Professional acting is a dream job for many people. Given that, the field is competitive and there are very few actors who are able to make a full-time living at their chosen craft. Even fewer are able to make it big and win a regular reoccurring role as part of the cast of a weekly television series, such as Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow or the other series that make up The Arrowverse.
While acting is a dream job, it is also a stressful occupation. Ignoring the usual pressures that working any job requires, television productions often require all-night shooting and extensive periods of inactivity broken up by brief moments of extreme tension. The stress doesn't end off the set either, where most actors have to maintain an intensive physical training regimen in their off hours.
It's no wonder then, given all this stress, that things can get a little bit wacky between takes. Once the cameras are off and the technical crew is going to work on setting up the next shot, things can get goofy as the actors try to burn off some steam. And when someone decides to pull out their phone and take a picture in that moment, the results can be amusing or confusing.
With that in mind, here are 16 Shocking Behind-The-Scenes Pictures From The Arrowverse!
Draw Me Like One Of Your French Heroes
We're not sure what possessed Grant Gustin to pose like a centerfold for this particular photo between takes. It hardly seems like appropriately heroic behavior for the man who plays The Flash. All we know is it is impossible to look at this picture and not imagine the kind of cheesy flirtatious pick-up lines Barry Allen might use in an effort to woo Iris West while reclining in this manner:
"Hey girl. That isn't The Speed Force making my heart beat thirty times a second. That's all you."
"Fastest Man Alive? Don't believe it. For you, baby, I will slow things down like The Turtle."
"Did you tap into The Speed Force too? Because I swear you have been running through my mind all day."
When Your Heroes Ruin The Moment
Imagine for a moment that you are a young fan blessed with a chance to visit the set of Arrow. You are offered a rare chance to walk on the set of The Arrow Cave and see the place where all the Hollywood magic happens. It is all you could hope for and more.
Best of all, you get a chance to talk to Stephen Amell and Caity Lotz in person and ask them all the questions you can think of while they aren't busy. Is it fun to be an actor? How awesome is it to be a superhero? Can I watch you climb the salmon ladder?
Now imagine that you ask for a picture with The Arrow and The Canary themselves... and you get this.
Arch-Enemies Enjoy A Drink Together
Looking at this picture from behind the scenes at Legends of Tomorrow, it's easy to forget that actors Casper Crump and Arthur Darvill play mortal enemies.
The series' first season centered upon Captain Rip Hunter of the Time Masters (Darvill) and his efforts to end the life of the immortal world conqueror Vandal Savage (Crump) before Savage killed Hunter's wife and son in the not-too-distant future. This spurred Hunter to travel back in time, recruiting a team of misfits and outsiders with tales of glory and saving the future, becoming more than mere heroes... becoming Legends!
Yet truly, how could any man think of things like revenge and blood oaths on such a lovely day with a cool iced cappuccino in their hand?
Martian Manhunter's Flat Performance
It's unclear precisely sure what is going on in this behind-the-scenes shot from Supergirl. Is it a special effects shot where the dour J'onn J'onzz (in his guise as DEO Director Hank Henshaw) uses his shapeshifting powers to flatten himself and escape the group hug initiated by Kara Zor-El and Mon-El?
Or does this picture hint at a darker truth? That David Harewood's charisma in the role of the Martian Manhunter has become so intoxicating that his fellow actors are now addicted to the very sight of him? Did the producers of Supergirl, in an effort to ensure that the shooting continues uninterrupted, have to construct cardboard cut-outs of David Harewood in an effort to appease the rest of the cast?
The world may never know...
The Suicide Squad We Hardly Knew
It is a well-known fact at this point that the 2016 Suicide Squad movie was directly responsible for killing off Arrow's version of the popular team of anti-heroes and villains. Reports vary on whether or not the order came from Warner Bros. executives or from a stipulation in Will Smith's contract that prohibited any other live-action version of Deadshot from existing in any other media while he was playing the role. Either way, it was a blow to one of Arrow's best subplots.
