#that is in fact Flash actor Grant Gustin

[shortazn97]

I believe during the strikes he also said he "didn't support striking" and then after massive criticism, he was on the picket lines, presumably because his PR team made him do it.

He does try to say it's because he was frustrated they couldn't talk about the show he just finished filming, but it feels like an extremely flimsy excuse when he straight up says "I don't support striking".

source: x

[shinyspooks]

dp x dc prompt where. inspired by the fact that the actor for Barry Allen in that one live action Flash TV show also played a character on Glee + the fact there's a villain in the DC world called Music Meister who can hypnotize people by singing + the Ember can do the same thing...

um. well.

...musical episode??

Ember has started a musical tour. Danny has been chasing after her. this would be so much easier if heroes who are not immune to ghostly singing hypnotism (but think they are due to being immune to other types of singing hypnotism) would stop getting in the way.

[dalekofchaos]

So let me get this straight. The Flash movie includes

3 Barry Allens. Two good Barrys and one evil Barry instead of the logical thing like, oh I DON'T KNOW HOW ABOUT BARRY, WALLY AND FUCKING THAWNE

No Flash villains

Supergirl instead of Wally, Bart, Jessie, Jay or any of Flashes allies

General Zod

Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck as their respective Batmen, but not Grant Gustin or John Wesley Shipp as The Flash

How is this a Flash movie? Why Dark Flash? Why Zod? WHy not Reverse Flash, Godspeed, Red Death, Zoom, Grodd or The Rogues? I mean, the DCEU ALREADY set up the fact that Henry Allen was framed for Nora's murder and they STILL decided on Dark Flash over Thawne. Why are we getting two old Batmen over former Flashes? The fact that they couldn’t put in the other live action Flash actors there despite this being like the most expensive movie ever made is kind of a joke.

[marveloustimestwo]

I think Thor himself said that too “The Avengers are really good friends but the Guardians are a family” I love the Avengers too, it’s just like you said: the guardians have a special place in our hearts

“That's why even though they did get a good ending where nobody died, I both love and hate the fact that they split up at the end.” SAMEEEE! I wanted them to stay together forever 🥺

That’s what I thought too! To see how they built their world, how do they manage their relationships and everything. And they are so smart too, I mean they could communicate with Peter really fast even tho, they looked like they never ever saw anyone from outside their world

Right? Even 3 or 4 high schoolers (if I don’t remember it wrong) were beating another 🤔 That wasn’t very peaceful

That’s why I think the actors/actresses did perfect on not wanting to come back after James left, he created something so beautiful that I prefer things stay in that way. But to be honest, if he wants to come back and do something more with the Guardians I would totally watch it lol

And, related but not related? I’m curious about what James’s gonna do on DC now  🤔

Exactly. I always viewed the Avengers as a whole as coworkers. Some were good friends, like Nat and Clint or Thor and Bruce, but it never felt like a family. They saved the world a few times, went on some missions, and then did their own things separately.

Meanwhile, the Guardians were together all of the time after they became a team (that we know, at least.) They lived together on a ship and repeatedly said that they would die for and with each other. The only reason they ever separated (before GotG3) was because of forces much stronger than them, aka Thanos.

After that, they found themselves in different places with different goals and needs, so they decided to grow individually for a while to accomplish those goals. But despite that, there was no conflict like with the Avengers. It was clear to all of them that they still had affection and love for each other, and that they were still a family while being apart.

So while it is sad to see it all end, you're right to say it is something beautifully made. If James Gunn and the actors ever do decide to come back, I would really love to see what they each got up to. How Peter connects with his Grandad and Earth, what Rocket and the new Guardians do, what Nebula and Drax do on Knowhere, and what Mantis and her new pets get up to on their adventures. It would make for a great miniseries.

Same for the humanoid animals, too. While they were made to be perfect, they ended up becoming a lot like humans anyway. I would love to see how they developed their own culture and language while slowly also becoming more like humans and imperfect.

As for James Gunn and DC, I'm also pretty curious as to what he's going to do with it. I think it was kind of weird to get rid of Henry Cavill and not Ezra Miller. Objectively, Cavill's movies and portrayal of Superman were better than what Ezra did with the Flash.

If Cavill doesn't come back, it would be cool to see Tyler Hoechlin come into the main DC universe as Superman instead. From what I've seen, he does a pretty good job. It'd also be cool to see Grant Gustin as the Flash instead of Ezra, though he'd probably be tired of it considering he's been playing it for the past nine years.

Still, James Gunn has a pretty good track record of making great superhero movies. Outside of the Guardians, I liked his work with the Suicide Squad and Brightburn. I have some hope that he'll make DC movies that are at least fun to watch.

[1jemmagirl22]

So I was watching a PandaRed video when I remembered Tyler Hoechlin is in both Teen Wolf and Arrowverse. Then I started thinking, could I connect most of my favorite shows through the actors in them? 

Well this sent me down a spiral so now I’m going to spell it out, and in short connect most of my favorite shows, movies, and actors. I’m not even fucking kidding nearly every show or film I’ve ever adored connects to each other through enough convoluted pieces of metaphorical and literal red string. 

To start off we’re going to use Teen Wolf as a connecting point, the center of the board. That’s right, just imagine a big cork board Stiles Stilinski style packed with red string that’s what I’m laying out here.

From Teen Wolf we can diverge in a couple major directions. First we’ll take Tyler Hoechlin and jump to the CW. Using Tyler Hoechlin we get to Supergirl, and using the Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossover we get to all the major Arrowverse shows. Check them off the connection chart.

Using Supergirl we get, and this is rapid fire here. Chris Wood to Vampire Diaries, and take Candace Accola and Joseph Morgan and we get The Originals and Legacies too. That’s the TVDU checked off. 

Taking Katie McGrath gets us to oh yes, Merlin, and from there, oh we get many fun things. First off from Merlin we get Colin Morgan, who can bring us to Doctor Who, but we’ll get there later. Next up is Bradly James who gets us to Medici the magnificent, and oh wait just a minute good old Daniel Sharman, who I might add brings us back to BOTH The Originals and Teen Wolf! I’m not even kidding, it gets more fun from here. Also Katie McGrath was in Jurassic World so that brings our first MCU connection with Chris Pratt, but keep waiting there’s more. And AND! With Merlin we get Anthony Head who brings us to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Who (Again!), and Scooby Doo (a Scooby Doo film I might add directed and written by James Gunn) via Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Sara Michelle Gellar, who is going to be in a spin off for Teen Wolf!!

Seriously I’m just getting started this is insane and I think I’m gonna have to split it up a bit. Before moving on from Supergirl (Yes we are still on Supergirl, and the CW). We must also mention Chyler Leigh who can connect us to Grey’s Anatomy. But again, we get there later and oh boy is it fun.

After Supergirl let’s just skip over most of Arrowverse, if I named every actor connection between all the major CW shows we’d bet here for a very long time but I will stop at Arrow’s Katherine McNamara. Because *rubs hands together* she gets us to Shadowhunters!!!! Because oh yes, Shadowhunters is fun, very fun. First off Harry Shum Jr. Ok, now not to mention the fact that he, Mellissa Benosit (of Supergirl) and Grant Gustin (of The Flash) are all in Glee (A show I have never and will never watched but I still got to mention it), with my favorite author of all time, Chris Colfer, is just, my gods we’re still on the first leg of this insanity tree it only gets more awesome from here. And as of recently, with dear Harry Shum Jr. joining Grey’s Anatomy, yet another link to TV’s longest running medical drama. 

