Find out Why Candice Pattonās Heroism Is Anything But Fictional
For Candice Patton, playing a leading role on a superhero show was a dream she never thought would be possible to achieve. āI think just being a black woman, it didnāt seem very possible,ā she reveals. āSo I donāt think that I had those dreams.ā But after landing a main role on “The Flash,” Patton realized it was just the beginning of something bigger. She started to understand that playing a hero on screen helped her discover her own power in real life.
Born in Jackson and raised in Plano, Patton learned early on that ambition wasnāt optionalāit was essential for success. ā[My mom]ās always been the person that Iāve tried to be like. She was a working mom and I think she inadvertently instilled this idea of working hard; achieving for yourself. My dad worked, too, but I think it was really nice to see my mom also contribute to our household.ā Her mother’s simple yet powerful example influenced Patton to become the woman that she is today.
āIt was a no-brainer that thatās what I would do. I would go to work and achieve for myselfāso Iāve never really looked to a man or any other person to support me.ā
After completing her education and receiving her BFA from Dallasā Southern Methodist University, from which she graduated Summa Cum Laude, Patton followed her dreams and moved to Los Angeles. After a string of roles on various films and TV shows, some including The Guest, āThe Young and the Restlessā and āThe Game,ā she landed her most noteworthy role yet: Iris West.
āCareer-wise, Iām proud of not giving up. Itās not so much about where I am but just the sheer tenacity to stick with it,ā Patton says.
āāCause, of course, there were times I wanted to just quit and pack up and go back home and just do something else, but looking back Iām really proud that Iāve stuck with it.ā
All of her hard work and self-proclaimed tenacity has paid off. Through her role as Iris West, Patton has proven herself to be an integral part of DCās TV domain. Even though she is the love interest of Barry Allen (aka the Flash), West goes through her own character development and never wavers in her personal and moral strength. āSheās very strong-willed and strong-minded so weāve always shared that in common,ā Patton says with a smile.
āSheās definitely a character that I have a lot of respect for and have fun playing.ā
Throughout the past five seasons of āThe Flash,ā West goes through her own trials, tribulations and even some surprising transformations (no spoilers here!).
Not only is Iris West a hero in her own right, but she is also an incredible role model. āFor her to not have powers and still be a hero, I think is really empowering to a lot of young women.ā And she would be correct. The superhero world has long been dominated by men. Generally, guys born with powers or zapped into them by fate or freak accident. Superheroines arrived in the 1940s, right around the time Rosie the Riveter rolled up her sleeves and got to work.
But even Wonder Woman, the boldest of them all, was pushed into a homemaker role after WWIIās factory days ended. For decades, female heroes were mostly sidelined or softened, rarely given the same grit or glory as their male peers. It wasnāt until the 1990s that superheroines started appearing regularlyābut even then, they were often cast as damsels.
Case in point: Lois Lane. Brave? Yes. But still tossed off skyscrapers like a handbag and saved mid-air by Superman.
Time and time again, the love interestāno matter how fearlessāwas used to showcase the heroās vulnerability, not her own strength.Ā Candice Patton
But thanks to a recent push in serious girl power, these roles are changing. Iris West is an excellent example of that. āSheās pretty fearless despite not having any powers,ā Patton explains.
āI think weāve done a good job showing over the past five seasons that she never lets that get in the way with her trying to get involved and be heroic in her own right, which I think is really, really cool.ā
For Patton, playing Westās character isnāt just about representing women, itās also about representing women of color. āI was a huge Batman fan growing up. I love the idea of a superhero, but yeah, it wasnāt really something that I thought was possible [for me],ā Patton says, remembering how most superheroes that she saw on TV were, for the majority, white males. āItās kind of crazy that Iām here and that so many girls who look like me are believing itās possible for them because they see so much more [representation] now.ā
āThe reach that [the show has] hadāthat Iāve hadāgets lost on me. We shoot in Vancouver and weāre kind of isolated up there,ā says Patton.
āBut as soon as we land at Comic-Con or any of these huge events you see how much this show, these characters [and the representation of diversity] mean to people.
It’s great to see how itās changed the industry and how itās changed the superhero genre. Yeah, itās pretty incredible when I really sit back and think about it.ā
But Pattonās passion for making the future a better place for her fans didnāt stop there. āCaity [Lotz] and I, sheās on another DC TV show, we just wanted a way to connect with our fans in a more genuine way other than seeing them at conventions and only being able to give them a quick autograph and a hello and goodbye,ā she explains. Upon meeting their favorite TV idols, āthese girls would come up and share their experiences and tell [Patton and Lotz] how much [their] characters meant to them as young women.ā Not only was it empowering, it was also a strong foundation for what Patton and Lotz did next:
āWe wanted to be able to give something back to them and to show them examples of how we deal with life as women, and itās become a community where people in general just share their experiences as women no matter what walk of life theyāre from.ā Candice Patton
That community that Pattonās referring to is Shethority, an online community which she and Lotz established. The goal is to create a safe, positive, empowering space for women. This includes ācis women, transwomen, genderqueer women and non-binary people who are significantly female-identifiedā to share their experiences and support each other. Shethority serve as a day-by-day hub for anyone looking for a healthy dose of girl power. In addition the online community also sells merchandise which raises proceeds to be donated. They support foundations such as Girls Not Brides, Girls, Inc. and Girl Forward.
Through this site, Pattonās main goal was to do her part in changing the dialogue of how women interact with other women. āI think media has pushed this idea that we are each otherās adversaries. However, I think the opposite is actually true,ā Patton explains. She believes that women, by supporting other women, create a stronger, healthier experience for everyone.
āThereās just always been this narrative that women are in competition with each other and so I genuinely want to be a part in any way that I can to change that narrative by showing that anytime women come together and work together, itās for the good of everyone involved.ā
And this is an idea that Patton hopes to continue and represent through all aspects of her life. She wants her struggles and her successes to pave the way for the girls of the future. To the girls of the next generation, she wishes to offer this message: speak up. āI think as women, throughout history, weāve been taught to be quiet and say less. Thereās this movement of speaking up in generalāwhether itās sexual assault or bullying or speaking up about things that you believe in,ā says Patton with her head held high. āI think thatās where our power is and where it will be in the future. So I encourage everyone, but especially women, to continue to speak up. Even if itās hard, even if your voice is shaking, even if youāre terrified. Thereās power and freedom in speaking your truth.ā
Photoshoot Location:
La Serena Villas
339 S Belardo Rd Candice Patton
Palm Springs, CA 92262 Candice Patton
760.832.8044 Candice Patton
Styled By: Teresita Madrigal
Hair By: Lauren Clark
Makeup By: Crystal Tran Candice Patton
Born and raised near the Pacific Coast, Jordan Nishkian is a California girl through and through. She graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a BA in Creative Writing and a BA in Anthropology, and her favorite place to be is curled up in a comfy chair with a book in her hand and a pen in her hair.
Michael Wesley is a San Diego based lifestyle photographer who brings a unique eye for style and color to any project. With travel in 26 countries, a die-hard love for the ocean and an appetite for adventure, this California surfer is always on the hunt for capturing the coastal lifestyle that he is so lucky to live. Check out his work atĀ WWW.BLUEWESLEY.COM
