ARROW’S NOLAN FUNK: “EMILY PUNCHED ME” 

Montblanc Celebrates Grand Opening of Toronto’s Yorkdale Boutique with Nolan Gerard.

For Emily Bett Rickards, nothing says “Welcome to Arrow” like a punch to the face. Vancouver actor Nolan Gerard Funk found this out the hard way when he filmed a guest spot as Felicity’s ex-boyfriend.

“Emily did punch me in the nose and it really hurt,” he said in Toronto recently, where he was hosting the opening of a new Montblanc boutique. “But she’s got to be one of the coolest girls I have ever met. She could handcuff me to a chair and leave me there for four hours and I probably would forgive her because she’s the sweetest.”

‘s Nov. 5 flashback episode, “The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak.” Fans have been skeptical of his unlikely character name, Cooper Seldon, as it seems to echo

’s Sheldon Cooper. There has been some suspicion that it’s merely a pseudonym to disguise a more familiar face from the DC universe.

Funk won’t rule out the possibility of a longer arc, but he’s tight-lipped on the exact nature of his role, citing the titanium-strength non-disclosure agreement he signed. “It’s a really exciting new character,” he says. “There are some rumours online but you know how

is, they love to surprise everyone with things.”

Comic lore found Felicity ultimately marrying reporter Edward Raymond but since her reintroduction in

, all bets are off: the new Felicity’s thick-rimmed glasses and blonde ponytail are an unapologetic homage to Emily Bett Rickards. Olicity ’shippers take heart!

Thankfully Rickards didn’t do any permanent damage with her wild swing—Funk’s the pretty boy face not only of Montblanc’s street-ready Extreme Collection but of Versace’s Spring 2014 collection, for which he posed in looks ranging from a snappy suit to briefs. “I definitely have a side of confidence you might say,” he says. “But I also love expressing different sides of myself. That’s why I do what I do.”

Want more? Check out our thoughts from last week’s episode here, or check out a preview for “Corto Maltese:”

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Ryan Porter is a Toronto-based entertainment writer/Junkie for FLARE, the Toronto Star, Movie Entertainment and The Loop. His favourite superhero is Professor Annalise Keating. @MrRyanPorter

Arrow’s Nolan Funk: “Emily punched me”

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