# Stephen Amell
**Stephen Amell** (born 1981) is a Canadian actor best known for portraying Oliver Queen, also known as [Green Arrow](https://www.edgepedia.org/green-arrow), on [The CW](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-cw) superhero series *Arrow* (2012 to 2020), and for starring as wrestler Jack Spade in the Starz drama *Heels*. He is married to [Cassandra Jean](https://www.edgepedia.org/cassandra-jean)[9](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/stephen-amell/46276/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1981, Toronto, Ontario, Canada[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1854386/bio/) |
| Breakthrough role | Oliver Queen / Green Arrow on *Arrow*, The CW, 2012 to 2020, 8 seasons and 170 episodes[2](https://as.com/meristation/series/fue-el-protagonista-de-una-de-las-series-mas-destacadas-de-dc-y-habla-sobre-un-posible-regreso-en-el-dcu-f202511-n/) |
| Second lead role | Jack Spade, the heel and promoter of the Duffy Wrestling League, on Starz's *Heels* (2021 to 2023)[3](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/heels-stephen-amell-season-finale-wrestling-autenticity/) • [4](https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/stephen-amell-net-worth/) |
| Real wrestling career | WWE SummerSlam 2015, Ring of Honor 2017, and the independent All In event in 2018[3](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/heels-stephen-amell-season-finale-wrestling-autenticity/) |
| Film work | Casey Jones in *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows* (2016), which grossed $245.6 million; produced and starred in *Code 8* (2019) and *Code 8: Part II* (2024) with his cousin Robbie Amell[4](https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/stephen-amell-net-worth/) |
| Recent television | Ted Black in NBC's *Suits LA* (2025), canceled after one season[4](https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/stephen-amell-net-worth/) • [5](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/suits-la-star-stephen-amell-takes-blame-for-cancellation/) |
| Upcoming | Captain Hobie Buchannon in Fox's *Baywatch* reboot, premiering January 2027[6](https://www.eonline.com/news/stephen_amell) |
## Early career in Canada
Amell was born in Toronto, Ontario, and decided to become an actor in his teens. His first role came in 2004 on the Showtime/Showcase drama *Queer as Folk*, where he appeared in two episodes as a spin instructor training the characters for a charity bike ride. He was, in fact, working as a spinning instructor at the time, and later joked that he had told his agent he would quit acting if he did not land the part[7](https://www.tvline.com/2230119/arrow-stephen-amell-acting-debut-lgbtq-drama-queer-as-folk/).
Through the rest of the 2000s he built a Canadian television resume with guest and recurring roles on *Degrassi: The Next Generation*, *Beautiful People*, *Dante's Cove*, *Heartland*, and *ReGenesis*, winning a Gemini Award for his performance on the latter[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/stephen_amell) • [9](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/stephen-amell/46276/). He was a regular on the Canadian sitcom *Rent-a-Goalie* from 2006 to 2008 and made his feature film debut in *The Tracey Fragments* (2007), followed by [Richard Attenborough](https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-attenborough)'s *Closing the Ring* (2007)[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/stephen_amell). Moving toward the American market, he played accused murderer Joran Van Der Sloot in the 2011 Lifetime film *Justice for Natalee Holloway*, had a recurring role as Jason in season three of HBO's *Hung*, and guest-starred on *NCIS: Los Angeles*, *The Vampire Diaries*, *90210*, and *New Girl*[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/stephen_amell). In 2016 he won a CinemaCon Award as Male Star of Tomorrow[9](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/stephen-amell/46276/).
## Arrow and the Arrowverse
In 2012 Amell landed his first leading role, the billionaire playboy Oliver Queen on The CW's *Arrow*, based on DC's Green Arrow. The character, shipwrecked for five years before returning to Starling City to fight crime, ran for eight seasons and 170 episodes through 2020[2](https://as.com/meristation/series/fue-el-protagonista-de-una-de-las-series-mas-destacadas-de-dc-y-habla-sobre-un-posible-regreso-en-el-dcu-f202511-n/). The show's success spawned spin-off series that together formed the [Arrowverse](https://www.edgepedia.org/arrowverse), a shared continuity of DC television shows[10](https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/stephen-amell-video-tease-has-arrow-fans-hyped-but-whats-it-really-about/). Amell reprised Oliver Queen across the franchise, appearing on *The Flash*, *DC's Legends of Tomorrow*, *Vixen*, *Supergirl*, and *Batwoman*[4](https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/stephen-amell-net-worth/), and played the role again in a guest appearance in *The Flash*'s final season three years after *Arrow* ended[11](https://www.cinemablend.com/superheroes/would-stephen-amell-play-green-arrow-dcu-latest-actor).
