Arrow and Heels star Stephen Amell says he does not support striking
Amell insists that supports his union, but he says striking is a "myopic" negotiation tactic
Aux News Stephen Amell
It’s been a few weeks since SAG-AFTRA joined the WGA on strike, with the two unions fighting back against the Alliance Of Motion Picture And Television Producers—a.k.a. the AMPTP, which represents the major Hollywood studios and TV networks—for much needed protections and benefits that would account for a negligible share of the astronomical amount of money that the studios make from the work of actors and writers, and while the things SAG-AFTRA and the WGA are asking for seem both reasonable and integral to the future of acting and writing (not to mention the future of movies and television, if framing it that way is more meaningful to you), there are apparently some people in Hollywood who feel differently.
Take Stephen Amell, the former star of Arrow and current star of Starz’s Heels, who—when presented with an opportunity to say nothing— chose to speak out against the act of striking in general, calling it “myopic” and a “reductive negotiating tactic” that is “incredibly frustrating.” Amell bravely shared that hot take during a recent appearance at Galaxycon in North Carolina (via Deadline) after being asked about the SAG-AFTRA strike, saying (after a pause so pregnant that he shouldn’t tell Felicity Smoak about it, which is a reference to a bad plot point on Arrow), “I support my union, I do, and I stand with them, but I do not support striking. I don’t.”
Amell specifically mentioned his frustration with how the strike (and presumably SAG-AFTRA’s rules against promoting struck work) “pertains to shows like the show that I’m on, that premiered last night,” referring to Heels, which seems to indicate that he’d have less of a problem with the strike if it weren’t directly impacting him—which is a viewpoint that someone might hypothetically call… myopic. But it’s okay, because he says he supports his union! Just not right now, when it’s on strike for better working conditions.
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Yes, the most effective labor negotiating tactic in history, that gave us things like the 8-hour workday and countless other things that improved the lives of workers (and did not destroy the economy the way capital always claims it will), is “myopic.” What the fuck?
It seems like what he finds myopic is that actors can’t promote their new shows / seasons while the strike goes on, thus increasing the chances they will get cancelled and actors / crew will lose their jobs once the strike ends. But he did call the strike as a whole a reductive negotiating tactic without offering any alternative ideas so not like that makes it much better.
myopic
-Gave us Labor Day
-Social Security
-better healthcare
-civil rights movement
-enforced child labor laws
-made sure to fix work days to 8 hours
-made sure to give people options to work at home instead of laboring for several hours in still CLEARLY not cured Pandemic. I’m sorry, did the definition of that word change or did Amell just slip out exactly how affluent his whole life has been?
He’s from Canada. He won’t know about those things. Which is why he talks like a privileged 4th generation US immigrant who turns his nose at the things he unknowingly benefits from.
I wonder if he is a Republican in hiding.
I look forward to him outlining what the alternative was other than letting studios own your image forever while keeping your residuals to themselves. Because it’s not like there weren’t months of negotiations and the studios basically saying “nope.”
Keep negotiating?
I think one more strongly worded letter would have done the trick!
Actor appears in public, places foot directly in mouth.
It’s a cycle as old as time!
He placed his boot in his mooth.
This feels especially egregious given that his current show is about pro wrestling, which is notoriously anti-labor.
Considering his interests, I’m fairly sure he was that spoiled kid that got the most expense G.I. Joe toy in the 80’s. That big ass Aircraft carrier, USS Flagg.
Once again, he’s trying to enjoy his toys without actually taking accountability of it.
I don’t know what it cost when he went there in the 80s and 90s, but the private boarding school he went to currently has tuition fees of $41k for day students and $70k for boarding students.
Yep. Something tells me he’d rather not go full “independent contractor.”
he’s probably going to end up in pro wrestling after this mess.
Or working alongside Gina Carano and that guy from Hercules.
