With some shows, it’s nearly impossible to imagine a different star. Such is the case with Heels, the new show that dives into the unglamorous world of independent pro-wrestling, and its star, Stephen Amell.
Amell may have become a superstar through the eight seasons and 170 episodes that he spent as the titular star of the hit series Arrow, that kicked off the Arrowverse and firmly established the DC universe as one of the most formidable in all of television, but it’s the passions he explored with the mask off that best prepared him for his latest role, pursuing his passion of pro wrestling by working a much-heralded match for WWE in 2015 and again for Ring of Honor in 2017, continuing a friendship and partnership with wrestling royalty Cody Rhodes that continues to this day.
“Sometimes you hear something from your manager, he tells you a little bit about the project, you read the script, and it’s so perfect that it’s like,’ is this real life?’,” Amell tells Esquire Middle East.
According to Amell, they tried to launch the show years ago and couldn’t find the right star.
“If they had found the right guy, then I’m sitting here right now super jealous that so and so is getting to play this part. But for Alexander [Ludwig] and I do to both be available to both be ready to jump into something like this, allowing us to play brothers, is just too perfect,” Amell continues.
“It was just a dream come true,” says Ludwig. “Over the years, I’ve worked with some incredible wrestlers, and heard their stories about what it was like in the ring, what it was like when people went off script and this and that, and when I got these scripts sent to me, I could not put them down. And I didn’t know a thing about it. What I love so much about this was how colorful this world was, how incredible the characters were, how explosive the characters were. It’s a truly limitless world. And these characters are just so captivating.”
The show brings an authenticity rarely seen in shows like it, bolstered by bringing in actual wrestling legends such as Phil Brooks, otherwise known as CM Punk, who has a memorable stint as an indie wrestling hero in a number of episodes in the first season.
Punk, who famously retired from WWE at the height of his popularity, still looms large over the sport, as even as he has focused primarily on UFC and acting since his retirement, still has his name chanted at nearly every WWE event.
Rumors of his return to the ring have never been louder than they are right now, and in fact he’s expected to join the popular wrestling promotion AEW starting this Friday during their ‘First Dance’ event in Chicago, his home town.
Amell can’t confirm whether Punk is set to return, but he’s excited about the proposition.
“I hope he comes back in the ring because I can tell you from experience that that boy can still go. He can still really go. I tried not to be a full fanboy with him,” says Amell.
If Punk does return, Amell may be one of those who we can thank, as he begged Punk to return to wrestling towards the end of filming the first season.
“Alexander had us all over for dinner towards the end of the season, and I finally said to him, ‘come on, man, you gotta come back. You have got to go back for one big match, either at Wrestlemania or AEW,” says Amell.
Having Punk around was a huge boon to the entire cast.
“He’s forgotten more about professional wrestling then then everyone on the cast collectively will ever know. And he’s done it because he’s done the independent circuit. He’s gone to the big time. He’s done all of it. He couldn’t have a more decorated and colorful career than Phil Brooks, CM Punk. We just tried to lean on him,” says Amell.
Punk was not always eager to impart his knowledge on the rest of the cast and steo on their feet, forcing Amell to sometimes push him to share his insights.
“He was trying to be very respectful and very much a ‘new kid on the block’ sort of thing. When it came to putting together the matches, I’d go ‘Hey, Phil, what do you think?’ And he’d say, ‘Well, you know, whatever, whatever you guys think.’ ‘No, Phil, what do you think?’ And then he would reluctantly tell us. I’m so, so happy to have Phil on the show. He’s such a pro wonderful, wonderful actor. And we bring him back in this season. And I know we’re trying to figure out ways to keep him involved in a go-forward basis,” says Amell.
Look for Punk’s first appearance in episode 3, but for now, catch up with episode one, and follow the show weekly exclusively on Starzplay Arabia in the Middle East.