Critics responded to the performance from the start: on the show's 2012 premiere, reviewers described him as "an appealing lead performance" and praised the way he balanced the character between camp and earnestness[12](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/arrow/). Co-creator Marc Guggenheim, a television writer and producer, later explained that the writers had to adjust their style because Oliver Queen was deliberately not a quippy or self-aware character, and that the actors communicated directly with the writing staff about lines[13](https://time.com/99120/arrow-co-creator-marc-guggenheim-on-tonights-season-2-finale/). Amell took archery lessons on weekends and did much of his own physical work on the series, and his in-ring fight training from the show served him later in actual wrestling[3](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/heels-stephen-amell-season-finale-wrestling-autenticity/).
In film during this period he played hockey-stick-wielding vigilante [Casey Jones](https://www.edgepedia.org/casey-jones) in *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows* (2016), which grossed $245.6 million at the box office[4](https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/stephen-amell-net-worth/).
## Heels and professional wrestling
Amell has been a professional wrestling fan since the late 1980s and turned that fandom into in-ring appearances. In 2015, at the height of *Arrow*'s popularity, he wrestled several times in WWE, including at [SummerSlam](https://www.edgepedia.org/summerslam) 2015, where he teamed with Neville to defeat [Wade Barrett](https://www.edgepedia.org/wade-barrett) and Stardust. He followed this with a [Ring of Honor](https://www.edgepedia.org/ring-of-honor) match in 2017, in which he was slammed through a table, and a match against Christopher Daniels at the first All In event in Chicago in 2018[3](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/heels-stephen-amell-season-finale-wrestling-autenticity/) • [14](https://www.tvline.com/interviews/heels-stephen-amell-alexander-ludwig-preview-starz-wrestling-1234706645/). He credits working alongside AEW's Cody Rhodes, whom he met at a WWE show in 2015, as an apprenticeship in the craft[3](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/heels-stephen-amell-season-finale-wrestling-autenticity/) • [14](https://www.tvline.com/interviews/heels-stephen-amell-alexander-ludwig-preview-starz-wrestling-1234706645/).
**Heels.** In 2021 he headlined the Starz drama *Heels*, playing Jack Spade, who inherits a small-town Georgia wrestling promotion from his father and feuds with his younger brother Ace, played by [Alexander Ludwig](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexander-ludwig), both in and out of the ring. Jack is the promotion's heel, the villain the fans boo, while Ace plays the face, the hero[15](https://www.tvinsider.com/1006369/heels-stephen-amell-jack-spade-season-1-starz/) • [16](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2571809/stephen-amell-heels-reviews-what-critics-say-starz-wrestling-drama). The show ran two seasons, from 2021 to 2023[4](https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/stephen-amell-net-worth/). Amell and Ludwig trained with veteran wrestler [Chavo Guerrero Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/chavo-guerrero-jr) for several months before shooting to make the matches look seamless on film[14](https://www.tvline.com/interviews/heels-stephen-amell-alexander-ludwig-preview-starz-wrestling-1234706645/). Amell described the series as fundamentally a family drama, saying "the wrestling is the icing here," and compared it to *Friday Night Lights*[15](https://www.tvinsider.com/1006369/heels-stephen-amell-jack-spade-season-1-starz/). [Entertainment Weekly](https://www.edgepedia.org/entertainment-weekly) gave the first season a B+, complimenting the slow-burn arc and the actors' performances while criticizing the writing for the show's female characters[16](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2571809/stephen-amell-heels-reviews-what-critics-say-starz-wrestling-drama). He later admitted he had been hesitant to take the part after *Arrow*, saying it was not what he was initially looking for[17](https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/stephen-amell-was-hesitant-to-join-heels-after-arrow/).
## Code 8 and producing
Alongside his cousin [Robbie Amell](https://www.edgepedia.org/robbie-amell), Amell produced and starred in the science-fiction action film *Code 8* (2019) and its sequel *Code 8: Part II* (2024), projects made outside the superhero genre with smaller budgets and, as one profile described it, genuine creative control[4](https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/stephen-amell-net-worth/) • [18](https://www.martincid.com/people/stephen-amell/). He has also served as an executive producer on the short films *Speech & Debate* (2020) and *Speech & Debate: Legacy* (2021), and on the 2025 miniseries *The Borderline*, in which he also acted[19](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1854386/).
