Stephen Amell Is Entitled To His Opinion And We're Allowed To Criticize It - Opinion
From Gaius Bolling
Last week Stephen Amell "failed his union." That's a play on a catchphrase that his character Oliver Queen would utter as his vigilante alter-ego on the CW DC comic book series Arrow. As Oliver would go about righting the wrongs of Starling City he would tell evildoers that they had "failed this city" and for many, Amell became one of those evildoers in real life. The Canadian actor became one of the first "high-profile" members of SAG-AFTRA to publicly denounce the strike against the AMPTP, the union representing Hollywood production companies. The strike is happening for various reasons but what it really comes down to is laborers protecting themselves against unfair treatment by their employers. The fact that Amell made such a public statement against the strike is definitely his prerogative but it's also our prerogative to express that Amell's perceived frustrations, and his also comical need to backpedal when he realized he put his foot in his mouth, is a big problem.
This all began when Amell made comments regarding the strike at a North Carolina GalaxyCon event. His words began promising when he made it clear that he supported his union but it quickly fell apart the more he spoke. While addressing the audience, Amell said, "I do not support striking. I don't. I think it's 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 [Heels], that premiered last night, I think it's myopic."
It's clear listening to Amell's quote that it comes from a place of pure selfishness. He might say he supports his union and what they're standing for but his reasoning for not wanting to strike is not some grand gesture that makes him stand apart. This is really about him not being able to promote his precious wrestling show that has just entered its second season on Starz. Let me be clear: I actually get Amell's frustration. Heels is a drama series set in the world of independent professional wrestling that has been well-received by critics but it hasn't been widely seen by the masses. Those who watch it seem to love it but it hasn't broke into the pop culture stratosphere. The series earned a second season based on early critical promise but that second season was first hit by COVID delays, something that affected every production in the industry. Adding to this, the strike has now made it impossible to promote the already delayed second season so I can imagine that is something that grinds Amell's gears. That being said, Amell isn't the only actor that had to go radio silent on upcoming projects due to the strike. Everyone else is realizing this is for the greater good. So that the little guy can get fair compensation for their work and that their likeness is protected while also being fairly compensated should said likeness be used in future projects. This might something hard for someone who was a lead on a hit TV series for eight seasons to grasp but it's an important fight. A fight far more important than your need to make sure people watch the second season of your show.
Amell's comments are incredibly tone-deaf because it really makes it appear that the strike is preventing him from working and earning even more money than he already has. Perhaps it's rude of me to assume that Amell's bank account is just fine following his run on Arrow but I'd be willing to bet on it. His words don't give a single ounce of consideration to the average everyday working actor that is fighting so they can actually afford food and rent. It's clear that Amell and his family aren't struggling while they live the Hollywood life. The fact that his selfishness doesn't seem to think about those beneath him, provides us with a glimpse of his actual character and who he really is.
Like most situations when actors overstep and make soundbites that don't go over well, Amell made several attempts to backpedal on his comments but it somehow made things worse. While speaking with TMZ about his comments and the strikes, he mentioned that he understood the need to strike "on an intellectual level" but he also made the assumption that the union hasn't exhausted other negotiating tactics before striking. He also suggested that he was begrudgingly supporting the union and revealed that he was one of the actors that voted against striking. Keep in mind, 98 percent of his union opted to strike so the fact that he publicly revealed that he wasn't one of them might make him think he's brave and cool for not conforming, but it also stands to expose his selfishness even more. He says that he has spoken to other actors who agree with him but perhaps they were smart enough to keep that kitchen table talk rather than turning it into a public forum because they too realize while they may not love striking right now because it has stifled promotion on their work, they also understand the greater good of the cause.
Realizing that the TMZ comments also didn't go well, he took to his Instagram to, supposedly, add "clarity/context to ensure my feelings aren't unintentionally misinterpreted." It's the kind of retraction that a publicist makes you put it because they know you stepped in it and they need you to immediately rehab your image. It also suggests that someone from SAG-AFTRA contacted Amell and expressed their disappointment with his comments. There is a debate regarding how high-profile Amell is (some on Twitter claimed they had to Google him when this story broke) but he's well-known in most circles for his words to matter. When someone like him publicly denounces the strike, it only gives employers that incentive they need to refuse what the union is asking for, at least in part. They'll take what he has said and use it as a form of ammunition to maintain their stance. That really isn't fair to the 86 percent of actors struggling to live while Amell can still sit pretty on his CW Arrow money.
Perhaps the biggest bone of contention in Amell's selfishness is his blatant attempts to not follow SAG-AFTRA rules while striking. Once you're on strike, you're not allowed to promote struck work but that hasn't stopped Amell from being shamelessly sneaky in doing so. Twitter users were quick to pull up receipts that showed Amell was indeed finding ways to promote Heels after the start of the strike and this was only dug once his strike comments went public. A Twitter user found this, since deleted, video from Amell's social media which clearly shows he's trying to get people to watch the season 2 premiere of Heels. Then there is this appearance at another Con, two days after the strike, that seems to suggest he doesn't think the rules apply to him as he discusses his show. Once you add all of this up, you realize that Amell isn't trying to make a big stand against the act of striking. He just wants you to watch season 2 of Heels and to hell with the other struggling actors fighting for fair compensation.
It's tough to say what happens with Amell now. He's still a part of the union as of this writing but how many actors, who vocally support the strike, will want to work with him after his clumsy comments went public? They now know he doesn't care about the little guy. He doesn't care about their desire to be treated fairly. He might say he supports the union and their cause but his actions say otherwise. At the end of the day, I hope his desire to be entitled and speak his mind was worth it because it might cast him more beyond the second season of his little show.
