Elysia Rotaru

Crystal Elysia Lorraine Rotaru, known professionally as Elysia Rotaru, was born on November 9, 1984 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, to Romanian immigrant parents, granting her a bilingual upbringing in English and Romanian. From early childhood she demonstrated a strong artistic inclination, enrolling in dance classes, participating in school theatre productions, and giving piano recitals, which laid a versatile foundation for her future performing career. Despite initially pursuing a degree in psychology at Simon Fraser University, Rotaru’s passion for the dramatic arts prompted a pivotal shift to a Fine Arts program with a theatre specialization, complemented by studies in traditional Chinese medicine that reflect her diverse interests. Her professional debut arrived in 2008 with a guest appearance on the USA Network series Psych, a role that ushered her into a steady stream of television credits including Eureka, Smallville, and Supernatural, showcasing her adaptability across genre‑spanning productions. In 2010 she secured a recurring role as Betsy on Hellcats and contributed to the family‑oriented film Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules as Ingrid, a character who appears within the fictional horror film The Foot, thereby expanding her repertoire into comedy and horror satire. The following years saw Rotaru guest‑starring on the ABC drama Motive and the CW series iZombie, while also lending her voice temporarily to Sabine Wren in Disney XD’s Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales, evidencing her proficiency in voice acting. A career milestone came on August 10, 2015, when she was cast as Taiana Venediktov, a love interest for Oliver Queen, in the CW’s critically acclaimed series Arrow, a role that solidified her presence in mainstream superhero television. Beyond her on‑screen achievements, Rotaru balances her artistic pursuits with a personal life that includes one child, reflecting a commitment to both family and her evolving career in the entertainment industry.