Vancouver actress Elysia Rotaru cast as 'Arrow' love interest

Elysia Rotaru, a 31-year-old Vancouver actress, has been cast as Oliver Queen’s new love interest in the upcoming season of shot-in-Vancouver Arrow.

Rotaru has worked on numerous projects shooting in the city, including Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, TV’s Motive, Backstrom and Supernatural.

Entertainment Weekly first broke the news Monday evening, revealing that Rotaru had been cast as a character from Oliver’s past who will appear in recurring flashback scenes.

Executive Producer of Arrow, Marc Guggenheim told EW: “Oliver is gonna have a love interest in the past that will serve as a parallel or potentially a contrast to his love affair with Felicity in the present.”

Rotaru is close friends with Vancouver-native Shay Mitchell, who plays Emily on ABC’s Pretty Little Liars.

#reunited and getting some #rnr with @shaym! spending some quality #bestie time under the #LA #sundayfunday

A photo posted by Elysia Rotaru (@elysiarotaru) on Aug 2, 2015 at 6:53pm PDT

A new week, a new set. So #grateful that I am gifted with these #amazing opportunities to be #doingwhatilove #acting it’s almost #playtime ?#thanks for being so good to me @thecw

A photo posted by Elysia Rotaru (@elysiarotaru) on Jul 27, 2015 at 2:59pm PDT

#layingout on the #lawn at @deightoncup and #sippin #cham with my #mainman @ryslife

A photo posted by Elysia Rotaru (@elysiarotaru) on Jul 25, 2015 at 6:16pm PDT

On the way out to do a taping for a great #audition #actorslife #timemaganement is a must! #priorities and #commitment ??@mattydix @ryslife @belinderella #thankyou for always helping me

A photo posted by Elysia Rotaru (@elysiarotaru) on Jul 14, 2015 at 9:20pm PDT