I was never into Arrow, so my first real vibe-check on Stephen Amell was two years ago, when he was thrown off a Delta flight for screaming at his wife. The vibe was decidedly “off.” This new story does nothing to dissuade me from feeling like Amell is a giant knob either. Amell is obviously a SAG-AFTRA union member, but he’s not “on strike” apparently. In comments this week, Amell called the strike “myopic.” Yikes.
Stephen Amell, whose Starz drama series Heels returned for its second season over the weekend, is not going to the mat for the actors strike that is rattling in Hollywood. Amell, best known for playing the lead role in The CW’s Arrow, has called the SAG-AFTRA strike “myopic,” “incredibly frustrating” and a “reductive negotiating tactic.”
When SAG-AFTRA members voted on authorizing a strike, an overwhelming 98% majority of returns gave guild leadership the green light to walk out of negotiations if needed, with roughly half of eligible members submitting ballots. Speaking over the weekend, actor Stephen Amell doesn’t count himself among the members in favor of one.
During an appearance for a Q&A with fans at Galaxycon in Raleigh, N.C., Amell voiced his disagreements with the ongoing actors strike, which began on July 14.
“I support my union, I do. And I stand with them. I do not support striking. I don’t. I think that it is a reductive negotiating tactic,” Amell began, sighing. The footage of Amell’s appearance at the convention was widely distributed on social media. “I find the entire thing incredibly frustrating. I think the thinking as it pertains to shows — like the show that I’m on that premiered last night — I think it’s myopic.”
Amell’s professional wrestling series “Heels” debuted its second season on Starz on Friday. The actor’s Galaxycon appearance was not explicitly billed as a promotional event for “Heels,” per the organization’s website.
Yeah, my first question was: why the hell is he doing promotion for his TV show? Promotional events, press junkets and fan events are strictly prohibited by SAG-AFTRA during the strike. So there’s that alongside all of his comments. Amell sounds like such a douche here (big surprise, I’m pretty sure that’s who he is). SAG-AFTRA didn’t want to strike and they continued with the pre-strike negotiations for as long as they could in good faith. They even gave the AMPTP an extension in July, only the AMPTP only asked for the extension so the Barbenheimer casts could do their promotions and premieres. AMPTP was the organization operating in bad faith, while SAG-AFTRA has always wanted to sit down and really hash out these issues.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – AUGUST 10: Actor Stephen Amell wearing a Giorgio Armani suit with Scarosso shoes arrives at the Los Angeles Premiere of STARZ’s ‘Heels’ held at 2137 Sacramento Street on August 10, 2021 in Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 626516248, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Stephen Amell, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – AUGUST 10: Actor Stephen Amell wearing a Giorgio Armani suit with Scarosso shoes arrives at the Los Angeles Premiere of STARZ’s ‘Heels’ held at 2137 Sacramento Street on August 10, 2021 in Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 626516254, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Stephen Amell, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- Stephen Amell, Maverick Amell, Cassandra Jean Amell attends the world premiere of Sony Pictures Animation’s “Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse” at Regency Village Theatre on May 30, 2023 in Los Angeles, California,Image: 780431873, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Stephen Amell, Maverick Amell, Cassandra Jean Amell, Credit line: – / JPI Studios / Avalon
WHY ARE PEOPLE NEVER REQUIRED TO HAVE TO EXPLAIN THEMSELVES.
He’s just such a tool.
There are two actors whose faces immediately make me angry because they look like douchey chads, act like lean mean sex symbols but have the bodies of 3rd year keg standing frat boys. And also act like them.
This abusive jerk. And David Boreanus. Or whatever his name is. Also well known to be a shit.
He’s a scab. I didn’t know of his existence before this post, and hopefully he also fades away after this.
Kick his ass out. He thinks he’s above this and has been blatantly breaking the rules left and right in order to promote his show.
I haven’t followed Arnell much, so can’t say if he’s explicitly promoting his show.
However SAG does allow actors to attend comic conventions as long as they aren’t promoting their struck show. So he can appear as himself but not a member of the Arrowverse. And he can’t sell Green Arrow pictures to autograph but can sell generic headshots. Those autograph sales are a chunk of change, especially for the sci fi circuit. One of my favorite cons is coming up and we are all grateful to see our favorite actors even if conversations are more limited.
@cat how i read his words: he is scared his show won’t get the viewers and be cancelled. Plus with him saying this at a CON I think we have to consider what you wrote. He can’t answer most of the questions the fans have.
Panelist should offer to mail out merchandise after the strike. Some minor actors make their living from the tour circuit and work they get because of the tours.
