Emily Bett Rickards & Ash Avildsen speak to MovieWeb’s James Melzer about their new film, Queen of the Ring, which has been making the film festival run and premiered at the 25th annual Newport Beach Film Festival.
Queen of the Ring is an extraordinary, true-life tale that follows Mildred Burke, the legendary professional wrestler and single mom who defied incredible odds to become the first million-dollar female athlete and longest reigning champion at a time when the sport was banned across most of America. Queen of the Ring will be hitting the following film festivals soon: October 25 – Minneapolis, MN – Twin Cities Film Festival October 27 – Wichita, KS – Tallgrass Film Festival November 8 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival Cast Q&A November 10 – Coronado Island, CA – Coronado Island Film Festival November 16 – St. Louis, MO – St. Louis International Film Festival Emily Bett Rickards has become known in the entertainment industry for bringing diverse and engaging characters to life on screen. Rickards landed her breakout role as the quick-witted IT expert/hacker, “Felicity Smoak”, on the CW’s hit series ARROW in 2012, turning a one-episode guest star into a starring role that spanned seven seasons. Named 15th on The Hollywood Reporter’s 50 Favorite Female Characters of All Time, Rickards has also garnered a handful of award nominations including multiple Teen Choice Awards: Female Breakout Star, Choice Actress in a Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Choice Action Actress, as well as nominations for the prestigious Canadian Leo Awards in the category of Best Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017). Rickards’ portrayal of the humorous, brainy, and inspiring Smoak had also crossed over into other series on the network, appearing in THE FLASH, SUPERGIRL, and LEGENDS OF TOMORROW, linking all four shows together. By the final 7th season, ARROW had become a smash success internationally, airing in over 70 countries. Recently, Rickards physically transformed herself to play the lead role of “Mildred Burke” in the independent wrestling biopic, QUEEN OF THE RING, directed by Ash Avildsen. Based on the 2009 book written by Jeff Leen, the story follows the life of women’s wrestling pioneer, Mildred Burke, who was one of the most influential women in professional wrestling. Burke held the World Women’s Championship (later recognized as the lineal NWA World Women’s Championship) for 16 years from 1937 to 1954. The film also stars Josh Lucas, Walton Goggins, and Gavin Casalegno. Rickards will next be seen as the co-lead in the Studio Canal feature, AUTUMN & THE BLACK JAGUAR, a film by Gilles de Maistre. This family adventure story takes place in the heart of the Amazonian Forest. It depicts the unique relationship between a child and a jaguar she wants to save at any cost. The film is set to premiere in the U.S. early 2025. Rickards’ other notable film projects include the indie dramedy, FUNNY STORY, written/directed by Michael Gallagher (INTERNET FAMOUS, THE THINNING), which premiered at the 2018 Slamdance Film Festival and garnered her a nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Feature at the 2018 Southampton Film Festival. In 2015, Rickards co-starred opposite Saoirse Ronan in the Academy Award nominated feature, BROOKLYN, directed by BAFTA-winner John Crowley. She was a scene-stealer as Patty, the sole American girl in a boarding house full of Irish immigrants. BROOKLYN was nominated for dozens of awards, including Best Picture, at the 2016 Academy Awards. Emily is a graduate of the Vancouver Film School Acting Essentials Program (VFS) whose alumni include directors Neil Bomkamp, Neil Kopp, and Kevin Smith. In 2019, the school announced the ‘Emily Bett Rickards Acting Scholarship’, a partnership between VFS and Rickards, to fund a full scholarship for both school’s acting programs, as well as additional partial funding of $250,000 for other students. Ash Avildsen grew up in a single parent household outside of DC, never having met his father but knowing who he was and having his last name. He chose to pursue music first as an artist, touring in a band and teaching himself the business through a DIY lifestyle. Using all the knowledge he learned from the road, he started his own record label. Sumerian Records has now become one of the top independents in the world for rock and alternative music, with several Grammy nominations and record setting Billboard chart metrics for the hard rock genre. Sumerian recently celebrated a historic achievement with the first Grammy nomination in the history of the Recording Academy for a solo female artist in the “Best Metal Performance” category, featuring avant-garde singer Poppy. Ash Avildsen’s first feature film, “American Satan,” won several awards on the festival circuit before being distributed by Miramax. The film had a theatrical release and was subsequently picked up by Showtime, where it developed a growing cult following. Ash expanded on this success by writing and directing the limited series spin-off, “Paradise City.” more