Exclusive interview with Candice Patton

March 12, 2015 | Candice Patton portrays reporter Iris West on the CW superhero drama "The Flash". In our interview she talks about her acting experiences, her character and her work on the set of "The Flash" and also about her interaction with fans of the show.

Note: © myFanbase 2014 - The interview is exclusive to myFanbase and may not be published on other websites or the like. You may share the first two questions (up to 180 words) if you link back to this site. Translations other than English and German may be posted with full credit including the link to this site.
Foto: Candice Patton
Candice Patton

1) How did you get into acting and did the job turn out to be how you pictured it?

From a young age I would watch "I Love Lucy" every night. I fell in love with Lucielle Ball and I knew I wanted to do whatever it was she was doing. So I started doing plays in school and never really stopped. I moved to LA after school and I worked steadily, but it took years before I booked "The Flash". It's hard work and took me away from my home in LA, but it's rewarding to see how much fans are enjoying the show.


2) You play Iris on "The Flash". What was the casting process like, were there chemistry readings and things like that?

My first audition was in December 2013 for the role of Iris West. I didn't hear back and assumed I didn't get the job. I went home to Texas for Christmas and when I came back to LA in January my managers said casting wanted me to come back in and read with Grant Gustin. A couple days later I had the job. It's still pretty surreal.

3) What was your most memorable moment on set so far?

The day "The Flash" premiered I was on set, Grant and I were working, and it aired and twitter exploded and I suddenly realized we were a part of something great.

4) What do you think Iris will feel like if she finds out the truth about Barry being The Flash? And how will she feel about her father knowing all along?

I think Iris will be more hurt and disappointed in Barry knowing that he, of all people, has lied to her and for so long. They have such a close relationship and I imagine it would be devastating to know that someone so close to you could keep such a big secret. I think she will be frustrated with her father even more than Barry for underestimating her ability to not only protect herself, but also to help Barry and The Flash.

5) While Barry has always been her best friend, Iris seems to be attracted to The Flash - a storyline that can be seen in different superhero stories. Why do you think many women are drawn to strong mysterious men other than the nerdy sweet guys?

On the contrary - I love nerdy sweet guys! I think there are a lot of women out there like that and I don't think that Iris is that dissimilar. It is not so much that she doesn't find nerdiness sexy, it's just she has never thought of Barry in a romantic light. I don't think it's ever deeply dawned on her to see Barry as love interest. She's just always seen him as her lovable best-friend. Any romantic love for Barry is buried so deep in her subconscious, and I believe it manifests itself in her infatuation with The Flash, which is Barry himself.

6) Barry is clearly in love with Iris, she seems to never have thought about him in a romantic kind of way though. What is your take on friendship between men and women in general? Is it possible or will romance always come between them?

That's tough. I think it's very hard for men and women to be just friends if one or both parties is attracted to the other.

Foto: Candice Patton, The Flash - Copyright: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Candice Patton, The Flash
© Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

7) Could you please describe a normal day on the "The Flash" set for us?

First stop when I'm on set is my trailer. I like to set my stuff down, and lock the door. Be in my own space for a few minutes. Answer some fan mail, set the lighting just right, turn on my fireplace (it's cold in Canada). Then I'm off to hair and makeup, where I go over my lines, eat some breakfast, and catch up with some of the cast. Then we rehearse and start shooting scenes for that day.

8) There has already been one big crossover event with "Arrow". What was it like having your collegues over at "The Flash" set? And do you hope to be on set of "Arrow" someday, too?

I hope to venture over to the "Arrow" set someday. I’d love to work with David Ramsey, Katie Cassidy, Stephen Amell, Paul Blackthorne and the rest of them. It's a completely different world over at "Arrow" and it would be fun to see how Iris navigates that world.

9) Conventions are one way to interact with fans. Have you already been to one or are you going to? And what kind of experiences have you had with fans so far?

I've been to Comic Con in San Diego. Unfortunately, we didn’t get too much time to interact with the fans as we were introducing the show. But I do receive a lot of fan mail from across the world and I try to answer everything that comes my way.

10) If your character Iris could be a part of any other tv show, which do you think she would fit in best and why?

I'm a fan of Batman and I think that Iris West, the reporter, could fit right in reporting about the crimes in Gotham.

11) Would you tell us three things that are currently on you bucket list?

Make enough money to buy my dream home in Los Angeles, work in feature films, and travel the world.

12) Since myFanbase is an online magazine about tv shows, we would like to know what your favorite shows are?

"House of Cards", "Game of Thrones", "Sherlock", "Orange Is the New Black", "The Fall", "30 Rock", the list goes on and on.

Thank you so much, Candice, we wish you all the best with "The Flash"!

Ceren K. and Annika Leichner - myFanbase

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