Stephen Amell on the actors’ picket linePhoto: John Nacion/Getty Images
The SAG-AFTRA strike is reaching a month, sending Hollywood’s ongoing labor crisis—what with all the writers having already been on strike 100 days and all at this point—into full-blown emergency mode. And while actors have already been out on the picket lines in force in recent weeks, showing their support for the WGA, they’re showing up even more abundantly now that their own union is also out on the lines.
One person who notably showed up on these lines on August 11 was Arrow actor Stephen Amell. The actor drew fire last month for saying he found striking to be a “reductive negotiating tactic,” going on to say, “I support my union, I do, and I stand with them, but I do not support striking. I don’t.” Though he walked back some of the comments in the following days, his appearance on the picket line sends the strongest signal yet that he actually stands with the union as they fight for fair pay.
Meanwhile, a glut of famous performers—and New York representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez—have been on the lines for weeks. And, since we likely won’t be seeing any of these performers in TV shows or movies for a minute—at least, once the current glut of already developed material runs out, sending the studios into “reality TV and foreign imports and desperation” mode—we’re just going to have to turn to the picket line itself to get our famous folk fix. So, here you go: A look at some of the biggest names out on the lines so far, in both Los Angeles and New York.
