In a world that has become so topsy-turvy with real-life villains and chatter of nuclear apocalypse, it’s easy to forget that love is the greatest superpower of all. It’s no coincidence that during these trying times we tend to rely more on our mythological heroes to give us hope, and to serve as a reminder that the best is always waiting for us on the horizon. One of these modern myths is The Flash (CW) which began its fourth season this past October. BELLO had the chance to catch up with one of its stars, Candice Patton, who plays the Iris West, the wife of The Flash.
Having recently married The Flash so early in the season, one might assume that the honeymoon won’t last too long in the high-drama world of Central City. But according to Candice, the forecast for season 4 is steady-as-she-goes in the marriage department. “Barry (The Flash) and Iris are pretty stable for the rest of the season. They do have some small relationship bumps, just in terms of working together and figuring out the dynamics of that, but I think we can hope for a long and healthy marriage between Iris and Barry.”
As with all strong relationships, each person tends to bring out the very best in the other. So how does this mutual enhancement play out for the CW’s favorite married super-couple? “I think Iris definitely keeps Barry grounded. He’s dealing with so many superhuman elements everyday of his life, and Iris is a grounding force for him and she keeps him down to earth. And the other way around, Barry inspires Iris to fight the good fight and protect the people of the city in her own way, in the same way that Barry puts his life on the line everyday. I think she’s incredibly inspired by that.”
As one of the CW’s most successful series, we asked Candice what she feels is the ‘secret sauce’ that has given The Flash so much longevity. “We’re in our fourth season, and I think the show is still unique in its own amazing way. We aim for heart, humanness and spectacle, whereas I think a lot of the other shows can be quite dark.” She adds, “What’s great about our show is it has so many great relationships that have so much heart. And I think the humor and heart combo is really true to the comic.”
Fans have been waiting for Barry and Iris’s wedding for some time now, so we were curious how the reaction has been from viewers. “I think fans have been over the moon about it since it happened, and leading up to it, too,” she says. “Sure, fans were disappointed that there was an invasion of Nazis and we didn’t have a ‘proper, proper’ wedding, but at the end of the day fans are super happy that we finally had our fairytale ending and ended up together.”
Iris and the Flash are one of the very rare married superhero couples out there, but not all husbands have a superpower like Barry. What, per chance, would it take for a ‘regular’ husband to be a superhero hubby? “Sharing the housework — that’s a big one!” she laughs. “When your wife comes home and the dishes are done, you’re on the right track! It’s a true testament to Barry though, where he feels like he can have both. Unlike Batman, which is such a brooding character who spends much of his time alone, Barry relies on Iris and his family in general to be the superhero that he is.”
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, we asked Candice if there’s any one couple out there that inspires her the most when it comes to her own goals for a loving relationship. “The first one that comes to mind is Barack and Michelle Obama,” she says. “Barack is kind of a superhero in his own right, who had a very heavy burden on his shoulders and handled it with complete grace, and gave so much credit to his wife for being by his side and helping him become the man he is. It’s a relationship that I really admire.”
So what would be the dream Valentine’s Day experience for Candice, from morning to night? “All of it would have to be super chill. Maybe start with breakfast at a cafe, then a massage, then Netflix and takeout for dinner (laughing)!”
In the same way that Candice looks to the Obamas for inspiration, there are many young girls who look to her for the same. With this in mind, I asked her to talk about her work creating the SHETHORITY project. “Once, me and my good friend Caity Lotz (Sara from Legends of Tomorrow) were hiking in Vancouver, and we were talking about how we want to give back more to our fans, especially at the conventions around the world where we get to meet them in person. They wanted to have more of a dialogue with the younger girls, rather than a quick autograph and goodbye. “We wanted to give back to them, and help inspire them to be strong,” she says, “so we started SHETHORITY. It began as an Instagram page where we give advice on certain issues with women, and we encourage our fans to upload videos of what they’re dealing with and going through, and it’s had a huge response. We’re hoping to expand that into a lot of different avenues going forward.” (visit www.instagram.com/shethority/)
Of course, Candice’s platform is owed in great part to The Flash creator and producer, Greg Berlanti, who launched The Flash, Supergirl, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow, to name just a few. We asked her if she’s gotten to know Greg as a friend, and what she’s learned the most from him. “Yes, he’s a very, very busy man who has his hands in a lot of different pots, which is why he’s so successful. I’ve gotten to know him personally and recently went to his wedding to Robbie Rogers. He’s such a wonderful person.” She adds, “Greg is someone who’s not afraid to have it all: a marriage, a child, a career, massive success — all of it. He’s not afraid to go after everything he wants and figure it out as he goes. I find that really encouraging, because often we think we can’t have it all and it stops us from going after our dreams.”
TEAM
Photography Arthur Galvao | Creative Direction Stephane Marquet
Styling Sara Borgese
Hair Alexander Armand for Exclusive Artists using Amika Haircare
Makeup Grace Phillips
production Maison Privée X BELLO Media Group | Interview Brent Lambert