Nerd HQ 2016 Stephen Amell Panel: Friday, July 22
Nerd HQ, which met at the New Children’s Museum in San Diego, was a packed-out venue with panels, free cereal, drinks, couches, and video games for nerds and geeks to unite and celebrate pop culture. This fellow nerd is here to give you the inside scoop at what happened at the July 22 panel during San Diego Comic-Con.
The panel started with introductions by host Zachary Levi, who welcomed Stephen Amell. After a short introduction, the audience and press were wowed that there would be surprise guests at the panel! Slowly, one by one they came out.
The mystery guests were Cody Rhodes (who will star in the next season of Arrow), Emily Bett Rickards (Felicity Smoak), John Barrowman (Malcolm Merlyn), and the biggest surprise of them all, Arthur Darvill (Rip Hunter, Legends of Tomorrow).
The event’s proceeds went to a children’s charity, and the night included a couple hilarious gags, which you can find on YouTube. Many of the items from the night were also auctioned, and don’t quote me on this, but I remember Nerd HQ saying about 
$4,000 were raised for charity. The funniest stunt of the night was a member of the audience paying for some high heels that Amell wore. She was able to get her picture taken with Amell after he walked in high heels with Barrowman. Barrowman wore pink high heels to the panel and brought high heels for Amell to wear. Barrowman wondered how much money someone would pay for him to take off his shorts.
Now, what everyone has been waiting to hear. Here are some paraphrased highlights from the Q and A.
Q: Do you (Amell) miss your daughter while acting, and how do you deal with being gone from her for so long?
A: Amell replied saying yes he does miss her and that he and his wife have a calendar they use to know what days they see their daughter. He and his wife have a plan where they make sure they see their daughter no less than five days at a time.
Q: What was the best scene you (Rickards) played?
A: Rickards responded it’s the scene in episode fourteen where Oliver is on the gurney after he was badly wounded by a shot from his mother.
Q: Who is the biggest prankster on set?
A: John Barrowman.
Q: What is a difference between acting in Vancouver versus acting in London versus acting in the United States?
A: Arrow and The Flash are filmed in Vancouver, Canada. Amell and some of the Arrow cast said that filming in Vancouver is more fun and relaxed. Arthur noted that in London the food is better and the work hours are shorter. Arthur said that they get served biscuits and tea at the London studio.
Q: What is the best Oliver and Felicity moment?
A: Amell and Rickards both agreed the scene in the elevator shaft. Rickards also added she missed doing her own stunts, and that after that stunt she wasn’t allowed to do many of her own because they are too dangerous.
Q: What was your favorite children’s book?
A: Barrowman responded by saying his was The Outsiders. He mentioned that the book meant so much to him that he paid a lot of money to have an original edition in his library. Arthur Darvill said the The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Rhodes said his was The Giving Tree. Rickards said his was Face on the Milk Carton and the Harry Potter series. Emily seemed to be a HUGE reader. Amell’s favorite children’s book was Bury Me Deep.