But the strike is for them. Stephan can easily be replaced with ai. Most of the arrowverse can be cheaped out with cgi and ai.
So he is saying he supports and stands with his union while simultaneously saying the strike is myopic and he doesn’t agree with strikes. He’s saying this publicly. Okaaaay. This man does not understand what support and standing by something actually is.
And doesn’t understand unions or their purpose despite being a member of one. Reductive? Come on. The strike is the result of AMPTP negotiating in bad faith. Instead of trying out a big boy word, maybe he should read a book on the history of unions in the US, and the many benefits all workers have as a result. This guy is a joke.
I lean towards him being a joke and an idiot. At the same time, publicly calling the strike reductive and myopic does not help the strike. So in his own way, he’s trying to end the strike right? But not in a way that would benefit fellow actors so who’s side is he really on? The AMPTP must love him though.
He doesn’t like it because he feels HE’s fine…for now. He isn’t thinking about anyone else but himself and he isn’t thinking strategically and long term. He’s an idiot.
Unfortunately this is the same mindset of most voters in this country. No long term thought or consideration of what’s best for all of society. Only concerned about themselves in their own little bubble.
True, but he isn’t actually from the U.S.
He’s Canadian.
I think he’s just mad the strike is interfering with the show he’s on.
It’s interfering with lots of people’s shows and movies. That’s the point!
I hope the folks striking are able to get terms agreed upon that they feel good about soon, so they’re not out of work for too long. No thanks to this guy and Brad Pitt.
Not just with his show people only think what this strike can bring them but not what it could take away the making of shows movies is on halt they are not working so no money for them or the company they work so the company loosing million with this strike so they had to bring that back and how can they do that, by cancelling many shows or dumping their stars. Many show would not get a new season or get’s cancelled before even started because they had to bring the money back
This guy failed history classes, didn’t he? What idiot, after learning about the rise of industrialization, thinks that strikes are a reductive negotiating tactic?! Strikes have led to the elimination of child labor, a shortened workday, paid time off, higher pay, safety regulations, etc. Does this guy not understand that most writers and actors are struggling, that their work environment is threatened by streaming, that AI is lurking? Good grief!
what does “reductive negotiating tactic” even mean? He sounds like someone trying to sound smart
Maybe he asked Chat GPT for help with this response?
Did he learn about industrialization? He went to a boy’s boarding school, basically through high school, then started acting, then did pro wrestling. Just because he was on a successful TV show doesn’t mean he knows anything deep about anything else.
This seems to be a standard for him – he has “thoughts” and then gets called on them and then makes explanations and then “takes a break” from social media. We’ll see if that pattern continues here.
He’s probably a union member for (health) benefits for himself, not realizing that unions benefit more than one person.
@ML – Sure, that’s possible. I don’t know why, but people expect actors and celebrities to be better educated, informed and engaged than the average worker – I’ve rarely seen evidence of that. And actors who’ve had some success seem to think they “know” things.
Eurydice – you totally nailed the impulse act – dodge and weave – freakout explainer – hideaway pattern of mouthy people rightly getting checked on their idiocy! Had no idea this guy was that. Fell in love with Green Arrow years ago when it showed up on Netflix, but didn’t follow through on all seasons. Will feel differently about finishing it now for sure!
Every time I see him I just think of the meme of Grant Gustin giving the peace sign over Green Arrow’s grave and I cackle. If I recall he was really butthurt about it.
Dude, You are seriously myopic if you looked in the mirror and thought that outfit looked good! Good Lord! That hem alone.
(How am I to take this man seriously).
Also, you are an ahole for all the reasons listed in the article and comments above.
Scab
Facts! Plus using myopic in this case isn’t a great choice. What magical, innovative tactic will work to get greedy CEOs to stop abusing actors and writers? Strikes are used because they work. What an a$$. I hope this leads to him not being cast in projects in the future.
He probably thinks trickle-down economics works. What a dope.
Apparently he’s been posting promotional material for his show on his social media and then deleting it soon after. Because then it’s OK? 🙄 So yeah he’s not just unpleasant and a bit of a nitwit, he’s a full on scab. Yuck.
He is being taken to task on his instagram. Every comment that I see is someone calling him a scab, telling him to leave SAG, calling him a traitor. So at least people are realizing this and he isn’t getting a pass. Good luck getting a job after this one, idiot.
