Arrow returns for its fourth season this Wednesday, Oct. 7, and with it, viewers will be getting flashbacks involving a past lover of Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell). Who is the former flame? Well, we don't have a name for her just yet (we'll have to tune in for that), but we do know the beautiful and talented Elysia Rotaru, who comes from a vast background of appearing on other CW series, including iZombie and Supernatural, will be portraying her.

Enstars recently got the chance to chat with Rotaru about her top-secret role on Arrow (though we couldn't get tons of details since it's all hush-hush), working with this cast and what else she has going on.

Enstars: We know your character is being kept pretty under wraps so tell us whatever you can about her.
Elysia Rotaru: As much as I would love to talk about her we all have to wait and meet her when my first episode airs October 14. But let's just say she brings humanity to the world we see her in. She's an interesting woman who challenges me and is a lot of fun to play!

What was the audition process like for this role?
Well, aesthetically I decided to go in with no make-up and plain wardrobe for this role. The audition sides really gave me a lot to work with and when I went into the room I felt very supported. I committed to my choices, had some redirects and then left.

What drew you to this character?
Her fight and spirit.

How did you find out you scored this role?
I was driving and my agent called me and told me the good news. Even though I was on Bluetooth I had to pull over due to the happy tears blurring my vision. (Laughs.)

How did you prepare for this role?
I reviewed a lot of Arrow, especially the flashback scenes.

Do you know exactly how many episodes your character is appearing in?
I don't have a clue. I just get the magical call from my team.

How will your character first be introduced to viewers in the new season?
All I am allowed to say at this time is that she will be in the flashbacks and you can't miss her.

How much of Oliver's past will come to light through your character?
I think fans will really start to understand more of what makes Oliver Queen the Green Arrow.

What has it been like working with this cast?
Phenomenal! I walked on set the first day and was greeted by many familiar faces [since] many people on the crew I worked with on Hellcats when I recurred on that series and Stephen Amell, well, he is a delight to work with. He's on point, which makes it fun to play and push each other. It's so inspiring to work alongside someone with great work ethic and who is so passionate about their work; he's a great guide. The rest of the cast all has a caliber [too].

Switching gears slightly, you have appeared on other CW shows, including Smallville, Hellcats, Supernatural and iZombie, so which experience has been your favorite and why?
That's a tough question to answer as they all have been fun, but I would say this role on Arrow is the most challenging, which to me, equals a lot of fun!

Do you have any other projects coming up? If so, share them!
I sure do! I'm in a feature film called Charon's Toll where I play a character based on Dante's "Beatrice" in The Divine Comedy. She's a spiritual existential muse for the artist in the film. Keep your eyes peeled for it [in] early 2016. I also have a short film that I produced with my co-producer Stephen Sawchuk called FWD, which is in post-production right now. Concurrently with my onscreen career, I have a very busy voice-over career, but can't speak about the project just yet!

Arrow airs on The CW at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesdays.

Tags
Television, The cw, Arrow