Stephen Amell's Shocking Stand Against SAG-AFTRA Strike: Why His Arrowverse Co-Stars Are Furious!

Stephen Amell's fellow Arrowverse members are displeased with his strong opinions on the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. The 42-year-old actor, who used to star in Arrow, was questioned about the labor dispute during his appearance at GalaxyCon in North Carolina from Thursday, July 27, to Sunday, July 30. Amell proudly identifies as a member of the Hollywood union but publicly opposes their chosen course of action.

In a social media video uploaded on Monday, July 31, Amell expressed his belief that many individuals in the room were unaware of the strike, stating, "I feel like I'm sheltered in Hollywood because that's where I reside." When questioned by someone in the room, Amell paused briefly before clarifying his stance, "While I support my union and stand with them, I do not endorse striking. I find it to be a simplistic approach to negotiations."

SAG-AFTRA, the union representing film and television actors, is currently on strike against the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents numerous major Hollywood studios. The recent contract negotiations proved unsuccessful, prompting union president Fran Drescher to officially commence the strike last month. Following in the footsteps of the WGA, which initiated its own strike in May, SAG-AFTRA is now demanding better terms and conditions for its members' work.

Stephen Amell expressed his frustration at the convention regarding the situation, stating, "The whole thing is incredibly frustrating." According to him, the thinking surrounding shows like "Heels," the show he is currently working on that premiered the previous night, is narrow-minded.

Per union regulations, members of SAG-AFTRA are prohibited from taking part in promotional press activities for projects classified as "struck work," which refers to productions filmed under the previous AMPTP contract. In a display of unity with their union, numerous celebrities have opted to forgo red carpet appearances, premieres, and other interviews. It remains unclear whether Amell’s presence at the convention was directly linked to promoting Heels, which recently premiered its second season.

Kirk Acevedo, who portrayed Ricardo Diaz on seasons 6 and 7 of Arrow, swiftly joined the online discussion sparked by Amell's comments. In a tweet on Monday, Acevedo didn't hold back his opinion, exclaiming, "This guy is unbelievable!," accompanied by two middle finger emojis, a dragon, and an eye roll emoji.

The Flash's Matt Letscher, on the other hand, subtly expressed his dissatisfaction without directly referring to Amell. "I'm eagerly anticipating the complete collection of negotiation strategies that are entirely unbiased and non-reductive, as we are allowed to utilize now," he tweeted. "I'm grateful for the existence of superheroes! It's only a matter of time... #SAGAFTRAstrike #SAGAFTRAstrong"

In June 2021, following the ATX Television Festival, Amell found himself embroiled in another controversy when he was escorted off an airplane traveling from Austin to Los Angeles.

"My wife and I engaged in an argument during a Delta flight from Austin to LA on Monday afternoon. After being asked to lower my voice, I complied. However, approximately 10 minutes later, I was instructed to leave the flight," Amell clarified in a tweet. "Without any resistance, I immediately complied and exited the plane."

Two months later, Amell discussed the incident in greater detail during an episode of the "Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum" podcast. He admitted, "I had consumed too many alcoholic beverages in a public setting and boarded a plane. Frustrated about an unrelated matter, I instigated an argument solely for the purpose of being loud and upset, which had no connection to my wife, Cass."

Amell disputed the characterization of the incident as "an argument", stating that it was misleading. He clarified that throughout the entire time, his wife only expressed one point of view. Taking full responsibility, he admitted, "This is entirely my fault." Reflecting on his past behavior, Amell acknowledged, "I believe I managed to avoid being disrespectful in public for almost a decade. However, I regretfully admit that I displayed inappropriate behavior publicly." Amell and Jean got married in 2012 and are parents to Maverick, 9, and Bowen, who is 14 months old.