Which is even weirder that he has this attitude. He HAS been in wrestling. It’s part of the reason he does Heels. He had a few appearances in both WWE and AEW. IIRC he befriended Cody Rhodes and The Bastard PAC when they were in WWE (I *believe* it was WWE promoting Arrow as they were both on the CW…) and was in a few matches. So if anyone should know why collective bargaining is a good thing it’s a guy who has been around wrestlers.(That said, wrestlers themselves can be really fucking weird and dumb about labor politics.)
he probably thinks he’s too special to get exploited like wrestlers (or hasn’t met many of the ones who fucked up their bodies for little gain).
Without hard evidence to go by, my suspicion is that it’s a combo platter of a few things. 1) He’s Canadian so maybe doesn’t have a full understanding of American labor history. 2) He may lean right, as many wrestlers do. Given his role on Arrow and some things he’s said publicly I would suspect he’s a Libertarian, with a typical Libertarian’s view of capitalism. They’re a weird bunch, what with their socially liberal but fiscally conservative positioning. (I find that ethos maddening.) 3) He has the C-grade celebrity’s tunnel vision inability to look past his own needs and is mad that his union doesn’t want him to promote his TV show.He also has something of a reputation as a douchecanoe among former castmates. Which makes him a perfect fit for a show guest starring CM Punk.(I enjoy Phil Brooks and appreciate his politics but he is very much a shit-stirring jagoff at times.)
So I’m going to guess Amell won’t be hanging out with the Elite anymore, given Hangman Page’s speaking about worker’s rights in the past.
He followed Cody to WWE.
Mr. Amell is rich enough to be okay for the next six months without work if it comes to that.
I think striking alone is myopic – at least for SAG/WGA. The AMPTP has a stockpile of content, has relied on unscripted reality TV content, and there is an entire international market the studios can buy shows from. But even combined, those aren’t reasons to not strike. Unless Amell has some Galaxy brain alternative Deadline chose to withhold from their article, I have no idea what he’s going on about.
“The AMPTP has a stockpile of content”
They don’t, though, and what they’ve GOT can’t be promoted by the stars.
Have you not been paying attention?
Well that’s goddamn disappointing.
something something failed this city
It’s actually ‘”You have failed this city!”’Take your star for that Stephen Smell quote which he’s used at least once in Star City…
Wasn’t he the one where the rest of the cast celebrated when he was temporarily killed off because he was a jerk?
And who got kicked off a flight a couple years ago because he was drunk and screaming at his wife.
Whoa, when was this?
Sound like him, but I want to read more! Do you have any place to read more about it? I used to love Arrow, but fuck that dude all the way to hell.
What?Look, Amell is completely in the wrong here, no doubt about it. And it pains me to see this terrible take from him of all people.But there are tons of examples I could point to of him being a stand-up guy. Starting with that time he got annoyed on Grant Gustin’s behalf because WB stomped all over TV Flash’s incredible debut by announcing the film Flash on like the exact same day.
Ask him again after he’s opened up a couple of those 0.00 Residual Checks.
“Ask him again after he’s opened up a couple of those 0.00 Residual Checks.”
Starz is not a streamer, their actors get residuals.
There’s always one. At least one.
It makes some sense– I doubt the union membership is a monolith, and if the vote to strike wasn’t unanimous, then clearly someone was against it– but nevertheless, it’s dumb to then go around announcing it.
The vote was 97.91% in favor of a strike authorization. So, not a monolith, but those not in favor are in the far minority. Also, there’s a difference in not voting in favor of the strike, and not supporting it when it happens. You’re in a union, show some unity.
I don’t think it’s just dumb to announce it. It’s damaging. It undermines the union’s position and makes it look like less than a united front, which the studios can play against. I’m sure there were several people who voted against it and they’re keeping their mouths shut because they know they had their chance to vote, they lost, that’s the breaks, and now it’s time to stand with their union. But there’s always one who has to be like “don’t be mad at me, Mr. Bossman, I’m trying to get them to stop.”
