Rickards was born and raised in British Columbia. Her mother is Dr. Diane Greig, a dream psychotherapist in Vancouver, BC. Beginning on her career path at a young age, she introduced herself to musical theatre and dance, with the hope of later introducing herself to more serious acting. She graduated from high school early and attended the Vancouver Film School, completing the Acting Essentials Program. After completing the program, she attended an open call audition, which gained her an agent. She studied at the Alida Vocal Studio in Vancouver. Rickards appeared in the video of the Nickelback single "Never Gonna Be Alone" in 2008 and, after some minor roles, was cast as Felicity Smoak in the TV series Arrow in 2012.
Emily Bett Rickards is a Canadian actress, best known for portraying Felicity Smoak in The CW television series Arrow.