This behind-the-scenes picture from the second season episode titled, appropriately enough, "Suicide Squad", gives us a glimpse of what might have been had the Arrow showrunners' plans not been cut short. The photo shows all of the Squad members from the episode, as well as actress Cassidy Alexa, who had an all-too-brief cameo as Harley Quinn.
One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other
Most of the actresses in the Arrowverse television series are more than just co-workers and compatriots. They are also close friends in real life. Some of them are also roommates when they are filming their respective shows in Vancouver, British Columbia!
A casual glance at their individual Instagram accounts will reveal countless pictures of these ladies hanging out and having fun both on and off the set. The ladies of The Arrowverse even got together and established their own charity - Shethority - which is devoted towards empowering and inspiring women around the world.
For whatever reason, Thea Queen actress Willa Holland just doesn't seem to be feeling it in this selfie, despite that sense of sisterhood. Maybe she started to sneeze at the worst possible moment? Or maybe one of her co-stars gave her a teasing tickle?
Even Canary Wishes She Were Wonder Woman
Though it is easy to forget in these days when The CW has four weekly shows based on the DC Comics universe, there was a time when superhero television series were quite rare. Superhero shows centered around women were even rarer, which made the 1977 Wonder Woman series something special and gave it an extensive life in syndication.
It's a fair bet that most girls dreamed of being Wonder Woman at some point in their lives and that desire never went away for some grown women. Certainly the spirit of Lynda Carter seems to have captured Caity Lotz in this picture, as she seems to be doing the trademark spin that changed Diana Prince into Wonder Woman. Or maybe Lotz was just busting a move?
Either way, one can only imagine how Legends of Tomorrow would be different if Canary could change clothes with a spin.
Bluntman V. Supergirl
Writer/Director Kevin Smith is a well-known comic fan. He sold his comic collection in order to finance his first movie, Clerks. Most of his early films were filled with references to superheroes and geek culture long before it was cool. Smith also wrote several comics and had a critically acclaimed run on Green Arrow. Given that, it seems ironic that despite directing episodes of The Flash and Supergirl, Smith has yet to take the helm on an episode of Arrow.
Smith seems to be reliving his days as the Batman parody character Bluntman in this behind the scenes photo, posing with his trademark trench coat stretched out in imitation of a bat's wings. Melissa Benoist, not to be outdone, is striking a pose that seems more appropriate to Barbara Gordon than Kara Danvers.
Emily Bett Rickards Gets Carried Away
It is hard to say which group of the fandom may be more jealous viewing this behind the scenes photograph - those who wish they were being carried away by three strong men in place of Emily Bett Rickards or those who envy Colton Haynes, Stephen Amell, and David Ramsey being tasked with safely transporting everyone's favorite geek girl.
Though David Ramsey seems to be less than enthused about the situation (or at least, less excited than the uncharacteristically manic Stephen Amell seems to be), there are two questions that remain upon viewing this picture. What is Emily Bett Rickards whispering to Colton Haynes. And why is he smiling so widely? We're sure that whatever it is, it is something totally innocent and not at all embarrassing.
The Flash Cast's Secret Addiction: Protein Bars!
It is an oft noted Flash Fact that Barry Allen requires a special diet in order to keep on running. Energy requires fuel and quite a lot of energy is spent running up walls and super-sonic punching bad guys. To keep his best friend's blood sugar high and his bank account full, Cisco Ramon brewed up a special high-caloric protein bar capable of satisfying Barry's midday munchie attacks.
The rest of the cast of The Flash apparently follow Barry's example, if this selfie by Jesse L. Martin is any indication. Here we see Martin with Danielle Panabaker (Caitlin Snow/Killer Frost) and Emily Bett Rickards (Felicity Smoak), along with several boxes of Questbars.
While Questbars probably aren't as packed with protein as the STAR Labs brand and their actual health benefits are highly debated, the bars are probably the perfect thing for a starving actor to much on between takes.
Getting A Head - The Sara Lance Way!
"Abominations", the fourth episode of Legends of Tomorrow's second season, gave a whole new meaning to the phrase, "The South will rise again!" Set in 1863 at the height of the American Civil War, the episode details the crew of the Waverider's adventures working to avert disaster after another time-traveler accidentally releases a biological weapon that turns the infected into zombies.