Our final stop in the Shadowhunters territory is Luke Bains, aka my first connection the my favorite show of all time Marvel’s agents of Shield. Because, that's right Luke Bains popped up in season 7! I will also as a side not mention through Shield season 7, and Dianne Down I connect to Disney, and as such through the constant interconnectedness of Disney both Cole Sprouse and Zendaya, getting us MCU (again!) and RIverdale. Don’t ask for the full explanation of how this connects just look it up on Youtube and you’ll find massive crossover explanations. Moving on!

Now, with that first branch, yes first branch! complete we move on to our second, and our second branch from Teen Wolf is Adelaide Kane, who oh boy, brings us to many things. First there’s Reign, which gets us to Toby Regbo, who brings us back to Medici the Magnificent! (He also connects us to Fantastic Beasts but if I go down that habit hole its a while, short expo I’ve got Pirates of the Caribbean. And through good old Jude Law, the RDJ Sherlock Holmes movies. And also, Captain Marvel, and brings us to not only Clark Gregg, and another connection to MCU and AOS, but also! Also! Star Wars!) 

Ok *Takes Deep breath*. We've got a lot done, but there’s still more! back with Reign, before we get back to Adelaide Kane. Torrance Combs brings us to not only Supernatural and the Tudors (Which also gives us our first OUAT connection but I have a better one so put a pin in that). But also, full circle back to the Originals. Gods this is enjoyable. And again, skipping SPN cause I don’t need that kind of actor headache, we got most of my faves here. 

Side Note also Celine Sindeton was also in Medici so just, ya. And While I’m on the topic Medici connects auto Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings! Yes both of those fantasy jugecrnots via Richard Madden. And! via Sara Parish and Last Night in Soho we get to Anya Taylor Joy, and Queen’s Gambit (And also our first Thomas Brodie Sangster mention but we’ll get back to him in a minute) and Matt Smith, which brings us once again back, to Doctor Who! 

*another deep breath* The next connection is even better. Anna Popplewell brings us to Narnia, which brings us to, have you guessed his name? I bet you guessed his name. We’ve now reached *drum roll* Ben Barnes! And Ben Barns brings us to Shadow and Bone! Oh yes, I’ve brought it in. Via Amita Suman we also get to The Sandman and Doctor Who, which gets us to Jenna Coleman (who brings us to The Crown) and Patton Oswalt (who brings us back to AOS), and said show is written by good old Neil Gaimon. Who brings us to Good Omens and David Tennant too, but again, I’m getting so off track I still haven;t even touched Once Upon a Time yet. 

Narnia must also be mention because with Narnia we get to The Royals, via William Mosley (Said show gets us to Gossip Girl, somehow); Georgia Henly gets us to Spanish Princess which gets us to Downton Abbey and the White Princess, which gets us back to Shadow and Bone and also, Jodie Colmer, cause at this point why not (just play with IMDB to find more connection my brain is starting to hurt); and also yet again Game of Thrones, and this time adding Harry Potter, with Peter Dinklage and Warwick Davice. I can also bring in Elf now. Elf! I started with fucking Teen Wolf and now I’m at Elf!

Moving on! Adelaide Kane brings us to Grey’s Anatomy, again and short of saying everyone ever, let’s just stick to the ones that connect to shows I haven’t mentioned yet and jump to Millie Bobby Brown. Because yes she was in Grey’s Anatomy and yes I can now connect Stranger Things, Enola Holmes, the Witcher, and the DCEU.

Am I done yet? Am I free? Nope cause Stranger Things brings us to Jamie Cambel Bower, who brings us to Lilly Collins, who bring us around to Fantastic Beasts and the Tolkien movie. And so much more but I’m getting tired so I’m moving on again!

I’m gonna take a minute to mention all the MCU connection and say Tom Holland, the main AOS cast, and any Marvel actor you can think of including Karen Gillian are on the board. through Karen we get to Doctor Who, and directily back to Arrow and Legends via not one, not two, but three speerate actors. We also get to Torchwood which through crazy twists can bring us back around to Enolam Holmes and Agents of Shield! (Just look up the actors my brain can't remember their names by now).

Almost there, we’re done with branch two. Yes this was only brach two! And now we can move on to our final branch, Dylan O’brien, and eventually OUAT and the West Wing. Dylan O’brien brings us to Maze Runner and that brings us to two brilliant points. First Kaya Scodelario who brings us to pirates, Spinning Out, and more. Will Pouter, who’s also in Narnia. And the star of my childhood in every way Thomas Brodie Sangster! Oh this sweet precious darling brings us to not only Love Actually, and every British actor ever so just check the IMDB, but also Queen’s Gambit. 

Ok, ok, from here we take the Queen’s Gambit route via Doctor Who, back through Karen Gillian and get to the major MCU, through many films we get to both Josh Dallas and Sebastian Stan who get us to Once Upon a Time. but wait, we don’t even have to cause Once Upon a Time is reached from, who, well Adelaide Kane of course cause she’s in season 7, and no matter how much I fucking hate season 7 its Adelaide Kane and I adore her. From Once Upon a Time we get to the final of my fav shows, the West Wing, how? well by Richard Schiff of course, he was in season 1, 1! of OUAT. 

Now there are some things left out, Bridgerton, the 100, Warehouse 13, Grimm. Okay like give me a minute. Grimm is gotten to via Grey’s cause David Guintoli is in an early season. But we could also use Elizabeth Tolluch, a star of super man and Lois. Either way we’re there, and from there Sasha Roiz takes us to not only Warehouse 13, but also I kid you not the 2004 for disaster movie Day after Tomorrow, and Jake bloody fucking Gylenhall. That’s right he’s in here too. 

Now Bridgerton can be connected via Julie Andrews, somehow, likely via Aqauman, or at least that's the one I can connect with least amount of brain power. Bridgerton get’s us to Derry Girls and the british CSI (or show every actor will be on at least once) Midsummer murders, so just throw in MI5 while I’m here. 

The 100, takes a minute, but not really. Grey’s comes in yet again, with Isaiah Washington. From there we get the 100, but also via Henry Ian Cusick we get both Scandal and Lost so throw in a crap tone more actors from those. I’ve now tied in the Hawaii 5-0 and Magnum PI Reboots. And somehow, ABC’s Inhumans! Like how?! Richard Harmon can also get us to Blake Lively via the Age of Adelaide, and back, yet again to Gossip Girl!

What's still left to connect? The Great, how do I do this Nicholas Holt. I can either go via Anya Taylor Joy and the Menu or Tolkien but either way Nicholas Holt, The Great, and Elle Fanning are now connected to this insanity, somehow!

Rapid fire round now so I can squeeze in as many show as possible before my mind dies. Agent Carter via haley Attwell who brings us back around to Kira Knightly and like everything. Lilly Collins is in here through Either Downton or the Mamia mia Love Actually connection, which gets us to one of my fav films, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Anne with an E via Stranger Things. And Runaways via Stan Lee. 

