Stephen Amell On His Remark About 'Myopic' SAG Strike: 'I Have No Clue What I Was Trying To Say Here'

"Arrow" star Stephen Amell recently came under heavy scrutiny for comments he made about the SAG-AFTRA strike during his appearance at GalaxyCon in Raleigh to promote the second season of his show, "Heels."

The actor said that he does not support striking and believes it is a "reductive negotiating tactic." Amell also called the move by the SAG union "myopic."

Following a slew of criticisms from fans, who were disappointed by his opinion of the ongoing strike, Amell decided to clarify his "misinterpreted" comments with a lengthy post on Instagram.

Keep on reading to learn more.

Amell faced heavy fan backlash after talking down on the striking efforts of his union, SAG-AFTRA, calling the move "reductive" and "myopic."

Fans of the actor did not receive his comments well, prompting him to add more context to his statement on his Instagram page.

"Understandably, there has been a lot of reaction to the comments I made this weekend about our strike," Amell began. "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. We all know soundbites can be taken out of context and I have too much respect for my fellow union members to not clarify the record."

The "The Flash" actor then proceeded to give a breakdown of his controversial comments, which caused a major stir online, along with an explanation.

Beginning his lengthy clarification, Amell reiterated his support for SAG-AFTRA, saying that his comment at GalaxyCon, "I support my union, I do, and I stand with them," does not need "much clarity" because his "support is unconditional."

On his more controversial statement that he does "not support striking," Amell said, "What this means in full context: 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. Of course I don't like striking. Nobody does. But we have to do what we have to do."

Speaking on his other comment about the strike being a "reductive negotiating tactic" that he finds "incredibly frustrating," Amell said, "In full context: 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."

He continued, "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 took to his comment section to continue his lengthy statement about his remarks on the SAG-AFTRA strike at GalaxyCon. 

On his comment: "I think that thinking as it pertains to shows like the show that I am on that that premiered last night, I think it is myopic," Amell clarified that he had "no clue" what "he was trying to say."

He wrote, "What I meant: Nothing about the strike is funny but if I may self deprecate for a moment. I have no clue what I was trying to say here and who says, 'I think that thinking...?' Perhaps it was an inarticulate shoutout to our crew and cast, who mean the world to me. 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."

While concluding his statement regarding his controversial remarks at GalaxyCon, Amell subtly addressed the reactions from critics and fans.

He wrote, "As I said from the post to ensure that my thoughts and intentions are not misconstrued. This situation reminds [me] 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. 

He added, "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."