"Arrow" actor Stephen Amell has attempted to walk back controversial comments he made about the SAG-AFTRA strike.
In a recent interview at GalaxyCon in North Carolina, Amell said he believes that the strike was "myopic" and a "reductive negotiating tactic."
"I support my union, I do, and I stand with them," the actor said. "I do not support striking. I don't."
Days later, Amell took to Instagram to clarify his remarks amid widespread backlash.
"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.
"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," he continued in reference to his statement about not supporting strikes as a tactic. "Of course I don't like striking. Nobody does. But we have to do what we have to do."
He continued, "I'm an actor and I was speaking extemporaneously for over an hour. I emote, but I certainly don't think these issues are simple. Our leadership has an incredibly complicated job, and I am grateful for all that they do. Despite some of my terrible early acting work, I assure you, I'm not a robot. From an intellectual perspective, I understand why we are striking, but that doesn't mean it isn't emotionally frustrating on many levels for all involved."
Amell also poked fun at his own use of the word "myopic," saying, "I have no clue what I was trying to say here."
He explained that he was merely upset that he was not able to promote his Starz series "Heels."
"I'm simply sad that we don't have a chance to celebrate a show that all of us figuratively and I literally, broke my back for," Amell noted.
"However, at least for the foreseeable future, I choose to stand with my union," Amell concluded his statement. "When you see me on a picket line please don't whip any hard fruit."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.