BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) -- Emily Bett Rickards approaches every acting role – whether it be a biology teacher who is way out of her element in “Autumn and the Black Jaguar” or the heroic Felicity Smoak in “Arrow” – the same way. “I heard this saying. You can read a whole book, but if you don't live one line you won't learn anything from it. I think you could read a whole script or watch a whole movie but if you don't feel one thing through it, then you might not move your needle,” Rickards says. Not only did she want to move her own needle with her new film but also all of those who view “Autumn and the Black Jaguar.” How that will happen is through the story that deals with a young girl’s efforts to save an endangered large cat and in the process help the rainforest and herself. The film is currently showing in local theaters. Lumi Pollack plays Autumn, a young girl who grew up in the Amazon rainforest. While living there, she became friends with a black jaguar that she called Hope. Years later, with Autumn and her father living in New York City, she learns that Hope could be in deadly trouble. Autumn hops on a plane – followed by her concerned biology teacher (Rickards) – and heads to South America to rescue the big cat. That means dealing with animal poachers who have no qualms using deadly force to get what they want. “It's so timely. I guess they're always timely when there's a sort of universal message. But you know how we can help our planet and saving an animal is saving the planet right like this,” Rickards says. “This is the message. It's not just save one jaguar. It's that we're a part of the planet and we take care of her as much as possible. “This story is about how we are part of the planet and helping the planet saves ourselves. You can't save others without saving yourself.” Rickards comes to the movie role after finding great success on television playing a quick-witted computer expert/hacker in the series “Arrow.” Her character was only scheduled to be a guest at the beginning of the first season in 2012 but won over the producers and fans to become one of the most beloved characters during the eight-season run of the show. Ever since successfully attending the Vancouver Film School Acting Essentials Program, Rickards has embraced acting roles on television and in films. She likes both but has found film gives her a definitive arc to play while TV is more fluid. “With Felicity, I didn't know where she was going to end up, even until like the last few weeks of shooting,” Rickards says.“I think they surprise you sometimes with where you have an intention of getting them for the effect of the story.” “Autumn and the Black Jaguar” gave Rickards a fictional character to play but her next two projects have her portraying roles based on real people. In the feature film “Queen of the Ring,” opening in theaters March 7, Rickards plays wrestler Mildred Burke, a pioneer of women’s wrestling and a world champion for 16 years. She also stars in “Calamity Jane” scheduled to be available through digital platforms starting Feb. 2. It is based around the life of Martha Jane Canary, better known as Calamity Jane, as she seeks revenge following the death of Wild Bill Hickok. Rickards approaches every acting role the same way and that is to treat them as being real people. The difference is that with a role based on a real person, she has resource material she can use to understand the background of the character. “There's text to read on them. You have pictures. I have a picture of Mildred. I could find her spine from that picture,” Rickards says. “I want to make sure that she feels respected and safe. “Then there's this way of sort of someone like Anja. She has a true fear of leaving the house and figuring out what that means for her. Finding out where that came from, you have to build that and really make that truthful.” One thing that helped Rickards determine how to play her character in “Autumn and the Black Jaguar” was the filming location. The movie was shot in a Mexican forest during the summer. As soon as she arrived on set, Rickards was given some very specific instructions. She was told to be cautious because it was tarantula season. “I was like, there's a season for that,” Rickards says with a laugh. “There were tarantulas everywhere. For the three weeks we were shooting, they were running across the road. On the side of the bathroom wall.”