After six years and seven seasons on "Arrow," Rickards wanted a break. In early 2019, after the announcement that The CW's flagship superhero series would be ending after the forthcoming eighth season, it was also announced that Rickards would not be returning for the final episodes, save the series finale. Amell wrote a heartfelt note to her on his Instagram that stated that "Arrow" "wouldn't be here without you. I love you. And I cannot wait to see what you do next."
As for what exactly Rickards did after leaving "Arrow," she began to pursue more dramatic and serious roles. Rickards got a taste of this in 2015, when she played a supporting role in the Oscar-nominated film "Brooklyn," starring Saoirse Ronan and Emory Cohen. Set in 1950s Brooklyn, Ronan plays an Irish immigrant named Eilis who has trouble settling into the strange new landscape. Rickards plays a character named Patty who lives at the same boarding house as Eilis. After giving such a great performance in the film, Rickards wanted to explore more acting opportunities like this after leaving "Arrow."
In the uinterview conversation referenced earlier, which occurred in 2019, Rickards also spoke about wanting to take a break from acting to travel. Her dream destinations at the moment were Israel, Alaska, and Patagonia. Considering the pandemic that broke out early in 2020, it's possible that her plans got delayed a bit.
