Actor Stephen Amell spoke on his stance regarding the current WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, and due to fan ‘misinterpretation’ he clarified his remarks on Tuesday.
For the uninitiated, Actor Stephen Amell took the stage at Raleigh’s GalaxyCon this past weekend and proceeded to speak his mind regarding the current state of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Amell said “I feel like I’m insulated in Hollywood because that’s where I live. I feel like a lot of people in this room aren’t aware of the strike,” with “I support my union, I do, and I stand with them but I do not support striking. I don’t.”
Stephen Amell continued “I think it is a reductive negotiating tactic, and I find the entire thing incredibly frustrating. And 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 remarks made the rounds over the weekend, inciting fan backlash on many platforms, including Reddit where there are many threads about the topic. It’s worth mentioning these comments came after SAG-AFTRA members voted on authorizing a strike with an overwhelming 98% majority voting for the strike.
Reddit fan AssassinSnail33 posted on a thread discussing the paradoxical nature of Stephen Amell’s comments “How can you support your union while being against striking on principle? Striking is easily the best negotiating tactic a union has.”
After the intense fan backlash regarding the public comments at GalaxyCon, Stephen Amell took to Instagram and Facebook to clarify his stance further. Starting with “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.”
In the long-form Facebook post, Stephen Amell clarified each one of the comments he made during GalaxyCon, to avoid ‘misinterpretation’ of what he had initially said. Perhaps the most striking detail in the post is Amell’s insistence that he may join his colleagues on the picket lines with “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.”
Some fans have replied with support toward Stephen Amell on the Facebook/Instagram post, with Beau Honig replying on Facebook “I love your maturity and professionalism. The world needs more of this.” On the flip side, other fans have also gone scorched earth, with Instagram user kyliesparks saying “You said what you said and you broke numerous strike rules and flaunted it. You were caught in 4K. Welcome to the consequences phase.”
While Stephen Amell continues to face backlash, fans continue to use the internet to provide their feelings toward the actor’s remarks. The WGA and SAG-AFTRA continue to strike so more information is sure to follow this development. Fans can visit Stephen Amell’s Facebook or Instagram to see his views regarding the strike.
