Stephen Amell isn’t in complete support of the Sag-Aftra strike (Picture: Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic)
Stephen Amell has spoken out against the current Sag-Aftra strike, and deemed the action ‘reductive’ and ‘frustrating’.
The US union walkout is due to multiple reasons, including a lack of fair pay for actors as well as the need for assurance about the rise of AI and the potential for it to use an actors’ likeness.
The decision to strike was supported by an overwhelming majority of 98% during a vote within the union, and we’ve seen many famous faces on the picket line including the cast of Shameless, and Two and a Half Men.
It comes in the middle of the strike from the Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) which began in May after failure to reach an agreement with the trade association Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) over pay.
When Stephen, 42, was asked about the strike, which began on July 14, he made his feelings clear.
‘I support my union, I do, and I stand with them but I do not support striking, I don’t,’ he stated.
Stephen called the strikes ‘reductive’ (Picture: Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images)
While speaking at GalaxyCon following the debut of the second season of Heels he added: ‘I think it is a reductive negotiating tactic and I find the entire thing incredibly frustrating.
‘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.’
After the event he posted an Instagram thanking his fans for attending, and he performed a squat in celebration. Some people took to the comments section to voice their opinions on his admission.
One person wrote: ‘Previous strikes paved the way for the benefits you have enjoyed throughout your career as an actor. how can you be against strikes?’
‘Oliver Queen would support unions and everyone’s right to a livable, fair wage,’ added another.
Stephen’s played lead character Oliver Queen in superhero series Arrow from 2012 to 2020. Other prominent features include starring as Casey Jones in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, and werewolf Brady in The Vampire Diaries.
Someone else stated: ‘A guy who was the lead of a tv series for years can now say he doesn’t support strikes so everyone around making the shows and movies get fair pay…ugh. Your privilege is showing. Tool.’
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‘I support my union, I do, and I stand with them but I do not support striking.’