## Suits LA and Baywatch
Amell returned to network television in 2025 as lawyer Ted Black in NBC's *Suits LA*, a spin-off of the series *Suits* focused on a West Coast law firm specializing in entertainment and criminal cases[20](https://apnews.com/article/b55f7cef58194f2a3903e9158f2a2ad3). NBC canceled the show after one season, and Amell publicly took the blame, saying "It wasn't good enough" and calling the outcome a failure[5](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/suits-la-star-stephen-amell-takes-blame-for-cancellation/) • [21](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/stephen-amell-explains-why-suits-la-didnt-work).
He next moved to Fox's *Baywatch* reboot, playing Captain Hobie Buchannon, son of [David Hasselhoff](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-hasselhoff)'s original character [Mitch Buchannon](https://www.edgepedia.org/mitch-buchannon). The series premieres in January 2027[6](https://www.eonline.com/news/stephen_amell) • [22](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/not-all-fun-swimsuits-stephen-amell-baywatch-wraps). Filming began in March and wrapped its first season after about five months[22](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/not-all-fun-swimsuits-stephen-amell-baywatch-wraps).
## References
1. [Stephen Amell – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1854386/bio/)
2. [Fue el protagonista de una de las series más destacadas de DC y habla sobre un posible regreso en el DCU, AS MeriStation](https://as.com/meristation/series/fue-el-protagonista-de-una-de-las-series-mas-destacadas-de-dc-y-habla-sobre-un-posible-regreso-en-el-dcu-f202511-n/)
3. [Heels: Stephen Amell on the Big Season Finale and Wrestling Authenticity, Den of Geek](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/heels-stephen-amell-season-finale-wrestling-autenticity/)
4. [Stephen Amell Net Worth, Celebrity Net Worth](https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/stephen-amell-net-worth/)
5. [Disastrous Drama Spinoff's Lead Takes Blame for Cancellation, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/suits-la-star-stephen-amell-takes-blame-for-cancellation/)
6. [Stephen Amell News, Pictures, and Videos, E! Online](https://www.eonline.com/news/stephen_amell)
7. [Arrow Star Stephen Amell Made His Acting Debut On This Acclaimed LGBTQ+ Drama, TVLine](https://www.tvline.com/2230119/arrow-stephen-amell-acting-debut-lgbtq-drama-queer-as-folk/)
8. [Stephen Amell Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/stephen_amell)
9. [Stephen Amell biography and filmography, Tribute.ca](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/stephen-amell/46276/)
10. [Stephen Amell Video Tease Has Arrow Fans Hyped But What's It Really About?, ComicBook.com](https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/stephen-amell-video-tease-has-arrow-fans-hyped-but-whats-it-really-about/)
11. [Would Stephen Amell Play Green Arrow In The DCU? Here's The Latest From The Actor, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/superheroes/would-stephen-amell-play-green-arrow-dcu-latest-actor)
12. [Arrow Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/arrow/)
13. [Arrow Co-Creator Marc Guggenheim on Tonight's Season 2 Finale, TIME](https://time.com/99120/arrow-co-creator-marc-guggenheim-on-tonights-season-2-finale/)
14. [Arrow's Stephen Amell On Heels: 'I Kind Of Think Of It As A Superhero Show', TVLine](https://www.tvline.com/interviews/heels-stephen-amell-alexander-ludwig-preview-starz-wrestling-1234706645/)
15. [Heels Star Stephen Amell on Those Friday Night Lights Comparisons, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/1006369/heels-stephen-amell-jack-spade-season-1-starz/)
16. [Stephen Amell's Heels Reviews Are In, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2571809/stephen-amell-heels-reviews-what-critics-say-starz-wrestling-drama)
17. [Stephen Amell Admits He Was Hesitant to Join Heels After Arrow, Us Weekly](https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/stephen-amell-was-hesitant-to-join-heels-after-arrow/)
18. [Stephen Amell, the actor whose biggest role came back to haunt every role since, Martin Cid Magazine](https://www.martincid.com/people/stephen-amell/)
19. [Stephen Amell, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1854386/)
20. [What to stream: '1923' returns, Tate McRae, 'Reacher,' Baldwins' reality show and a 'Suits' spin-off, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/b55f7cef58194f2a3903e9158f2a2ad3)
21. ['Ultimately, It's A Failure': Stephen Amell Explains Why Suits LA Didn't Work, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/stephen-amell-explains-why-suits-la-didnt-work)
22. ['This Is A Hard Show.' It's Not All Fun And Swimsuits For Stephen Amell As Baywatch Wraps, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/not-all-fun-swimsuits-stephen-amell-baywatch-wraps)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › Canadian actors › Surnames A to Co*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license