I was a huge Arrow fan before the writing turned to crap and SA was actually good in it. It’s his offscreen behavior that makes him repulsive so his stance on the strike isn’t surprising at all. He’s a Canadian actor that works a lot for Hollywood studios so I imagine that these comments will anger many of his fellow SAG members. And someone should tell him that supporting his union means striking when they do, not just saying that he supports his union. What a moron!
This is the same dude who took a dog rescue to court to try to have them shut down.
The hell you say. He did what.
Yes, my thoughts exactly @ Moxylady!!!!
This guy is a SCAB and a douche bag all around. Let’s hope this is the last of Hollywood calling for him.
@moxylady. Exactly what I said. Then through a fit in the court when I judge ruled against him. He tried to get them shut bc he said they operated near his home and the noise and smell made it so he couldn’t enjoy his house. The level of entitlement required to try to shut down a rescue org…
I hope he gets kicked out of the union! Striking is not a negotiation tactic, it’s what happens when negotiating FAILS, and as previously stated, SAG gave studios and extension and basically received a spit in their face. No one WANTS to be striking, but if you don’t support then you’re more than welcome to continue prompting your work and deal with the consequences of that. But to say you “don’t support striking” and then reaping the benefits of it is not okay.
He probably thought those his drivers in Canada were heroes too.
He has said some racist and sexist crap in the past so this tracks.
What are you referencing with the drivers?
The Freedom Convoy. A bunch of idiots who thought vaccines and masks were taking away their freedumb.
He’s also an unruly drunk and probably an abuser.
Eff that guy. Grant Gustin is better looking and more talented anyway.
He has always been insufferable and gets worse with age. What a punchable face.
First reaction: …who?
Second reaction: What an interesting position from an actor with limited name recognition and about five years of hair left.
Top notch photo choice, Kaiser, this dude really is a heel.
I know nothing about this guy except for the airplane situation and now this but he is giving off right wing nut job vibes.
Wow she chucked that mic hard! In fairness who knows what could have been splashed on her. So gross.
Her song continuing to play in the background, not great.
Wrong post, sorry. Re this guy I agree, he’s a tool.
Strikes are last resorts, not tactics. By the time you get to the point where you have a strike, the union bargaining team has been working for at least a year on drafting proposed contract changes and then engaged in bargaining for MANY months. He just has no understanding (and seemingly no interest in learning about) this process; he’s just annoyed it impacts him personally.
My husband’s union kicks you out for crossing picket lines (watch your back, dude).
And there’s always at least one bozo like Stephen Amell who seems to think they’re the *only ones* not wanting a strike.
Ahh Stephen Amell, so unsurprising. He has this whole “I’m just saying” vibe where he thinks he’s saying something profound but really he’s just the guy in your high school class claiming to take a devil’s advocate position trying to sound smart to cover up trash takes.
He has been a douche for a long time and throughout all the things I have ever been a fan of, it is very funny how the entire Arrow fandom totally just separates him from Oliver Queen, lol. Usually there’s weird crossover and people can’t live in reality in fandoms, but not for Arrow!
This guy is such a massive douchenozzle that I can’t even watch Arrow anymore, a show I actually enjoyed. I don’t know why anyone cares what this idiot thinks about anything.
Never heard of him….
Neither have I!! I guess he seems to think that he is one of the top contenders in HW. I think not.
Ah yes, collective bargaining — a foundational principle of protections for workers in this country — is reductive. Make it make sense.
Scab.
This scab also held a birthday party for his wife during the pandemic in August of 2020.
Pretty much sums up his ability to think on any sort of level, yet alone the complexities of a strike.
What a moron. Why do idiots like him get roles while genuinely smart, talented, attractive people do not is what I will never understand. I just really hate the world today.
Who? 🤷🏽♀️
Off topic, but I’m gonna need men to stop wearing double breasted jackets.
Aaaaand he’s backtracked and “clarified” his words with a word salad. I’m guessing he got an earful from his union rep.
“Word salad” is exactly what I thought when reading that. It used a lot of words to say nothing at all?
What a douche canoe, and I thought SAG was going to be very strict with people not adhering to the rules unless they were given exemptions. This is a clear violation of it. Fran Drescher should make an example out of him.
Ahhhh now I wonder about Robbie Amell and his wife Italia Ricci. Are they also scabs?
I almost went to galaxy con and am going to a con in Boston this weekend. They listed very clearly what’s allowed. He should’ve never opened his yap about his show.
Rosario Dawson canceled for Boston so I’m thinking her appearance was tied to promoting haunted mansion rather than going because she’s on Asokha (a Star Wars show).
I bought myself a pro Union tshirt to wear for my photo ops with certain actors.