Arrow Star Stephen Amell Clarifies His Comments About the SAG Strike

Update, 2:00 p.m. ET: Stephen Amell took to Instagram to clarify comments he made about the SAG strike while attending the GalaxyCon in Raleigh, NC, releasing a lengthy statement in the comment section of an Instagram post instructing people to “please read below.” “Understandably, there has been a lot of reaction to the comments I made this weekend about our strike,” reads Amell's statement. "To ensure there is no misunderstanding about my thoughts and intentions I’m providing what I actually said and clarity/context to ensure my feelings aren’t unintentionally misinterpreted.

Amell proceeds to provide "full context” and explain the statements he was filmed making at GalaxyCon where he maintained that he supports the actor's union, yet called their strike “myopic" and ”a reductive negotiating tactic." He reiterates that he supports the actor's union and stands with them, before maintaining that his comments about not supporting striking were, in his words, “clearly contradictory to my true feelings and my emphatic statement that I stand with my union." 

As for finding striking to be “a reductive negotiating tactic,” Amell clarified that he thinks SAG-AFTRA leadership, led by president Fran Drescher, has “an incredibly complicated job” and that he's “grateful for all that they do.” He continues: “Despite some of my terrible early acting work, I assure you, I’m not a robot. From an intellectual perspective, I understand why we are striking, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t emotionally frustrating on many levels for all involved.”

In his final Instagram comment, he addresses his comment that he found that strike myopic, admitting that he had “no clue what I was trying to say here” and chalked it up to “an inarticulate shoutout to our crew and cast, who mean the world to me." 

In conclusion, Amell reiterates that he stands with his union and suggests that, despite his previous comments, he'll soon be showing visible support for the strike: “When you see me on a picket line please don’t whip any hard fruit.”

The original post continues below:

Not every actor in Hollywood is happy about the SAG-AFTRA strike. Heels star Stephen Amell, best known for playing the superhero Green Arrow in the CW series Arrow, has spoken out against the work stoppage, calling the strike “myopic” as well as a “reductive negotiating tactic.”

Amell expressed his opposition to the strike while attending GalaxyCon in Raleigh, North Carolina. “I feel like I’m insulated in Hollywood because that’s where I live. I literally live in Hollywood. Like all the stereotypes that exist. So I feel like a lot of people in this room aren’t aware of the strike,” said Amell during a Q&A portion of the panel he appeared on. 

“I support my union—I do, and I stand with them,” Amell continued. “I do not support striking. I don’t. I think that it is a reductive negotiating tactic, and I find the entire thing incredibly frustrating. And I think that the thinking as it pertains to shows like the show that I’m on [Heels] that premiered last night—I think it’s myopic.”

Amell’s series Heels returned to Starz for a second season last Friday. Per the SAG Strike guidelines, Guild members “cannot participate in conventions such as Comic-Con on behalf of, or to promote, companies we are striking against—this includes appearances, panels, fan meet and greets, etc., involving struck work.” According to The Wrap, Amell attended the convention with the intention to sign autographs and talk to fans about himself—not to promote Heels or any of his other projects. 

Amell is one of the only actors to speak out against the SAG-AFTRA strike, which nearly 98% of SAG-AFTRA members voted in favor of this past June. Led by SAG president Fran Drescher, the actors union began its strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on July 14, joining the Writers Guild of America, which has been on strike since May 2. The industry is now being roiled by its first dual strike in 63 years. 

While Amell might not have technically broken SAG rules by appearing at GalaxyCon, other members of the Arrowverse—the shared universe that connects DC Comics superheroes found on CW television shows—don’t seem too happy with his comments or actions. Matt Letscher, who played Eobard Thawne/Reverse-Flash on CW’s The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow, tweeted, “Still waiting on that comprehensive list of totally non-reductive negotiating tactics we get to employ now.” Actor Kirk Acevedo, who starred as comic book villain Ricardo Diaz/The Dragon, an antagonist to Amell’s Green Arrow on Arrow, put it more plainly, retweeting a Hollywood Reporter story on Amell’s GalaxyCon comments and writing, “This fucking guy.”