With all that out of the way, we conclude this experiment? insanity trail? Lecture? I don’t know all I know is this is bloody fucking awesome and insane and just do with it what you will. There is no point, its just a long trail of every actor I’ve ever liked can connect to another actor and anther thing I liked and honestly I’m not complaining. Now all I need is more of this is new media and I’m all set. 

Also, if anyone wants to add on to my connections, please feel free. Like honestly, I beg you, make this insanity more insane. 

[superhuman-stories]

The Flash Clash: Tale of Two Speedsters

The Flash, one of DC Comics' most beloved superheroes, has graced both the small and big screens in recent years, thanks to the performances of Grant Gustin and Ezra Miller. With Grant Gustin's portrayal in the hit TV series "The Flash" and Ezra Miller's appearances in the DC Extended Universe films, a friendly debate has emerged among fans regarding which actor embodies the Scarlet Speedster best. In this blog post, we'll delve into the different interpretations of the Flash by Gustin and Miller, exploring their strengths, unique qualities, and contributions to the iconic character.

Grant Gustin's Flash: Grant Gustin's portrayal of Barry Allen in the television series "The Flash" has garnered a dedicated fan base over the years. Gustin's take on the character has captivated audiences with his endearing charm, relatability, and emotional depth. Gustin's Barry Allen is portrayed as a young, geeky, and optimistic hero, whose journey involves discovering the extent of his powers, understanding his purpose, and confronting personal demons. Gustin's performance showcases his ability to seamlessly blend light-hearted humor with poignant moments, creating a well-rounded and lovable incarnation of the Flash.

Ezra Miller's Flash: Ezra Miller's depiction of the Flash in the DC Extended Universe films brings a different flavor to the character. Miller's Barry Allen possesses a quirkier and socially awkward demeanor, injecting awkward humor into his portrayal. In films like "Justice League" and "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," Miller's Flash is portrayed as a younger and less experienced hero, still grappling with his abilities and finding his place within the superhero community. Miller's portrayal highlights the vulnerability and uncertainty of a hero who is still learning to harness his powers, while also emphasizing his immense potential.

Both Gustin and Miller have contributed to the development of their respective versions of the Flash. Grant Gustin's Barry Allen has had the advantage of being able to explore his character's journey over multiple seasons, allowing for in-depth character development and exploration of various storylines. On the other hand, Ezra Miller's Flash has had limited screen time, with glimpses of his potential and growth scattered across ensemble films. Despite these differences, both actors have captured the essence of the character, showcasing Barry Allen's heroism, determination, and unwavering commitment to protecting others.

It's important to note that the interpretations of the Flash by Gustin and Miller exist within different storytelling mediums. Grant Gustin's Flash thrives in the serialized format of television, allowing for longer narrative arcs, character relationships, and exploration of the Flash's rich mythology. Ezra Miller's Flash, on the other hand, has been part of big-budget blockbuster films, where his character shares the screen with other iconic DC superheroes. These contrasting mediums provide unique opportunities for each actor to showcase their talents and connect with their respective audiences. Gustin's TV portrayal showcases a relatable and endearing hero, while Miller's big-screen performance brings a quirkier and more vulnerable take on the character. Instead of comparing and contrasting the two, let us celebrate the fact that both actors have contributed to the Flash's enduring popularity and allowed audiences to experience different facets of the beloved character.

[lostparadox]

The Flash Season 9 episode 13 review

Last week, I made a post (https://www.tumblr.com/basilisk06/719046628704731136/its-been-over-a-week-so-i-think-i-can-post) about the final season of the flash. All but one episode, the last one. This will be my review of it. For the record, anything I say will not be used to be hateful towards the show or the crew and actors. I understand certain things that I say here could not have happened due to certain issues but I will say it because this is what I personally feel would have been better.

First off, make the finale longer. Make it like an hour and a half at the very least. The villains interacting in the first scene was amazing (though Godspeed’s actor having a beard makes no sense because when August Heart died by Thawne’s hand, he doesn’t have a beard) The only downsides is that they (minus Eobard and possibly Eddie) didn’t know who Savitar truly was. I read somewhere that Grant Gustin was with Covid when they were filming, but if only they used old footage and voice lines and stunt doubles to make the scene feel good. Also i imagine that the finale would have been better if more villains of the series had appeared. Like smaller speedsters like Trajectory from season 2 and The Rival from Season 3 Flashpoint, to a recently seen villains like Dark Flash/Bloodwork/ Ramsey Rosso and Red Death, Ryan Wilder. The bus metas, to torture Barry from the fact that he couldn’t save them, to the main villains of previous seasons, Devoe the Thinker from season 4, both Cicadas from season 5, Mirror Monarch from season 6 and 7, to Deathstorm from season 8. Hell, even add some of the lower metas and rogue gallery (for some examples of metas and rogues, look up ‘Top 340 on YouTube and pick the video with Superman about live action DC characters) to mess with Barry more. I know they probably didn’t have the budget for all of this, but I feel like it would’ve been better. And and the long awaited and teased Chronarch. Also I wished that they got Matt Letscher to return, and give Thawne some excuse that he could change faces whenever he wanted (to keep that line that he would kill Allegra with the face of her mentor, Nash Wells).

Next, I wish that when the speedsters are running, there lightning is the same color as it was before, but with a red energy encasing it. When the villains reveal themselves, I wish that more heroes returned for the (currently) last fight of the Arrowverse: Melissa Benoist as Supergirl (maybe others from her show too), some of the legends (to help wrap up that show since it ended on a cliffhanger and probably isn’t getting an 8th season), Jordan Fisher as Impulse (scheduling conflicts cause him to be absent from the finale), Keiynan Lonsdale as Kid flash (or better yet, have another actor play a future version in the actual flash suit since Barry is in space dealing with the Chronarch), Violet Beane as Jesse Chamber/ Jesse Quick (say that crisis and the new multiverse Oliver as the Spectre created help her find her way back) Vibe/Cisco Ramon (Carlos said he wanted to return in the finale but couldn’t due to scheduling conflicts), The Elongated Man/ Ralph Dibney ( imagine if we got to see Hartley Sawyer one last time, since his cancellation in season 7, he’s been off the grid) and more.

For the fight, I wish it had been, Impulse(Bart) and XS(Nora) against Savitar, mainly for him to see what he himself took from himself. Zoom against Quick/Jessie Chambers Wells, and Flash/ Dr Jay Garrick, since it would be ironic for him to see a speedster he had a hand in creating be faster than him and be the person he kidnapped and used as leverage to gain Barry’s speed, and Jay to use the ability he learned from his earth-90 counterpart against Zoom to show that strength and speed aren’t the only aspects of a powerful speedster. For Godspeed, I would say Flash/Kid Flash/(Future) Wallace ‘Wally’ West due to them being the faster of the other speedsters. For other villains, the ones I mentioned above, have them fight the heroes I also mentioned above as well, like Cisco, Ralph, and Allegra and Chester against The Reverse Flash, before he runs away to fight Barry.

