The Evolution of Katie Cassidy

Born: November 25, 1986, in Los Angeles, California, USA
Birth Name: Katherine Evelyn Anita Cassidy
Nicknames: Bug, K
Height: 5' 7½" (1.71 m)

Katie Cassidy was born Katherine Evelyn Anita Cassidy on November 25, 1986, in Los Angeles, California. Her father, David Cassidy, was a pop star in the 1970s. Her famous relatives include uncles Shaun Cassidy, Patrick Cassidy and Ryan Cassidy, the sons by her grandfather Jack Cassidy's marriage to Shirley Jones; Katie's grandmother was Evelyn Ward. As a child, Katie took gymnastics, studied piano, guitar and singing, then took dancing and acting lessons and eventually became a cheerleader for the California Flyers. She attended Calabasas High School in her neighbourhood. For years prior to graduation in 2005, Katie was modeling and studying acting in community theatre. Katie had just been accepted to 'Tisch' at NYU when she was offered her first role as "Dee Dee" one month before graduating. Katie has not stopped working since. Katie's early exposure to show business, the cosmopolitan culture of Los Angeles, her family upbringing, and her comprehensive education altogether produced a remarkable result. She grew up as a multifaceted person showing her many talents in a variety of professions such as recording her father's 1970s hit "I Think I Love You" and singing in VH1's TV special Bubblegum Babylon (2002), writing her own songs, modelling for Abercrombie and Fitch and Guess?'s Rock and Republic clothing lines in 2004, and acting. She met her ex-boyfriend, Jesse McCartney, there and later appeared as his love interest in his video hit "She's No You". A story on Jesse and Katie appeared in the January 2006 issue of Teen People magazine. Jesse wrote the song "Bleeding Love" performed by Leona Lewis, about Cassidy and their relationship. At that time she was busy working on five feature film productions going on almost simultaneously. Katie made several appearances in TV series, such as 7th Heaven (1996) and Sex, Love & Secrets (2005), among others. She appeared as Samantha, the grown-up daughter of Adam Sandler and Kate Beckinsale in the comedy Click (2006). After the release of a teen horror film, When a Stranger Calls (2006), in which she co-starred as Tiffany, Cassidy went to Vancouver to work on her second horror film, Black Christmas (2006), in which she stars as a sorority girl. Katie recently beat out the likes of Jessica Simpson and Kristin Cavallari for the leading role opposite John Travolta as his daughter and the heir to the most powerful energy company in the world in Dallas, the big-screen remake of the cult TV series.

Katherine Evelyn Anita Cassidy was born on November 25, 1986, in Los Angeles. She is the daughter of actor David Cassidy and Sherry Benedon. Her paternal grandparents were actors Jack Cassidy and Evelyn Ward. She also has two younger cousins who live in Australia named Samantha Cassidy and Jasmine Cassidy. Cassidy has a younger half-brother Beau Cassidy, from her father's marriage to Sue Shifrin. In her youth, Cassidy was a cheerleader for the California Flyers, a competitive team. She has gained a reputation as a "scream queen" due to her numerous roles in horror films (most of which are remakes of classics of the genre).

In 2002, Cassidy recorded a cover version of "I Think I Love You", which had been a hit for her father's made-for-television band, the Partridge Family. She was 15 at the time, five years younger than her dad when he recorded his version. In his 2007 autobiography, David Cassidy said he did not support his then-estranged daughter's attempt at a music career, saying she was too young and had not yet "paid her dues". In 2003, she made her television and acting debut appearing in an episode of the Lifetime drama The Division (2001). After it, she continued to guest appear in television shows such as Listen Up (2004), Sex, Love & Secrets (2005), and in 2005, appearing in a recurring role on The WB's series 7th Heaven (1996).

She made her film debut as Tiffany Madison in the horror When a Stranger Calls (2006). The same year, she played Kelli Presley in the Dimension Films horror-slasher Black Christmas (2006), a remake of the 1974 film. The movie centred on an escaped maniac who returns to his childhood home on Christmas Eve, which is now a sorority house, and one by one kills all sorority sisters. The film was released to negative reviews from critics and was a moderate success making over $50 million worldwide. She has also had notable supporting roles in Click (2006), Live! (2007) and Taken (2008).

In 2007, she appeared on The CW's supernatural drama series Supernatural (2005), playing Ruby, a demon and appearing in six episodes. She also appeared in the CBS horror mystery miniseries Harper's Island (2009), portraying Patricia "Trish" Wellington, a bride-to-be. The series centred on a group of family and friends who gather for a wedding on an island known for its sinister past full of gruesome murders. In each episode, at least one character is killed off. She and her fellow cast members were not told about their characters' deaths until the day they received a script. That year, the CW cast her as a lead in the drama Melrose Place (2009), a reboot of the 1990s series of the same name. she portrayed Ella Sims, a publicist who resides in a West Hollywood apartment complex and centres on its residents. Despite mixed reviews, her performance was praised by critics and was cited as "the best thing about the Melrose reboot" by New York magazine. The CW cancelled the series in May 2010 due to low ratings.

In 2010, she had a major recurring arc in the teen drama series Gossip Girl (2007) as Juliet Sharp, who attends Columbia University and sets out to ruin the life of the show's central character Serena Van Der Woodsen. She appeared in twelve episodes. That year, she starred in another film remake, A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010). She portrayed the false protagonist Kris Fowles, a high school student who becomes a victim of Freddy Krueger. The film earned over $31 million in its opening weekend, and she was nominated for a Teen Choice Award in the Horror/Thriller Actress category for her role. Shortly after its release, she was cast in the adventure comedy Monte Carlo (2011). The film, which also starred Leighton Meester and Selena Gomez, follows three friends who pose as wealthy socialites while on holiday in Monte Carlo. It received mixed to negative reviews from critics and went on to gross $39 million worldwide. She was also in the ABC drama pilot Georgetown (2011) as Nikki, a smart and quick-witted junior staffer in the White House Communications Office with connections to the First Lady. The pilot was created by Gossip Girl executive producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage but was not picked up.

Then she was cast as the title character in the film adaptation of the graphic novel The Scribbler (2014), alongside Eliza Dushku, Michelle Trachtenberg and Gina Gershon. She played Suki, a young woman with multiple personality disorders. Since 2012, she has been starring as Laurel Lance/Black Canary in The CW's Arrow (2012), which is based on the Green Arrow comic books. The series also stars Stephen Amell and Willa Holland.

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