Are they just best friends? Are they actually dating? These are the two major questions Arrow fans have about Colton Haynes and Emily Bett Rickards. Unlike their characters Roy Harper and Felicity Smoak on The CW's superhero series, Haynes and Rickards are super tight in real life. They're so close that fans have speculated for some time now that they're much more than friends and actually a real-life couple. Well, both of the above questions remain somewhat unanswered. So, why not add another question to the mix that can be answered? Like, how did Haynes and Rickards meet?
I'm going to take an educated guess and say they first met on the Arrow set during Season 1, because the actors haven't been in any other TV shows or movies together. Rickards appeared as Felicity in the third episode of Season 1, which was 12 episodes before Haynes made his debut as Roy. Thankfully, both were cast in the series, because can you imagine any other actors portraying Felicity and Roy? Nope, me either. Plus, that would also mean these two wouldn't have their close bond that fans adore.
It's clear that the pair hit it off from the get-go. While chatting with Green Arrow TV in April 2013, Rickards opened up about her relationship with Haynes and said, "Colton [Haynes] and I are really good friends." She added, "I get to hang out with Colton, I think, the most. Colton and I get along really well..." This interview was given during the very first season of Arrow, which proves they connected immediately.
As for Haynes, he told the People's Choice in April 2015 that his favorite scene of Arrow Season 3 features Rickards' character Felicity first meeting Brandon Routh's character Ray. He also said he wished his character would get to interact with Felicity more. Well, now that Roy is no longer a regular or recurring character that's not going to happen anytime soon. Anyways, Haynes' responses prove he can't get enough of Rickards.
I think it's pretty evident that these two had quite the spark when connecting on the Arrow set, because ever since, they've been inseparable.
Image: Colton Haynes/Instagram
