Stephen Amell Clarifies Comments After Initially Saying He Doesn’t Support SAG-AFTRA Strike

Stephen Amell took to social media to clarify comments he made at a convention about not supporting the SAG-AFTRA strike. The Arrow star was at GalaxyCon in Raleigh, North Carolina over the weekend and during a Q&A was asked about the strike, saying that he supports his union but not the strike itself.

“I feel like I’m insulated in Hollywood because that’s where I live,” Amell said (per THR). “I feel like a lot of people in this room aren’t aware of the strike. I support my union, I do, and I stand with them but 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. I think that the thinking as it pertains to shows — like this show that I’m on that premiered last night — I think it is myopic, and I stand with my union.”

Amell was referring to Heels as the show that premiered on Friday. Heels bowed its second season on Starz and, per PWInsider, drew a series low of 46,000 viewers. That’s well below the season one low of 73,000 for the seventh episode.

Amell’s comments drew criticism after they surfaced, and he has since taken to Facebook to clarify his comments. He wrote:

“Understandably, there has been a lot of reaction to the comments I made this weekend about our strike. 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. We all know soundbites can be taken out of context and I have too much respect for my fellow union members to not clarify the record.

What I actually said:
1. “I support my union, I do, and I stand with them.”
This doesn’t need much clarity: My support is unconditional and I stand with them.

What I actually said:
2. “I do not support striking, I don’t.”
What this means in full context: I understand fundamentally why we’re here. My off the cuff use of the word “support” is clearly contradictory to my true feelings and my emphatic statement that I stand with my union. Of course I don’t like striking. Nobody does. But we have to do what we have to do.

What I said
3 “I think that it is a reductive negotiating tactic and I find the entire thing incredibly frustrating.”
In full context: I’m an actor and I was speaking extemporaneously for over an hour. I emote, but I certainly don’t think these issues are simple. Our leadership has an incredibly complicated job and I am grateful for all that they do. 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.

What I said
4 “I think that thinking as it pertains to shows like the show that I am on that that premiered last night, I think it is myopic”
What I meant: Nothing about the strike is funny but if I may self deprecate for a moment. I have no clue what I was trying to say here and who says, “I think that thinking…?” Perhaps it was an inarticulate shoutout to our crew and cast, who mean the world to me. I’m simply sad that we don’t have a chance to celebrate a show that all of us figuratively and I literally, broke my back for.

As I said from the jump, I want to ensure that my thoughts and intentions are not misconstrued. This situation reminds of the proverb, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions,” which apparently, after reading a limited amount of the commentary, is a place many of you would like me to visit. However, at least for the foreseeable future, I choose to stand with my union. When you see me on a picket line please don’t whip any hard fruit. – Stephen”