Eddie (with blue lighting instead of red) and Barry would be fighting, but would be interrupted by Eobard, and Eddie see how he has become just as evil as The Reverse Flash, eventually leading to Eobard betraying Eddie and trying to steal the full power of the negative forces. We’d get to see the three chasing each other in the time stream, and eventually landing in the future, where Barry saves some people, and then we’d see a young Eobard Thawne, hateful at Barry for stealing his fame, or even Barry, allowing the past version of Eobard Thawne to save the crowd, before going back to the chase. Back into the timestream, we’d see the trio arrive in the past, on the night of the Particle Accelerator Explosion, and in order to save himself, we’d see Barry throw lightning, and strike himself, and run back into the fight. Eventually, imagine how yourselves, the villains would all be defeated, and Eddie and Barry would merge the forces like in the actual show (I think that’s how it happened) and the rest of the ending of the actual episode would be the same. Only we’d also see the people Barry struck with lightning in their suits, and then we’d end the show.

[cuntycassandra]

It’s really funny to me that some Sebastian-antis are like “people only like Sebastian because he’s hot 😡.” or “people only like Sebastian because it’s Grant Gustin/The Flash 😤.”

Because:

I find that really disrespectful towards Grant himself. It’s like a backhanded compliment: oh people only like this character of yours because you’re good looking, or because you’ve played a nicer role elsewhere? Not because you put in the hard work to bring this villainous gay teen to life? Not because you’re talented and your wicked quips have charm and likability despite the fact you’re playing a villain/grey anti-hero? No sir, just because you’re ‘hot’, nothing else.

But it’s also discrediting the actual likability of the character anyway. Sebastian is perceived as a bad guy, yes, but we did get a few different layers to him, especially if you watch his background moments closely, that then sets out a foundation to help pull apart different aspects of his character, take what you like, and work with/enjoy it. And you know what else? For glee standards, he’s also just pretty dang funny. For all of the newer Sebastian Smythe stans, you don’t need any excuse or reason to like this character, just like you don’t need an excuse as to why you like Santana, Puck, Finn, or Rachel, or anyone for that matter. It doesn’t need to be justified because it’s GG or Barry Allen, you’re allowed to just like him because its Sebastian, and this is coming from somebody who was acquainted with glee long before the flash or Grant Gustin as a person.

[destinyc1020]

She 12 years old a 12 years old should be allow to be happy and excited but racist old hag who not even the target audience are throwing a fit twitter()com/rickriordan/status/1524059110978826240

Yea Anon, I've been hearing about the backlash that Leah Jeffries' casting (Annabeth) in the new Percy Jackson & The Olympians series has been causing all over the internet. 🙄 Stuff like this is just disgusting to me. Anytime you have the audacity to denigrate a 12-year old CHILD simply for being cast in a role for a TV show/film, you have really sunk to the lowest level of bigotry as far as I'm concerned. 😒

Unfortunately, I can't say I'm all that surprised though. 🙄 Racists are gonna be racist. That's nothing new. It almost reminds me of the backlash that poor Amandla Stenberg received when she was cast as Rue in the Hunger Games franchise years ago. Rue wasn't even described as being "white" in the book at all.... In fact, Rue was described as having "dark brown skin and brown eyes" in the novel, and yet, people online STILL attacked her for being cast in the role! 😤😡

When will the US (or the world really) grow up!?? 🥴

Anytime you are hating on a CHILD just because they don't seem to fit the image of who you imagined in a novel, you have really hit rock bottom imo.

I'm just really glad that Leah's cast mates have been rallying around her and have been publicly backing her up and coming to her rescue, instead of just remaining silent and allowing her to fact the backlash by herself. 😊

Some people don't realize that when they remain SILENT during times like these, they're actually giving off the impression that they are complicit in the racism around them. 😔

I have lost count of all of the times when fellow cast members have had to stand up to the racist attacks that their black/woc co-stars have received due to their casting in certain roles.

Grant Gustin immediately comes to my mind... Sticking up for Candice Patton ("The Flash").... 👏👏

Patrick Adams also comes to mind....Sticking up for Meghan Markle ("Suits").

Kudos to those who PUBLICLY speak out! 👏 People should be told that their behavior is uncalled for, and it's NOT okay.

At times like these, it really pains me to realize that we still live in such a racist society, that something as miniscule as the casting of a character in a TV series causes such an uproar. Of all the things to care about in the world. 🙄🤦 At the same time however, I can't help but feel like Hollywood sometimes sets up black actors/actresses (or poc) for this type of backlash in a way. Instead of casting black actors/actresses in already established roles of characters that most already assume are "white", why not just simply CREATE, WRITE, GREENLIGHT original films/shows/series/stories that already feature BLACK (or poc) characters in them to begin with, so that they aren't attacked online for receiving roles? 🥴

In a way, I almost feel like there are two issues going on here. 😔

Anyway, anyone who would hate on this beautiful 12-year old child is just really awful if you ask me.

[darlingpetao3]

Thank You For Ruining My Life: An Homage to Tom Cavanagh

“You’ve ruined all my future expectations of men.”

The costume-clad woman had the courage of steel to say this to the then 53-year-old actor, Tom Cavanagh of The Flash, in front of a ballroom filled with a couple hundred people. This brave utterance was spoken during the 2016 Fan Expo Vancouver convention during a Flash question and answer period with actors Tom Cavanagh and Candice Patton. In its third season, the show was undoubtedly still hitting its stride in popularity, and the room was packed to hear these two speak.

The brave woman whose turn it was at the microphone was referring to Tom’s role as Ed Stevens on the NBC 2000 hit, Ed. I had not known of this show previously, but having now heard such a proclamation intrigued me. “You’ve ruined all my future expectations of men.” That was a tempting notion, and as I continued to listen to this disarmingly charming and wittingly funny man steal the stage, Tom intrigued me even more. I’d watched him play three different versions of Harrison Wells on The Flash since the show’s premiere date, yet I hadn’t truly noticed him in a “life-ruining” way before.

Little did I know that Tom Cavanagh would not only eventually ruin my expectations for men as well, but he would change my life in other ways, too.

After the Q&A, I had this urge to buy a S.T.A.R. Labs T-shirt from one of the vendors at the convention. In my head, I thought I would purchase something so that I could have an excuse to talk to Mr. Cavanagh at his signing booth. Again, he intrigued me, and I wanted to experience more of his incredibly likeable personality. So, I dragged my friend with me to wait for what was maybe ten minutes in a queue. Shortly, I was paying the assistant for my autograph I would soon acquire. They wrote my name on a sticky note so that Tom would know how to sign a personalized message to me. And then, it was my turn.

His eyes sparkled when he turned his attention to me. I instantly had a feeling this was just the way he was naturally. Oh yeah, and I swear to God I’d never seen eyes that blue in my entire life. It genuinely stunned me.

“Hi!” he greeted me.

“Hi!” I responded, equally as thrilled. Tom admired the T-shirt I had brought and took note of my name on the piece of paper. I remember us joking together about the extremely lax security in and around S.T.A.R. Labs on the show, which prompted his message to me on the heather-grey cotton. He wrote my name, [followed by a heart!] and a very welcoming, ‘Come on by, just walk right in!’

I had official clearance from Harrison Wells himself.

