Stephen Amell, 42, came under fire after a video of him calling the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike “myopic” went viral on Jul. 31. While at Galaxycon in Raleigh, NC, over the weekend, the Arrow alum revealed that he is not in support of the strike. “I support my union, I do, and I stand with them, but I do not support striking, I don’t,” he said during a press conference.
He went on to call the strike a “reductive” action and noted that he was “frustrated” by the strike. “I think it is a reductive negotiating tactic, and I find the entire thing incredibly frustrating,” Stephen went on. “And I think the thinking as it pertains to shows like the show that I’m on [Heels], that premiered last night, I think it’s myopic.”
Soon after the video of his statements regarding the strike landed on social media, many took to Twitter and other platforms to slam the 42-year-old for his statements. “Is anyone who’s met Stephen Amell even remotely shocked lol,” one person tweeted, while another expressed their disappointment in Stephen’s statement. “Stephen Amell was kind of a hero for me personally. All I’ve ever wanted to do is thank him for his portrayal of Oliver Queen, a portrayal that helped me overcome some of my personal struggles, and it sucks to see that he’s NOTHING like that character,” they penned on Jul. 31.
As many know, The Nanny alum Fran Drescher, 65, who also serves as the SAG-AFTRA president, called for a strike on Jul. 13. The official strike commenced the next day with a plethora of films and TV shows put on hold in solidarity. She called for a strike after the union could not reach a “fair” contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). “I went in in earnest, thinking that we would be able to avert a strike,” Fran said at the press conference earlier this month. “The gravity of this move is not lost on me, or our negotiating committee, or our board members who have voted unanimously to proceed with a strike.”
Many A-listers have publicly supported the strike including Oscar-winner Jessica Chastain, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Harry Potter‘s Daniel Radcliffe, and others. Jessica took to Instagram on Jul. 25 to share content from the picket lines and a statement on her position on the matter.
“I’m one of the lucky ones. I’m aware that my career provides me with a good living, gives me health insurance, helps me take care of my family. There are many members of SAG/AFTRA who are fighting to make a living wage,” her caption began. “87% of my union doesn’t make the 26k a year in order to receive health insurance. It is our responsibility to stand alongside them. We are united and we demand fair contracts. #sagaftrastrong.” The Writers Guild of America has also been on strike since May 2.