Actor Stephen Amell, famous from CW’s so-called Arrow-verse of superhero shows and now on the STARZ wrestling show Heels, has taken a heel turn of his own, in the eyes of those supporting the SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild strikes.
While speaking at a fan Q&A session at GalaxyCon in Raleigh, North Carolina, over the weekend, Amell was asked about the ongoing Hollywood strikes. According to video at the event, the actor said, “I support my union. I do, and I stand with them,” then added, “I do not support striking. I don’t. I think it’s a reductive negotiating tactic, and I find the entire thing incredibly frustrating.”
The actor who played Oliver Queen/Green Arrow also called the strikes “myopic” because SAG-AFTRA rules specifically forbid actors to promote the shows they’ve worked on.
Amell’s comments drew flak from his fellow actors. Matt Letscher, who played the villain Eobard Thawn/Reverse Flash on the CW show The Flash and others, sniped, “Still waiting on that comprehensive list of totally non-reductive negotiating tactics we get to employ now. Thank god for superheroes!…”
This led one of his followers to snark in reply, “…Reverse Flash was actually a lesser villain than Green Arrow. Who knew????”
Many fans — some struggling actors among them — used a gif from Arrow, with Amell’s own character expressing, “You have failed this city.”
While Amell hasn’t explained his comments on Instagram, followers let him have it there, too, shredding him in the replies to a thank you post to con attendees.
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