I thanked him very much, leaving with my treasure folded over my arms. My friend and I walked towards the hall’s exit, and I couldn’t shake this feeling inside me. It felt strange—I couldn’t name it for the life of me. It felt like an odd fluttering with a simultaneous yet contradictory slightness of breath. My head was confused and would continue to be so for the rest of that weekend.

As I waited at my gate in the airport on that Sunday evening to head home, all I knew was that the moments at the con featuring Tom were the highlights of the weekend for me.

And that I was going to begin watching more of the other films and television shows he’d been in. What was the show the brave cosplaying woman had said ruined her expectations of men? Oh yeah, Ed.

Maybe I’ll start there…

***

Feliz Navidad, Feliz Navidad…

In my house, it’s never really Christmastime until Michael Bublé croons through the speakers of the wooden stereo system in the living room. It felt especially festive as it was now Christmas Eve—a month and some change since the con. It was late, possibly ten o’clock. I was lying on the floor in front of the Christmas tree with my trusty laptop, a word document open. I was writing three holiday-song short stories featuring the new muse in my life, Harrison Wells. I wanted to be able to post them the next day, so my fingers were taptaptapping away.

I had written a handful of things before 2017, most of which had been Marvel-related, under my second, ‘rebirth’ pen name online. I was a little fish among all the grand and fabulous writers on Archive of Our Own, and in many ways, I still feel like that little fish. I was only just learning and feeling out the psyche of the Wells characters. Each one is so different. In my rewatch of the previous seasons of The Flash, I’d taken diligent notes, and as I’d later learn with each following rewatch, I would know them all—what they think, how they talk and behave—like the back of my hand. It was fun to suss out these guys, and I found that I was growing to love the act of writing even more.

One month later, in January, I would post all the stories I’d written thus far on Tumblr. I’d just created an account and, who knows? Maybe I’d get a wider range of readers on here, too.

Might as well give it a shot, right?

***

Wild horses couldn’t keep me from attending Fan Expo Vancouver 2017, especially when the big news dropped. Not only would Tom Cavanagh be attending again, but so would Carlos Valdes, Danielle Panabaker, Candice Patton, and the convention-elusive star of the show himself, Grant Gustin.

Before the moderator for the Flash cast’s Q&A panel could utter the final thanks to the actors at the end of the session, I bounded from my seat and sped down to the photo op booth where the cast would be taking “Team Up” photos with fans. ‘Sped down’ has to be the most appropriate couple of words because I indeed felt like a true Speedster dressed head to toe as the small screen’s adaptation of Jesse Quick, the angsty and brilliant daughter to Harrison Wells turned superhero.

After waiting in a queue that felt like ages, I was next to stand with Team Flash. As I took a step forward, all of the actors’ and actresses’ eyes—the people I spend time with every Tuesday evening—were on me. I heard a familiar voice approve of my costume. It was Danielle.

“Tremendous.”

Grant even joked that he thought for a second Violett Beane, the actress who plays Jesse Quick, had shown up to surprise them. “I was like, what’s Violett doing here?” he said.

I stood in the back row, happily sandwiched between Tom and Carlos. I dared to let my hands rest on their backs, and I couldn’t contain my joy. Shortly after, when I received my near-instant physical photograph of the moment, I saw Tom had pointed at me. In my mind, it felt as if in his gesture, he meant, hey, look at this cool person. Haha. I couldn’t be further from it.

I would go on to further be uncool in public as I later found myself virtually shaking and almost hyperventilating in line for a one-on-one photo op with Tom. The guy dressed as Kid Flash behind me gave me a few encouragements of the “it’ll be okay” variety. As my turn finally arrived, the lovely man of the hour greeted me with a bright smile in recognition of my Reverse Flash T-shirt (I had done a quick change before this photo op because I had worn a Flash T-shirt for a photo with Grant).

“Great shirt!”

The internet comes up with many hilarious and fitting words, but none such so than the term “Cavanarms.” One of the said Cavanarms found its way around my shoulder in such a casual way. My hand rested on his back, and I have told anyone who will listen about how soft his sweater was. What was approximately a five-second interaction will stay with me forever. And to this day, I will always regret how I’m standing beside him in the picture—there’s a distinguishable gap between us. I could have been closer—should have been!—but I like to use the fact that I felt as if I’d combust into flames if I were any closer to the man.

Maybe I’d have another chance to combust later again that day because, believe it or not, this fan hadn’t had enough of seeing Mr. Cavanagh in person. And since he was appearing at the con for this day only, there was no way I was going to squander any opportunities. Besides, there was still one final thing left on my convention docket: the autograph. In my mind, going to get his autograph was an excuse to get to talk to him and simply be in his presence for longer than five seconds. Here, take my money. I’m a sucker, and I’m proud of it. I saved all year for this kind of thing, and Fan Expo has always been my ultimate nerdy Treat Yoself Day.

Plus, this year I came equipped with a question for Tom (something for which I may have prepared a little too far in advance).

“Which of your characters would win in a lawyering battle: Ed or Miles?”

Miles was Tom’s latest character from his newly released project Darrow & Darrow, a fellow lawyer as Ed Stevens (remember, the man who ruins women’s expectations of men?), whom he portrayed almost two decades prior. What I loved about Tom when I got to ask him this was that he was silent for a moment following the question. He was genuinely putting thought into my question. As he pondered, Tom continued to autograph the photo of us together taken mere hours ago.

“Ed. He would wipe the floor with that other guy. Like, Miles is great, but Ed has a rapier-sharp mind, you know?”

I wholeheartedly agreed with his answer and felt relieved inside for some reason. We thanked each other (as politely as two Canadians can) before I left him to pay attention to the next lucky soul in line. I made the mistake of casting my eyes downward at the signed photo.

Tom had signed two little hearts over the I’s in my name. He really needed to stop adding hearts to my things, or I was just going to melt to the floor. In fact, I started to make these strange noises as I tried not to completely maul everyone in front of me while exiting. My friend ushered me as fast as physically possible on our way out of the main hall. One man took one look at me and asked, “Are you okay?”

No.

“Yep!”

The second I made it out of the herd, I broke out into open space. First came the minor hyperventilating. Then came the squealing followed by laughter. Top it off with various fangirlish comments of, “He’s so beautiful!”, “His eyes are so blue!” and “I love him!” and I was probably quite the sight to see (but at a convention, that’s considered normal!). My friend smiled on as she let me express everything that I had to keep inside until I had the right time to expel my emotions. I was on cloud nine. Ten, if at all possible.

The next day would be the con’s final day, which I would attend alone. My friend needed to catch the ferry in order to prepare for her courses the day after. I did a scan of the convention hall one final time in case there was something I missed purchasing. Afterwards, I sat on the cold hard flooring of the convention centre hallway for a bit of a break. I was wiped out. With my phone in hand, I smiled at the messages from this one Tumblr blogger who had been following my posted adventures at the con. I had seen and replied to many of her comments on my stories I’d written thus far, and I enjoyed her matching enthusiasm for Tom and The Flash in general. I felt her to be a kindred spirit. I had no idea then that I was chatting with one of my future best friends, L.

***

I spotted her.

