It has been a rough time for Arrow alum Stephen Amell. There have been some silver linings in the form of Amell’s collaboration with Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise for of -- all things -- wine. Now, the actor has gone from stiff drinks to a stiff back, as Amell is now recovering after suffering an injury on the set of his upcoming Starz series, Heels.
Here's what you need to know. This week, Stephen Amell sustained a back injury while performing a stunt on the set of the wrestling drama Heels. Amell stars opposite Vikings’ Alexander Ludwig in the tale of two brothers. A Starz spokesman released the following statement regarding Amell’s condition (via Deadline):
While performing a stunt on the set of Heels this week, Stephen Amell sustained an injury to his back. Following a medical evaluation, he is now resting and recovering at home in anticipation of his return to set.
Thankfully, Stephen Amell is alright, albeit a bit worse for wear. Amell has been cleared to recuperate at home after getting checked out, which for Amell is cpresumably in Atlanta, as that's where Heels is filming. The news of Amell’s back injury comes after the actor announced that he he'd tested positive for COVID-19. This ongoing pandemic, of course, led to industry-wide shutdowns earlier this year.
Stephen Amell revealed the COVID-19 diagnosis during an episode of Smallville alum Michael Rosenbaum’s (excellent, in my opinion) podcast Inside of You. For reference, it's the same podcast on which Amell expressed his feelings over the “disrespectful” filming of Arrow’s final crossover event -- Crisis on Infinite Earths. Amell’s recent COVID-19 announcement came during the October 27 episode of Inside of You.
In it, Stephen Amell explained that he was already back on the set of Heels following treatment and quarantine, which is the rough month I alluded to earlier in this story. First, the coronavirus and now, a back injury. Amell’s latest health bump comes after he recently posted pictures of himself in short shorts, as he celebrated getting back to work on the wrestling drama. And anyone who's seen his work knows Amell has some serious physical capabilities.
His days getting physical on Arrow are over, but Heels sounds no less demanding. The Starz series follows two brothers' fierce rivalry in and outside of the wrestling ring. Stephen Amell’s Jack Spade plays the “villain” (or the heel) to Vikings’ Alexander Ludwig’s “heroic” Ace Spade. Early plot details hint that the Spade brothers have a tough time leaving their personas in the ring. One Arrow star plus a Vikings star equals brotherly drama galore!
While it may be difficult for their characters to leave their parts behind, it hasn't been too tough for the actors. Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig got some brotherly bonding in for Heels, so their chemistry on screen should be great. And with the show having gone all-out with behind-the-scenes bonding and speedos. I know Amell must be missing it.
For now, Stephen Amell just needs to rest up and, while he does so, production is set to move on. Heels seems like something of a passion project for Amell, as it didn't take him long to sign up for the new show after Arrow ended. Word of Amell boarding Heels actually came before Arrow’s final season even finished airing, giving fans of Amell’s something to look forward to after the Arrowverse show ended. I don't know about you, but Heels sounds exciting.
Here's to a speedy and safe recovery for Stephen Amell. At this time, Starz has not set an official premiere date for Heels, but it will arrive sometime after this fall’s premieres. While you wait for Heels to hit your screen, you can stream Amell’s days as Oliver Queen on Arrow, as The CW series is currently streaming on Netflix alongside lots of new 2020 entries.
