Stephen Amell clarifies 'misinterpreted' comments about actors' strike

Stephen Amell has clarified his anti-strike comments.

Over the weekend, the Arrow actor appeared at the GalaxyCon event in Raleigh, North Carolina and said during an onstage discussion that he did not support the SAG-AFTRA strike, even though he stands with his union.

After his comments made headlines, Stephen took to Instagram on Tuesday to offer up "clarity/context" on his remarks to ensure his feelings weren't "unintentionally misinterpreted".

"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," he stated. "Of course I don’t like striking. Nobody does. But we have to do what we have to do."

The Heels actor then explained why he called the strike "incredibly frustrating" and "a reductive negotiating tactic".

"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," he joked. "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."

The 42-year-old noted that he was also sad that the cast and crew of Heels were not able to celebrate the recent premiere of its second season.

To conclude, he wrote, "This situation reminds of the proverb, 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions,' which apparently, after reading a limited amount of the commentary, is a place many of you would like me to visit. However, at least for the foreseeable future, I choose to stand with my union. When you see me on a picket line please don’t whip any hard fruit."