She was wearing an identical shirt to the one I had on—a light grey T-shirt with a sequinned Spider-Man mask in the corner, which around it read, We met on the Web. A giddy me couldn’t wait for the short escalator ride to end. Her back was to me and facing the baggage claim, so here was my chance to surprise her instead.

I towered over my friend, E, and donned a low, authoritative voice.

“Excuse me, Miss, can you come with me?”

She squealed a greeting to me and I returned it as we hugged for the very first time after two and a half years of online friendship. We would still have about two hours to kill until our mutual Tumblr best friend, L, touched down at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport from across the Pond.

Something I noticed was that E and I carried on talking during our wait like it was second nature, that we hung out like this all the time. Whereas when I met L in person for the first time the year previously, our first meeting was that of quiet, delighted shock, unknowing how to react to one another’s physical presence. It almost felt like a fantasy. The closest thing we’d ever gotten to this was visiting over video chats! I’m not sure what each of these different reactions in these separate meetings meant, but what I do know is that I’ve never had such strong female friendships such as these—so full of uplifting support and love for one another. They are the greatest ladies I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.

And as a searching L eventually turned the corner to meet us in the Arrivals terminal, I caught sight of her Tom & Grant bandana tied around the handle to her carry-on bag. It was an item she had received in return for helping fund the short film produced in 2018 (I’d bought the ringtone). Seeing the accessory jolted me to remember that the former of the titular short was the reason for this long-awaited get-together holiday in the Windy City in the first place. Tom Cavanagh, unbeknownst to him, had just officially united three online friends, each from a different country, to spend six full days of in-person bonding and a whole lot of fun.

***

I should have been shelving books.

I should have been doing a lot of library-related tasks, but my head was elsewhere. Anywhere other than the small-town public library where I work. Instead, I sat on the carpeted floor of the Junior/Young Adult section with my phone in hand and a dreadful article title staring back at me.

“The Flash: Carlos Valdes and Tom Cavanagh to Exit after 7 Seasons.”

My world felt like it was falling apart.

Tom was leaving? There had been rumours and wonderings spreading around the fandom regarding whether he was leaving the show. With a storyline ending with a monumental sacrifice and a time-travelling man saying his farewells, it all seemed to point to the fact. I should have known… I could have rivalled Supergirl as being the Paragon of Hope after all the optimism I doled out to my followers and friends who would come to me worried Tom would exit the show. I would always give reasons to deny such a thing could happen, claiming that I’d believe when I saw it.

Well, there it was, and I definitely saw it.

One could feel the ripple effect over the internet of the shards of broken and riled-up hearts around the world.

Tom’s exit was on his terms, having not felt challenged by his character’s plotlines, as mentioned in a recent Entertainment Weekly article. As a viewer—and I am a viewer (Mike and Tom Eat Snacks, anyone?), it has been increasingly difficult to look past the missed shots made by story editors and showrunner, so understandably, the actor would want to seek something more exciting and meatier. That said, Tom has always shone on-screen and taken what he’s been given in stride. He turns unearthed material into diamonds and indeed shines on screen. Steals it, even! Tom easily makes the episodes he’s in better, and when he’s missing, you feel the loss. The few episodes of Season 7 without him only give us a tiny hint at how the show will be without him going forward. It much resembles when you might bring out your favourite jigsaw puzzle, only to find that the one piece you need to complete it isn’t there.

***

On a personal note, as I write this, I am roughly 20 followers away from reaching a milestone of 2,000. I have written well over 200 stories for The Flash alone (whether they be short or long, one-shots or chaptered), and goodness knows how many words I’ve generated altogether over the course of these many years with inspiration from the show and my favourite character. I’ve written and co-written novel-length stories, one monumental Wellsian story of which was done alongside L and E (almost solely done through alternating text messaging in the app, Line) that reached over 108,000 words and consisted of 42 chapters. And when I’m not writing for my blog, I’m also working on trying to accomplish my dream of becoming a published author. Just as I thought before I launched my Tumblr blog, I think again now: Might as well give it a shot, right?

***

I have watched virtually everything Tom has been in that I could get my hands on, both physically and electronically. Sure, a few titles are out of my reach and probably lost to the very early 90's forever, but from what I've seen through Tom's filmography is enough to know that he can do anything. He can play the romantic leading man that will make you fall head over heels for him or a deranged killer that will have you genuinely scared of him. That is talent. Tom always brings something new to the table from each role to the next, and (when he's not playing those psycho killers) you can't help but admire his craft.

Not only is his acting stellar, but from what we as fans have gathered on the man, Tom has got to be one of the kindest men in the business. His humour and sheer ridiculousness could get anyone through a tough time (we’ve seen plenty of bloopers and behind-the-scenes videos to prove this!). He has clearly bottled and stored an endless supply of Fountain of Youth™ and each year continues to wow us with his handsomeness. Tom is charming, dedicated, and yes, arguably holds the world record for Bluest Eyes.

In my eyes, Tom Cavanagh gave me the two best friends I could have ever asked for, as well as plenty more lovely friends I’ve continued to make online. (One day, I hope to meet him again so that I can tell him in person how because of him, I’ve met such very important people in my life). Through Tom, I have truly found my passion for writing, and in doing so, segued me to dare to dream of becoming a published novelist. I wholeheartedly believe all of this would not have happened if it weren’t for those first series of events that led me to meet Tom and love and admire him immensely. He is indisputable proof that there are indeed men like him out there. Indeed, he did ruin all of my future expectations of men. He ruined my life in the absolute best way and I am eternally grateful.

I am very much looking forward to what Tom will do next. I think it’s rather needless to say that I will follow him in his career, as he has gained a devoted fan for life. He represents so much to me and so much of it I have gained since meeting him that fateful day, when I thought to myself, Maybe I should buy this T-shirt and get this guy to sign it. Wherever Tom goes in life, I’ll be here to cheer him on.

I have a pretty good feeling plenty of others will, too.

[westallen-sharpwin]

I have to say, Jordan’s enthusiasm in this interview, playing this character is a breath of fresh air. Not saying that the other actors can care less, but adding someone new, with fresh eyes and new energy sometimes helps give the show and cast mates new energy and better performances.

I love the fact that it’s confirmed that Bart will definitely be a mama’s boy. I love that for Iris ❤️. Also I love that Jordan seems to really love the whole Westallen family dynamic and building on that.

[valeriemperez]

Grant, Candice and Keiynan cuteness before filming (a very spoilery scene, proceed with caution)

[songtoyou]

This whole thing with Clay and Emily is crazy. Just saw your latest post. Seems like the girls on LSA have called everything they’ve done. It’s predictable. I see some people don’t believe what’s on the thread. Can I ask why you do? You’ve had a mature take on it! I can’t ignore all the receipts and facts. From what I read on there these people work in the business

For me, Clayton and Emily's relationship never sat right with me. It is the 13 year age difference that made me side-eye the relationship when I first found out they were dating. Also, I never saw any chemistry between the two. But I paid them no mind until the original post calling them out as PR. I was intrigued so I read the LSA message board to get all of the details. As I have said previously, it is a lot of information to take in at once. It is hard to believe at first because you don't want to think of the person/actor you like as being problematic/unprofessional.

