NOT everyone gets to be a superhero. Most children will at some point wonder what it would be like to strap on a flowing red cape or perch vigilantly over the dark streets of Gotham City. The international success of the recent Batman film franchise proves that this escapism into the world of heroes never truly disappears, even well into adulthood. If very few people get to live the dream of being a superhero, and Australian actress Jessica de Gouw is part of a special minority.
De Gouw, 24, has recently secured a role on breakout American television program Arrow in a role that is guaranteed to put a spotlight on the West Australian actress as a rising star of the entertainment industry. Arrow is loosely based on famed DC Comics character Green Arrow, a wealthy-yet-tortured vigilante on a crusade to clean up the corruption plaguing his city. De Gouw is set to portray Helena Bertinelli, another masked crusader better known to comic fans as The Huntress.
“The Huntress is a vigilante with a vendetta, who comes up against Oliver Queen (Green Arrow). She’s very dark and vengeful, and really challenges Oliver’s ideas of justice,” de Gouw told Australian Times.
The character of The Huntress has had several incarnations since being introduced in 1989 as a darker foil to Batman; Arrow’s version of Helena Bertinelli is the daughter of a prominent mobster that takes the law into her own hands as a way to atone for the sins of her father.
De Gouw says: “It is great having the comics as a reference for her back-story, her relationships and her world, but I have never played a character before that is established like Helena, and has such a following.
“Comic book fans are in a league of their own. The show is very fortunate to have an existing audience, and an audience that is so passionate and vocal. But I also think that I was cast because the show’s creators, the network liked my take on Helena, so I’ve got to trust my choices.”
After taking on several supporting roles on Australian dramas such as Underbelly and Crownies in 2011, de Gouw made the move to Los Angeles where she attracted the attention of Arrow’s creators shortly after arrival.
She said: “I’ve been lucky enough to have had some great projects come my way, and this year has been really fun. I am really lucky to have been given the opportunity to do Arrow so soon after arriving in the US. I know a lot of actors who have gone so long without work and I see how hard it can be.”
The Perth-raised actress began acting on stage as a high school student, making the decision to pursue a career in acting when she realised that she would never grow tired of the exhilaration that came from performing. De Gouw acknowledges that the difficulty of finding work as an actress in Australia contributed to her decision to follow her dream in the United States of America.
“Surviving as an actor in Australia is certainly not easy, especially when you are just starting out. Most of the actors I went through university with did the same as me, and left Perth in search of work,” de Gouw says.
“While there is some incredible Australian drama being produced – the ABC particularly, is creating some amazing television – it is still such a struggle for young artists to sustain themselves financially.”
De Gouw recently returned to Australia to film Perth director Zak Hilditch’s latest film These Final Hours, which follows the journey of a self-obsessed man that saves the life of a young girl and aids in her attempts to reunite with her father. The film, showcasing for a number of young Australian actors, is due to be released in early 2013.
Jessica de Gouw will premiere in her role as The Huntress in the seventh episode of Arrow entitled ‘Muse of Fire’, with her role recurring throughout the show’s already popular first season. Arrow debuted on American television network The CW with some of the highest ratings of any show in the network’s history, and was renewed for a full season shortly after.
Arrow is screening in the UK on Sky1 Mondays at 8pm.