felicity in 'Lone Gunmen'."

The wording doesn't make it clear if they meant that the character was only supposed to appear in one episode or if a different actress was supposed to play her in later episodes. Plus the bullet doesn't have a source and I don't feel like that site is a reliable source.

I don't care whether Felicity was supposed to be played by another actress, but I am curious whether the character was always meant to be part of the main cast or if that was an adjustment they made later.

Best Answer

Whilst the creators of the show may have intended differently, Emily Brett-Richards commented:

“I think I was very lucky. Felicity came in at a point where the show needed that sort of light and that sort of chemistry, so I was lucky to be able to pick that up, fit that role, and fit with the show. As time goes on, I've heard many stories, but as far as I knew, I was being signed for two scenes — one day of acting. And, I was freaking out because it was so exciting.”

So she certainly thought it was a one episode gig. However, as the article above continues:

Those two scenes turned into a role as an unintended series regular. How it happened is a matter of geeky apocraphy, but as Rickards tells it, there were many factors at play: "Stephen [Oliver Queen] was very complimentary on my first day working; he said he had a lot of fun when he talked to the producers and execs. And, then, when they showed the episode to journalists for the first look, everyone was sort of asking who Felicity was, and that sort of sparked some interest. I was just very lucky… and then there was this explosion of love and passion and relatability to her.”

So, based on her comment, it seems reasonable to assume that she was originally intended to be a one-episode character. Having said that, it also seems likely that the creators of the show were always open to the possibility of her having an extended run in the show, depending on the reception her character received.