I had to get past the mean comments on LSA and really pay attention to the details and information provided. Also, I follow another blog on here that talks about another actor's PR marriage. I don't know if you have ever heard of Grant Gustin. He plays Barry Allen on the CW show, The Flash. He is in a PR marriage/relationship. Grant's behavior is very similar to Clayton's. Both are unaffectionate with their significant other, both leave their SOs behind when they think the cameras are on them, both need validation from fans/stans, will block people, and delete comments when called out. Grant also stuck to a schedule when posting about his wife. Usually, it was on Monday before the Flash aired or Tuesday when it did air. His wife, LA (real name is Andrea), would also post on Tuesdays when the show aired to gain traffic to her page. She has been trying to be an influencer for years but still has not taken off.

So, the behaviors and habits of Clayton and Emily's relationship instantly reminded me of Grant's relationship and marriage to his wife.

All in all, I wish for Clayton to get his act together. If he needs help, then I hope he gets the help he needs. I hope Clayton has friends and family members to look out for him. I don't want to see this guy not prosper in his career because he is talented. Clayton needs to understand that this PR fiasco is doing him no favors. Like, Clayton needs to choose, does he want to be famous/recognized for his acting, or does he want to be recognized for being infamous.

[samandcolbyfan]

Love behind the scenes| Grant Gustin x reader (part 2)

You and Grant picked a restaurant and maybe even a little bit thanks to you two being actors you got a table pretty quickly and the best in the place no doubt. It was in the outside area in the back, surrounded by plants and flowers, hidden away from any prying eyes. It was romantic in your opinion, though you didn't want to think about it that way. After all Grant is taken and even if he wasn't he surely wouldn't see you as anything more than a friend.

You two placed your orders and chatted away about anything and everything. You learned a lot about Grant's childhood and family, also about his anxiety and insecurity. Your heart went out to him. You were quite insecure too and had difficulties speaking up and standing up for yourself.

"I know what you're going through, it sucks to second guess yourself all the time. But maybe we can help each other with overcoming it. I don't think it'll ever go away completely but it certainly can get better."

Grant smiled at you with the sweetest smile you've ever seen. You smiled back.

"Thank you y/n. It means a lot to me, more than you think."

He didn't tell you this, in fact he didn't tell anyone but his marriage was falling apart. He was falling out with his wife and it didn't help his anxiety at all. They were arguing pretty much every day, whether it was about work or some little things. The times when he could talk to her about everything and she would listen and reassure him were long gone by now.

So this night, this dinner, this conversation, you...it was refreshing and nice for him. He felt peaceful and happy. After the dinner he decided to escort you to the apartment you were staying in due to the shooting of the season 7 of the Flash.

"Thanks Grant I had a great time...see you tomorrow on set."

Before you fully turned around to get inside your apartment Grant put a hand on your arm.

"Y/n... thank you for tonight... I needed it."

You smiled.

"Anytime. Goodnight."

"Night"

You went inside and Grant went home. He called his wife but she didn't answer, so he decided to go to sleep.

The next day the whole cast met on the set as they were filming another two episodes. Grant couldn't get a hold of his wife for some reason and it frustrated him, affecting his acting. He always messed up the scene you had together.

"Sorry I just can't focus today."

"What's up?"

"She keeps rejecting my calls. I don't know why and I don't have a way to find out since she's completely ignoring me."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Okay let me tell you what... forget that you are Grant Gustin for a while. Just forget it, push it out of your head and focus on being Barry Allen. You *are* Barry Allen now, no-one else."

He looked at you with so many emotions visible in his eyes and nodded. Only a minute after you heard "action".

"Barry what's wrong I can see you are in your head a lot and it's always when something is happening."

"I don't know what to do y/ch/n. I feel like... I feel like I lost the one person who always picked me up. Iris she's... distant since we got her out of the mirror verse."

"I'm sorry"

You hugged him as was in the script but that hug was meant to be for Grant as well because from what he told you, he was going through the same or at least very similar thing in real life. You held him tight and he held you tight as well. You cupped his cheek and gave him a reassuring and encouraging smile.

"Everything will be okay in the end."

"I hope you're right."

Aa you walked away from him and he watched you leave somewhere inside there was a strong urge to follow. He wanted to catch up with you and embrace you again and the emotion showed on his face, making this whole scene that more impactful and emotional for the fans. Though just a shred of them could see that it wasn't acting at that moment. That it was true and genuine feeling and desire. That even though Barry's character most likely actually wanted and felt it, Grant himself wanted it too. Everything that showed on his face, he felt and wanted. Grant wanted to be as close to you as possible and it scared him...

[lyta2323]

well, the interviews keep on coming and im loving this

The Flash actor Jordan Fisher discusses Bart Allen's relatable 'humanity' in episode 150

To play Bart Allen, a.k.a.  Impulse, Fisher studied Grant Gustin and Candice Patton's performances.

Even though The Flash's Bart Allen is both from the future and a speedster, his portrayer, Jordan Fisher, still found Barry (Grant Gustin) and Iris' (Candice Patton) superheroic son very relatable — especially when it comes to his trademark impulsiveness.

"The way that I live as Jordan is I think that your gut should always be followed," Fisher tells EW ahead of the CW drama's landmark 150th episode airing Tuesday night. "I think you have the feeling in your gut for a reason, but we're not always as good as Bart is at 100 percent strictly following that feeling. [Laughs] That is what makes Bart, Bart. That is what makes Impulse, Impulse. For Impulse, his impulsivity, he definitely views that as an asset, and I do too, for his family. You've got to have one person that's unhinged, and that's Bart."

After making his crash debut in the final scene of last week's episode, Fisher further steps into the spotlight in the milestone (and season 7's penultimate) hour, titled "Heart of the Matter, Part 1." Hailing from the year 2049, Bart and his older sister Nora (Jessica Parker Kennedy) reunite with their parents in the present day and get caught in the middle of the Godspeed war that's tearing the city apart.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How familiar were you with both the show and the character Bart Allen?

JORDAN FISHER: Coming into it, less familiar with the show, more familiar with Bart in the DC universe. What I knew of Bart was anything I had seen of him from, like, a random comic or Impulse from Young Justice. Before I actually started work on the show, when I was quarantining and getting ready to actually get up to Canada, what ensued was a deep, deep, deep dive of all of it. I needed to know what was going on. I needed to know about this timeline [on the show].

What I found, honestly, is that Impulse is 1,000 percent one of my all-time favorite superheroes. I think that there's so much real-life, actual humanity in Bart that we can all relate to. I think his impulsivity is something people either have in spades or wish they had more of. I think that his compassion, his love, his heart for his family, how much fun he has being a superhero — that's the thing that's probably so relatable, that you can really sink your teeth into. The fact that this dude is one of the fastest people in the history of mankind and can do all these really, really cool things and he's as young as he is. He knows that he is so cool! [Laughs] He knows what he can do is awesome, and he has fun with it. When you watch Impulse fight, he's laughing and smiling and cracking jokes. He's like, "Watch this real quick!" and then jumps off the wall and flips in the air and does parkour. You know when you have superpowers in your dreams or what have you, when you're just having fun, that is what I imagine Bart would be like in real life.

