Stephen Amell is facing criticism after speaking out against the SAG-AFTRA strike.
On Saturday, the Heels star and Arrow alum attended Raleigh’s GalaxyCon and expressed his frustration over the strike.
“I feel like I’m insulated in Hollywood because that’s where I live,” he began. “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. I do not support striking. I don’t.”
He continued, “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 [Heels] that I’m on that premiered last night — I think it is myopic, and I stand with my union.”
A rep for Amell — one of the first actors to speak out against the strike — has not yet responded to Yahoo’s request for comment.
Since his comments went viral, Amell his been criticized, including by Arrow’s Kirk Acevedo, who played Ricardo Diaz (aka The Dragon) toward the end of the show’s run. “This f***ing guy,” Acevedo wrote on social media, with two middle finger emojis.
Matt Letscher, who appeared on The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow, also reacted, though didn’t mention Amell by name. “Still waiting on that comprehensive list of totally non-reductive negotiating tactics we get to employ now,” Letscher posted on social media. “Thank god for superheroes! Any second now….”
The Hollywood’s actors union — representing more than than 160,000 actors and others in the entertainment industry — called a strike on July 14 after failed contract negotiations with Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). As a result, the production of countless movies and TV shows has been halted and union actors are not supposed to do promotion — appearances, panels, fan meet and greets — for companies the union is striking against.
Ahead of Raleigh GalaxyCon, organizers said they were in contact with SAG-AFTRA lawyers and made changes to the event based on their guidance. They said it was OK for actors to attend the event because GalaxyCon is not a “struck” company and the talent was appearing independent of struck companies. Actors weren’t allowed to discuss struck projects while on panels, but autographs and photo ops were still allowed with some modifications. (Nonetheless, actress Kate Mulgrew cancelled her appearance at the event.)
According to USA Today, Amell’s appearance does not seem to be in violation of the strike terms. That’s because actors are allowed to take general questions about their life and career as a whole. Amell has other fan events scheduled — this weekend at Fan Expo in Boston as well as GalaxyCon in Austin in September.
SAG-AFTRA is seeking better compensation for streaming, which has boomed in recent years. There are also concerns about artificial intelligence. Fran Drescher, who is president of SAG-AFTRA, said on Tuesday that the union is prepared to strike for at least six months.
“We have financially prepared ourselves for the next six months,” she said on Today. “And we’re really in it to win it.”
The Writers Guild of America is also on strike, since May.
Amell’s Starz show premiered its second season on July 28. It is a wresting drama centering on his character, Jack, and Jack’s brother/rival, Ace, played by Alexander Ludwig.
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