Union rep and organizer here, but not in entertainment. Our educational system is so weak on union history that it’s possible for decent people to get confused as to why strikes (and the threat of strikes) are so essential. I’ve been on a four week strike for my union, and have worked six strikes. There reliably are some people who don’t get it at the start, but many of them eventually get on board after the employers escalate foolish/horrible responses.
You’re not wrong, but as someone else hereabouts has pointed out Amell is Canadian. So blame Canada!
pfft… Canadians. What do they know about justice and human rights?
Who?
The actual Oliver Queen would beat the crap out of Stephen Amell.
Stephen Amell, you have failed this city (arrow through the chest).
Meanwhile nothing the AMPTP does, has done, nor will do, is myopic.No sir.There’s definitely more than just dollar signs in their eyes. Things like allegedly planning to prolong negotiations long enough for people to lose homes, families, and anything else the AMPTP can’t literally take with their own hands – all to maintain their own bottom line? Disregarding the lives of anyone they supposedly treat fairly and honestly?No ma’am that ain’t myopic at all.It’s funny this guys new show is called Heels. Because he definitely doesn’t seem like a heel at all.
“Meanwhile nothing the AMPTP does, has done, nor will do, is myopic.”
How about providing a quote to that subject? Come on, a single quote?
He’s probably pissed because he can’t promote his which I get, but he’s still wrong as hell.
I would love to hear him explain exactly how it is reductive. Or anyone.
He has failed his union.
who?
I mean, if groups of people can’t even manage to be 100% against Nazism or clitorectomies, this isn’t exactly the most insane take of all time; he should still get called out for it, however.
Who?
All his costars have hated him forever.
Meanwhile the real star of the ArrowVerse, Caity Lotz, is on the picket line
It’s too bad she’s a Jordan Peterson fan.
So is the rest of her US based LoT cast members!
That is why they are f–ing Legends
Just reboot the whole thing with her as Red Canary, time-traveling labor organizer.
What a tit.
I…so what’s the preferred tactic, then? “I don’t know how to otherwise get strong-arming entertainment execs to give us larger crumbs, but I know that STRIKING ain’t it!”Fuck, just say “I get the strike, but it kinda sucks that it impacted my thing.” That’d be at least understandable, if whiny.
From the sound of it, I hope the answer is “Be Canadian”. Not sure it’s 100% a fit, but it makes more sense than “I have no idea what unions have done and continue to do for me, why should I deal with any sort of inconvenience when I got mine?”
Amell is, of course, entitled to his opinion, but if he’s going to claim he’s “supporting the union” he should actually do that and not publicly speak against its actions. I’m not saying he has to be happy about striking, but talking against the strike in interviews is not supportive. I get he was asked a question; he could end the sentence on “I support my union”.
I’ve heard crew members on both his new show and Arrow discuss how incredibly shitty he is to work with. This is definitely not going to make anyone like him more (though it sounds like he’s pretty much loathed by everyone he works with anyway).
ooo it’s much worse…
I’m surprised what he does is considered acting enough to join the union.
Then go back to Canada Amell! Enjoy your healthcare and weird TV shows featuring hockey players in flannel. And take Dave Coulier with you!
Coulier’s not welcome in Canada, for reasons that you oughtta know.
Wow, the entire country? I thought that ban was only for theatres.
We’re just covering all bases. Sorry Dave.
But PeeWee’s dead! And so are theater shenanigans. No one important even goes to a theater anymore, except exhibitionists and freaky couples capturing 90’s nostalgia.
This deserves more stars.
I can’t help feeling that’s partly a shot at Letterkenny and I suggest you let that one marinate.
Oh cool we found the 2.09% that some other chud on here says should be the ones calling the shots when it comes to striking.
Amell has “clarified” his thoughts:https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/stephen-amell-writers-strike-statement-1235548690/
I also think it’s an unfortunate case