“Heels” actor Stephen Amell is trying to walk back comments he made about the SAG-AFTRA strike while speaking at Galaxycon in Raleigh, North Carolina, over the weekend.
“I feel like a lot of people in this room aren’t aware of the strike,” Amell said. “I support my union, I do, and I stand with them. I do not support striking,” Amell said. “I think it’s a reductive negotiating tactic and I find the entire thing incredibly frustrating. I think it’s myopic, and um, I stand with my union.” His comments drew immediate backlash from fans.
‘Arrow’ actor Stephen Amell says he doesn’t support the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes:
“I do not support striking. I don’t. I think that it’s a reductive negotiating tactic, and I find the entire thing incredibly frustrating.” pic.twitter.com/rMTjxYXD8n
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 31, 2023
Amell took to Instagram on Tuesday to clarify his position in a lengthy statement.
“Understandably, there has been a lot of reaction to the comments I made this weekend about our strike. To ensure there is no misunderstanding about my thoughts and intentions I’m providing what I actually said and clarity/context to ensure my feelings aren’t unintentionally misinterpreted,” he wrote. “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.”
He listed several numbered points outlining his views on the strike.
“What I actually said: 1 ‘I support my union, I do, and I stand with them.’ This doesn’t need much clarity: My support is unconditional and I stand with them,” the former “Archer” star wrote.
He then moved on to the more controversial remark he made over the weekend. (RELATED: President Biden Halts Fundraising In LA Until Hollywood Strike Ends: REPORT)
“What I actually said: 2 ‘I do not support striking, I don’t.’ “What this means in full context: I understand fundamentally why we’re here. My off the cuff use of the word “support” is clearly contradictory to my true feelings and my emphatic statement that I stand with my union. Of course I don’t like striking. Nobody does. But we have to do what we have to do,” Amell wrote.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike in May, and the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) joined them on the picket line in July. Both unions cited concerns about the use of artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry.