Stephen Amell (Arrow) will star in the Starz wrestling drama Heels. After playing Oliver Queen for many seasons, the CW stalwart, Arrow, will end with season 8 and the actor has lined up his next gig. It matches up quite well with what he likes to do in his spare time.
Although, for most fans, Amell is known as one of the pillars of the Arrowverse, he’s long been a fan of wrestling and he’s even stepped into the ring a few times. In 2015, Amell campaigned to make an appearance on WWE TV and that ultimately led to the actor having a high-profile match at the year’s Summerslam. Teaming up with the high-flying Neville, Amell won in a tag match and earned praise for his natural performance between the ropes. Amell would appear in the ring a few more times, competing in his first solo match at the All In event last year. He would ultimately come out on the losing end, against veteran Christopher Daniels, many observers noted Amell did well for himself in the 11-minute bout. He’ll have a chance to apply what he’s learned for his next TV project.
As reported by TV Line, Amell will headline a drama focused on the often obscure world of independent wrestling. Created by Mike O’Malley, and titled Heels, the show is set to take place in Georgia and it will focus on a group of men and women with dreams of stardom. Amell confirmed the news in a tweet, giving a friendly shoutout to Cody Rhodes. Rhodes, a professional wrestler and one of the biggest names involved with AEW, has worked with Amell frequently and the two have developed a friendship. Rhodes has even made a few guest appearances on Arrow as the supervillain Derek Sampson.
Far from the pageantry of WWE, Heels will tell the story of a family-owned wrestling business where two brothers will face off in a battle over their father’s legacy. Amell will play a heel, which is a wrestling term for bad guy, named Jack Spade. Spade is a charismatic villain and he’s at the top the Duffy Wrestling Association. Outside the ring, he’s DWA’s owner and, with his need for perfection, he’ll stop at nothing to make DWA a success.
O’Malley, famous for many memorable roles - including the role of Kurt Hummel’s dad Burt on Glee, will serve as a showrunner. O’Malley has previously worked with Starz, creating the sitcom Survivor’s Remorse that ended after four seasons. Michael Waldron, showrunner for Loki on Disney+, will also be one of the writers for the show. It’s a project that’s coming at the perfect time. With the battle between WWE and AEW heating up, and GLOW’s continued support among critics, Heels will fit right in during a moment when wrestling is enjoying a bit of a resurgence.
Source: TV Line, Stephen Amell