So then to truly introduce this character in a way that's great for both the show as well as satisfying for the fans who read Impulse comics or Flash comics, or is a Young Justice fan, I think I put enough of all sorts of different elements and versions of Bart into one thing to make it feel the most authentic in a live-action setting, and I had a blast doing it.

What was the most enlightening thing you watched on the show or read while preparing?

The thing that was most exciting for me, honestly, was seeing the dynamic between Barry and Iris. Like catching up on the show, figuring out what this is, and seeing little physical traits and characteristics and mannerisms, and things that they do with each other and how they are both individually as people [and] as mom and dad to Bart. That was the most exciting thing for me to watch and to ingest, and really think about as I'm building out this character and doing the breakdown of what I want to do. Like how can I take a little bit of what Grant is doing with Barry and what he did in his past? What can I take from Candice's interpretation of Iris? How can I make these things kind of [like] mom and dad so that as people are watching, they can pick up on little things that are familiar to them?

What mannerisms did you end up borrowing from them and making part of your portrayal?

That it's a big family. Of course, we're coming [from] the future and that adds a little layer of things there that you have sort through, but generally speaking, I think you can look at a family unit and be like, "Oh yeah, they all belong together!" Maybe a few of the kids look like each other and maybe one or two of them look exactly like their parents, but like they all talk [the same] or fold their arms the same way, or give certain reactions to things. Specifically speaking where Bart and Barry are concerned, I think Grant has done a beautiful job of being so consistent. To watch him in his element and see him do what he does and how he is as the Flash and how he is as Barry are two very different things, but they share a lot of similarity.

I think my version of Bart going into this was, "What would Bart do?" He would probably take some of the cool things that his dad did, but he probably doesn't think that everything his dad does is cool. But Bart wants to be cool, wants to figure out what would be the coolest way to enter into a fight. "Or if I have to kick this guy over the head, how can I do that and look like Jackie Chan at the same time?" That's Bart, and I think that is so relatable. I think that Barry is a little more calculated, whereas Bart specifically is not a calculative person. He does everything based off of instinct. No one can figure out what he's going to do, which I think is what makes him as cool as he is. That was something my version of Bart specifically set out to do so that he wasn't like Barry. Finding the differences between the Flash and Impulse is, contextually, a very different layer than finding the differences and similarities between Bart and his father. Being able to play with that duality as an actor? Oh my God! I got to have so much fun on set every day.

How did you feel when you put on the Impulse suit for the first time?

A dream. [Laughs] I took so many pictures and videos on my phone, like sending them to my wife like, "Look at this, I'm a superhero! I'm an actual superhero." I had these dreams of answering the door with my Impulse suit on, on Halloween and handing out candy to trick-or-treaters. This has got to be one of the coolest thing to do as an actor. It's not the most comfortable thing in the world, I guarantee you that, but it feels cool.

Did you rely on your gymnastics and dance background to help you get the hang of the action and stunts? How much preparation did you do?

There's not a lot of preparation that can go into it. You kind of just have to learn as you go. The thing that I really set out to do as well was just stay on top of my correspondence with the showrunner, Eric [Wallace], as well as the VFX team, because my goal going into playing Impulse was, "All right, Impulse has to be completely different from every other speedster." The way that he moves, the way that he skids into things, the way that he leaves the room all had to be different. It has to have a different kind of zest to it because that's what makes Impulse, Impulse.

I think Bart being as comfortable as he is with his body and doing things that other speedsters don't do — Bart's doing like parkour off of buildings and stuff like that, and spinning, and doing all sorts of crazy of stuff. What I drew from truly was the training I got as a gymnast, just kinesthetic awareness and not being afraid to just throw your body and see what happens. That's a lot of what learning what new skills in gymnastics is, like, "I'm going to show you what you're going to be doing and we're going to be breaking it down, but ultimately in the next half-hour you're going to have to just try it, throw your body up and see what happens." Other than that, there's no particular style.

It's also great that you're coming into the show with Jessica Parker Kennedy, who is returning as Nora. How would you describe Bart and Jessica's dynamic, especially as superheroes?

Probably like The Incredibles, it's siblings first. It's not partners-in-crime first. And that's what informs a lot of the decisions that they make and how they function together, fight together, and play together. It's unconditional support for sure at the end of the day. If either of us in trouble, we're going to throw our bodies in front of them. That sibling-first mentality is really helpful for them, but it also can impede on things as well, which you'll see in terms of the dynamic.

Bart is the annoying little brother. "Why do you exist?" is kind of like what comes from Nora's brain whenever Bart enters the room, and at the end of the day she loves him so much and would do anything for him. We get to see a little of that as well, which I'm excited about.

[caliphoria17]

Heroic actor of the week (5/11): Katie McGrath

In this week’s installment of Heroic Actor of The Week, we take a look at how Supergirl’s Katie McGrath blew us all away with her incredible performance as Lena Luthor.

The CW’s Arrowverse has been in the process of wrapping up a little earlier than expected due to the fact that its shows were unable to complete production of their respective seasons. This has paved the way for a number of impromptu finales. With The Flash having ended its run last week, Supergirl and Batwoman will do the same tonight, and with the end of the weekly superhero programming almost upon us, that means that the end of our Heroic Actor of The Week column may be in sight (well, at least for now).

But it isn’t over until it’s over, and with that in mind, let’s take a look back at the best performance from superhero television over the past week.

While there were a number of contenders from The Flash’s finale, including Grant Gustin’s powerful leading performance and Efrat Dor’s chilling offering as Mirror Master, it was hard to forget about the absolute powerhouse performance we saw from this week’s installment of Supergirl.

Katie McGrath has been quietly impressing audiences with her performances for years without ever receiving the attention she deserved. In fact, this writer clearly remembers being disgusted by the unforgivably grim hand her character in Jurassic World was dealt. However, when the talented performer came on-board Supergirl as Lena Luthor during its second season, she was finally given the chance to shine that she had long deserved.

The allure of Lena Luthor stems from the question as to whether or not she could ever really stray down that predictably dark path that her family name suggests she’s capable of. And yet, it often feels like the show relies on that a little too often (when the character has proven herself more than enough times already)… so when it made a whole season-long narrative out of it this year – as Lena worked with her brother Lex in response to discovering Kara’s dishonesty – it was questionable to say the least.

However, the penultimate episode of the season, “The Missing Link”, made it all worthwhile as Lena finally realized the error of her ways. No, that’s not right: Katie McGrath made it all worthwhile as it was her performance that truly convinced us.

With her powerful emotional turn in the closing moments of the episode, McGrath delivered her moving monologue so eloquently that it had shades of Melissa Benoist’s equally-powerful offering in the premiere back when the Lena/Lex/Kara saga all began. Whether that reflection was deliberate or not, it doesn’t matter because McGrath was every bit as captivating.

She personified Lena’s hubris and, in that moment, made us feel sympathy for a character that had inadvertently played with our emotions all season. And yes, she proved beyond any shadow of doubt that Lena isn’t a villain… she’s just a flawed woman trying her best to do some good in the world.

Just one of many examples as to why she is one of the most consistently strong performers on any screen, Katie McGrath was nothing short of sublime.

SOURCE: BamSmackPow.com