After four seasons on the show, Maisie Richardson-Sellers exited Legends of Tomorrow following Season 5 in hopes to focus on other projects. The Arrowverse show tends to have a revolving door of characters, though the actress’ departure marked the third following Brandon Routh and Courtney Ford’s exit from the series in Season 5. Still, Richardson-Sellers got to play former Justice Society of America member Amaya Jiwe and the shapeshifting Charlie for two seasons each, respectively, and she recently explained why she loved portraying both characters on Legends of Tomorrow.
Maisie Richardson-Sellers really got to flex her acting skills on Legends of Tomorrow. With doppelgangers, mirror worlds and more, the Arrowverse shows present an abundance of opportunities for actors to play dual roles. That said, the differences between Amaya and Charlie were night and day. Amaya was very on task and loyal to the mission, while Charlie was a bit more of a fun wild card. Speaking with Collider, Richardson-Sellers discussed why she enjoyed getting to play two very distinct characters on the show. Here’s what she said:
I want to act in as many different bodies, lives and worlds as I possibly can, so to be able to do that twice within one show, as two so polar and contrasting characters was fantastic. It’s such a gift. It was really fun to play Amaya and who she was, and then to be able to recreate all of those dynamics and relationships with all of those actors again, as Charlie, was so fun. People that Amaya was close to, Charlie was very much at loggerheads with, and vice versa. So, I got to rediscover the whole show and the whole cast again, which was really an awesome gift.
Honestly, I think what Maisie Richardson-Sellers did to differentiate both characters as completely separate people with their own unique personalities and backgrounds was fantastic. As Charlie, the actress had to start from scratch and “recreate all of those dynamics” that Amaya had already established with the Legends. Legends of Tomorrow definitely benefited from Richardson-Sellers’ talents, that’s for sure.
Of course, the question is always whether Maisie Richardson-Sellers would ever return to Legends of Tomorrow despite Charlie staying behind to do her own thing after the team’s last mission. If the writers ever needed Amaya or Charlie, the actress says she would be “back there in a heartbeat.” For Richardson-Sellers, the connection with the cast, crew, and writers ran deeper than simply playing two characters. Here’s how she put it:
It’s such a family. I cannot tell you how lovely it is, being on that set. You walk in, and you’re hugging everyone and you know everyone’s name. We were hanging out on the weekends with some of the crew. It’s such a wonderful group of humans. Everyone’s so talented and passionate about what they do, which feeds into the whole way that the show runs. We have wonderful writers. There’s a very diverse group of writers who are really emotionally invested, as well. There was always a writer on set, which makes you feel much more involved in the process. I miss them. I’m gonna miss them so much. It was a fantastic four years. I feel like I grew a lot, as a human and as an actress, being there.
And I will miss Maisie Richardson-Sellers playing both characters on the show. For now, Richardson-Sellers has been hard at work launching the company Bareface Productions and working behind the scenes on short films and other projects centering LGBTQIA individuals and marginalized communities “from around the world.”
Legends of Tomorrow Season 5 is currently streaming on Netflix. For more on what to watch in the meantime, be sure to check out our 2020 fall TV premiere guide.
