#Stephen Amell on wrestling and his new show ‘Heels’

He’s going from the Arrowverse to the ring. 

Fresh off an eight-year stint starring as Oliver Queen, aka Green Arrow, on the CW’s “Arrow” (2012-2020), Stephen Amell is now starring in the wrestling drama “Heels.” 

Premiering Aug. 15 on Starz, the series follows brothers Jack (Amell) and Ace (Alexander Ludwig, “Vikings,”) in the fictional small town of Duffy, Georgia, who have inherited their late father’s pro-wrestling league (called the DWL). There, they play out scripted matches for the locals, inhabiting larger-than-life wrestling personas while their egos clash behind the scenes. 

“I watched the WWE growing up – WWF at the time. It was legitimately my favorite thing. So, to be able to hop into this world and make this my job was just a dream come true,” Amell, 40, told The Post. “I was somewhat hesitant to jump back into something in television as the lead of a show after eight years of really hard work on ‘Arrow.’ But it was too great of an opportunity to turn down.”

In “Heels,” older brother Jack, who’s a “heel” (a villain in the world of wrestling) is attempting to keep the DWL afloat and handle all of its promotion while also juggling his day job as a lawnmower salesman and with his family life: his wife, Staci (Alison Luff) and son, Thomas (Roxton Garcia). Meanwhile, hotheaded Ace is trying to leverage his talent to make it out of their hometown into greener pastures. 

Amell, who grew up in Toronto, isn’t just a fan of the sport. He has experience, having appeared on WWE’s “Raw” program in 2015 and in “Ring of Honor” (2017) between seasons of “Arrow.”

“Because of the connection that I’ve had with professional wrestling, since I’ve gotten to do some stuff with the WWE and AEW, [‘Heels’ wanted] me. When I did previous stuff with professional wrestling, I faked it as best I could,” he said. “Because I didn’t have that much time. I was doing other stuff. I was just coming in for cameo match appearances and things of that nature. It was really important for me this time around to spend as much time as possible on fundamentals. Hitting the ropes, walking up, punching. That’s what I focused on.”

Even though he wasn’t a novice, Amell sustained a serious injury while filming. 

“I did a move called the ‘Coast to Coast.’ I got it on the first take, things were good, but I couldn’t help myself. I wanted a second stab at it. But, I overshot it and landed straight up and down and suffered a compression fracture on my vertebrae. I’m OK.” 

Aside from their mutual interest in wrestling, Amell said he related to his character because Jack is “flawed and makes mistakes.”

“As early on as the first episode, he’s faced with a decision regarding his brother and what to do in the ring, and he’s a little bit freaked out about the prospect of losing Ace [if Ace leaves]. Ace is such an integral part of the DW, and Jack doesn’t do the right thing. He kind of pulls a d–k move. That’s the most interesting part, for me. I like characters that are flawed and don’t always make the right call.”

His time on “Arrow” changed him and prepared him for “Heels,” Amell said. 

“Being on a show for eight years, aside from getting better as an actor, I became much calmer, more mature, more patient, and better at recognizing what my scene partner needs from me. I’m capable of pacing myself as opposed to going 100 miles an hour all the time. All of those things, I got to bring into ‘Heels.’ 

“You learn those lessons, but it’s not until you step away from a project and get onto something new that you really feel like you can implement them.”