Candice Patton played the divisive Iris West-Allen in The CW’s The Flash and has not been seen on screen after its finale in 2023. The actress had plenty of roles until she was cast as the DC comics character in 2014, which received quite a bit of initial backlash. However, Patton stuck till the end of the show and has now seemingly said goodbye to showbiz.
Patton was by no means a bad actress, but apart from her TV work, she did not make a mark in Hollywood. Her filmography boasts of incredible shows like Grey’s Anatomy, One Tree Hill, CSI: Miami, Castle, Heroes, and more. However, it now looks like she has left Hollywood for good and might not be a favorite in the industry.
1. Candice Patton Received Significant Backlash in the Initial Seasons of The Flash
Candice Patton’s most famous role is The Flash, where she played Iris West. She was the love interest of Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen and his childhood friend after he was taken in by Joe West. The character was originally Caucasian/White in the comics, and when Patton’s casting was revealed, she reportedly received vicious trolls and attacks from fans.
Talking about it on The Open Up podcast, Candice Patton revealed how she got criticisms at a time when no protocols were in place, and she felt she would leave after two seasons. She also mentioned how normalized it was at the time, dismissing her struggles.
It’s a dangerous place to be in when you’re one of the first, and you’re facing backlash for it, and there’s no help. Now people understand a little better. They understand how fans can be racist — especially in genre [adaptations] — and misogynistic. But at the time, it was kind of like, ‘Yeah, that’s how fans are, but whatever.’
The risk of casting her in more race-swapped characters and the backlash it could face may have discouraged studios from casting her in other projects.
2. Iris West in The Flash Was Patton’s Identifying Role Till 2023
Before she became Iris West in the Arrowverse, Candice Patton had a long filmography, featuring guest roles in shows like Castle, Entourage, CSI: Miami
Patton barely featured in any other role after starring in The Flash. The CW show’s grueling schedule of 20-24 forty-minute episodes per season would have given her little to no time to pursue other projects. She was also in other Arrowverse crossover episodes like Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, and Arrow.
This might have deterred many studios from casting her in projects, as her range was severely limited, and the roles in the Arrowverse shows were quite one-dimensional as well.
3. Patton Could Not Successfully Transition From TV to Film
While Candice Patton had a great career on TV, which seems to have ended with The Flash’s finale in 2023, she did not transition into films successfully. Many TV actors aspire to go big with the movies, and several TV stars have done so, including her Arrowverse co-star Melissa Benoist, who featured in movies like Whiplash and Band of Robbers.
Patton only has two film credits, both being supporting roles. Her last film was the 2014 thriller The Guest, which saw her play a sergeant. Her lack of interest or appearances in films may have deterred producers and studios from casting her in movies.
4. After Joining the Arrowverse, Candice Patton Did Not Diversify Her Filmography
As mentioned before, Candice Patton limited herself to the Arrowverse after she was cast as Iris West in The Flash. She did not play any other role on TV or in the movies, with only two appearances as herself on the reality TV show, Whose Line Is It Anyway? As high-profile as Iris West was in the series, the character did not have a lot to do in terms of acting.
The lack of diversity in her roles and the limited range in existing roles may have stopped studios from choosing her for any projects.
5. Patton Was Vocal About Hollywood Abandoning Her Amidst Racist Attacks
As mentioned before, Candice Patton was reportedly the victim of vicious trolls and racist attacks online after she was cast in The Flash. Her character received a lot of ridicule from fans, with her ‘We are the Flash’ moment becoming a popular meme. While she did her best to power through the ordeal, she did criticize The CW and WB for not sticking by her.
Even with the companies I was working with, The CW and WB, that was their way of handling it…It’s just not enough to make me your lead female and say, ‘Look at us, we’re so progressive, we checked the box.’ It’s great, but you’ve put me in the ocean alone around sharks. It’s great to be in the ocean, but I can get eaten alive out here.
Hollywood is not a fan of vocal criticisms against it, and when it is one of the big studios that is at the receiving end of a scathing criticism from its star employees, it might not look good in the future for the star.
6. Family Life Took a Higher Priority After the Birth of Her Child Last Year
Candice Patton was in the middle of a controversy after basketball player JR Smith allegedly had an affair with her while being married to Shirley Smith. While JR revealed that they had been separated for months, he was still legally married to Shirley Smith when he welcomed a child with Patton in 2024. One of Patton’s final posts on Instagram to date is her announcement about her baby son.
Since then, she has barely made any public appearances. Chances are that her family life has taken the front seat over her career at the moment, which might have led her to reject roles that may have come her way.
7. Candice Patton’s Charity, Shethority, Also Died Down Early
In 2017, Candice Patton started the charity Shethority with her Arrowverse co-stars. The organization aimed to bring forward stories of resilience and empowerment from women of all walks of life. Many of her Arrowverse co-stars were involved in the organization, including Melissa Benoist, Nicole Maines, Emily Bett Rickards, and more.
However, the charity seemingly went silent after a few years. There have been no known drives or announcements in the recent past, and chances are that the organization has also taken a backseat. This complete goodbye to showbiz may have made her seem unavailable to potential film projects.
The reasons mentioned above are not clear-cut proofs that Hollywood is shunning any actor, but are merely possible reasons why an actress like Candice Patton, who was at a career high, seemingly dropped out like this.
What do you think about Candice Patton’s time in The Flash? Comment below.