This presents the team with two challenges - curing the outbreak and convincing the approaching Union Army of the threat that awaits them after a Confederate unit is infected. As her science-minded teammates handle the problem of developing a vaccine, Sara Lance takes matters in hand to explain just what exactly a zombie is to General Ulysses S. Grant with a still-biting severed head!
This behind-the-scenes picture shows Caity Lotz briefly hamming it up with the actor playing the zombie.
A Not So Super Workout
"Duet", the long-awaited musical crossover episode between Supergirl and The Flash reunited Glee alumni Grant Gustin, Melissa Benoist and - in a special guest appearance as the mysterious villain called the Music Meister - Darren Criss. The episode was well received by music-loving fans of all the series involve; small wonder, given that the episode also featured the likes of John Barrowman, Jesse L. Martin, and Victor Garber - all gifted singers with long careers in musical theater outside of their work in The Arrowverse.
Impressive as the musical elements of the episode were, some fans may be disappointed to see the puny little weights that Supergirl seems to be struggling to lift in this behind the scenes shot, as Melissa Benoist hits the gym with Darren Criss and Chris Wood.
Look over there! It's The Real Felicity Smoak!
Obsessive fans can be a problem for professional actors and more than a few of them have had to deal with full-blown stalkers. Usually this level of obsession is romantic in nature and many actors have had to cope with people who either wanted to force themselves upon the actor or, much like the villain of the movie Single White Female, wanted to replace them and live their life.
A casual glance at this picture might lead one to believe that is what is occurring. Some crazed fangirl, desperate to find her own Oliver Queen, has modeled herself on Felicity Smoak to the best of her ability and somehow snuck onto the set of Arrow intent on taking Emily Bett Rickards' place.
Thankfully, this behind-the-scenes picture actually depicts Rickards goofing around with her stunt double and not an attempted murder.
Charlie's Angels They Are Not
The second season of Legends of Tomorrow saw an unholy alliance the likes of which the Arrowverse had never seen before. Defying the paradox that should have sealed his fate, Eobard Thawne - aka the Reverse Flash and Professor Zoom - (Matt Letchser) recruited wizard crime boss Damien Darhk (Neal P. McDonough) and former League of Assassins leader Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman) to aid him in recovering The Spear of Destiny - an artifact that could give its wielder the power to rewrite reality!
Here, we see the terrible trio striking a pose between scenes. Sadly, they don't seem to have quite nailed the classic Charlie's Angels silhouette with guns drawn dramatically. Matt Letchser seems to be under the impression that they were going for a musical effect and is displaying his "jazz hands" instead.
Tommy's not dead - he's just sleeping!
While few comparisons could be made between the life of a professional actor and a professional soldier, there is one truism that applies to both jobs - sleep whenever and wherever you can. Being well rested is important in any job and the ability to rest anywhere can be a boon to anyone who is pulling an all-night shift.
This behind the scenes picture from the first season of Arrow shows Tommy Merlyn actor Colin Donnell trying to catch some Zs on the same couch as Stephen Amell, who plays Oliver Queen. Amell looks slightly miffed about being turned into a piece of furniture for his sleeping co-star. As well he should, given that there are plenty of pillows on the other side of the couch!
Sense: This Picture Makes None.
The more we look at this picture from behind the scenes of The Flash, the more questions it raises. The mind struggles to understand just what precisely is going on. Is this a scene from an upcoming episode where the Earth 47 version of Grodd, who is somehow also a princess, abducts Barry Allen as a consort? Did the Barry Allen of Earth 35 earn the service of a gorilla princess valet, who carries him around so that he can save his shoe leather for running around as the Flash?
The truth is even more frightening. This picture was apparently taken during Grant Gustin's on-set birthday celebration. Why precisely this involved being carried around by a gorilla in a princess costume to the apparent amusement of Harrison Wells actor Tom Cavanagh is anyone's guess, as is the secret identity of the princess gorilla in question.
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Have you seen some even more shocking behind-the-scenes pictures of the Arrowverse actors? Let us know in the comments!