Stephen Amell slams SAG strike as 'reductive negotiating tactic'
Actor Stephen Amell has slammed the actors’ strike currently taking place in Hollywood and around the country as “myopic,” insinuating that it’s doing more harm than good.
Thousands of actors and entertainers are striking in Hollywood and around the country with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) for the first time in over six decades.
But one actor who isn’t joining them is Amell, who said the cause is a “reductive negotiating tactic” that he simply doesn’t support.
“I feel like I’m insulated in Hollywood, cause that’s where I live, like all the stereotypes that exist. I feel like a lot of people in this room aren’t aware of the strike,” the “Arrow” actor, 42, said during a Q&A at Galaxycon in North Carolina.
“I support my union, I do. And I stand with them. I do not support striking. I don’t. I think that it is a reductive negotiating tactic.”
Members of the Hollywood actors SAG-AFTRA union walk a picket line with screenwriters outside of Paramount Studios. Getty Images
Amell said he finds “the entire thing incredibly frustrating.”
“I think the thinking as it pertains to shows — like the show that I’m on that premiered last night — I think it’s myopic,” he added.
One of the stipulations of the SAG-AFTRA strike is that actors are not allowed to do any promotional press for any of their upcoming projects.
Despite that, the Canadian star — whose acting credits include roles on ABC’s “Private Practice” and HBO’s “Hung,” as well as the role of Oliver Queen on The CW’s “Arrow” — took part in the Q&A Sunday.
His appearance came soon after the second season of his new show “Heels” debuted on Starz Friday.
The current strike marks the first time the 160,000-member-strong SAG-AFTRA has walked out from film and television since 1980.
The actor-screenwriter strike is the first joint walkout in more than six decades — and has the potential to block dozens of upcoming projects until a new contract with studios and streaming services is reached.
Amell speaks at the “Arrow” discussion panel during the CW portion of the 2012 Summer Television Critics Association tour at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 30, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images
Protestors picket in front of Netflix headquarters in Hollywood, CA on July 31, 2023. Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag
Both SAG-AFTRA and the WGA are demanding a rise in pay and residuals in the streaming era.
They are also seeking assurances that their work will not be replaced by artificial intelligence in the near future.
Source: New York Post
