Meet "Mia Smoak"

Katherine McNamara: The 'Arrow' Stars Rise To Fame

You know her as "Mia Smoak" from the hit series, Arrow. What did she do before kicking butt and taking names? Meet Katherine McNamara, Arrow star!

Katherine McNamara is a famous actress
She starred in 'Arrow'
Learn more about her life and career

Katherine has worked hard to be where she is. She began aiming for the stars at a very young age, and never gave up the fight. This is Katherine McNamara's rise to fame.

Katherine McNamara's Passion For Acting

Katherine was born on November 22nd, 1995, in Kansas City, Missouri to a military family. She was smart and driven, even earning her high school diploma early at age 14! The brilliant young woman then graduated summa cum laude while earning a Business Administration Bachelor's from Drexel University at only 17-years-old!

Katherine McNamara at the 'Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer'.

From a young age, she began acting, starring in independent productions before she hit Broadway in a production with Angela Lansbury and Catherine Zeta-Jones. She regularly guest-starred on major television hits like Law & Order: SVU, 30 Rock, and Drop Dead Diva.

By her late teens she became a popular Disney Channel star in productions like Girl vs. Monster, Kickin' It, and Jessie. Katherine continued to land roles left and right including starring in Shadowhunters, The Mortal Instruments, and The Maze Runner series. She even won a People's Choice Award and a Teen Choice Award for her performance as the lead in Shadowhunters.

Dominic Sherwood, Katherine McNamara, and Alberto Rowende in 'Shadow Hunters' Production Still.

Katherine McNamara in Arrow

Finally, in 2018, she secured the role of a lifetime in the hit series Arrow. McNamara portrayed "Oliver Queen" and "Felicity Smoak's" adult daughter "Mia Smoak". "Mia" is a feisty young lady who was raised in secrecy without her father. Her story and goals are complicated because of her parent's past and she has to fight to learn who she is and fix her timeline.

Most recently, Katherine was cast as "Julie Lawry" in the Stephen King adaptation series, The Stand. You can also catch her in the series The Burned Photo (2021), The Flash (2021), and in the film Finding You (2021), 'Walker: Independence' (2022-2023), and 'Jade' (2023). She is also an accomplished singer, having performed the songs for many of her films, like Contest and Little Savages.

We can't wait to see what she does next!