Stephen Amell Explains Why He Hit SAG Picket Line After Strike Comments

Stephen Amell seems to have changed his tune when it comes to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike -- first demonstrated in his actions, and now further cemented by his own words.

The "Arrow" star spoke to a photog this week not long after he was spotted out in NYC with other fellow SAG members, hitting the picket line and showing support/solidarity for his union amid the ongoing negotiations ... which have dragged on for about a month or so now.

Check out what he had to say ... SA says he doesn't believe he's done a 180 on the issue, but rather -- that he just misspoke at first, and now has some clarity on how he feels.

What that manifests into, as he notes, is unwavering support for SAG-AFTRA ... something he's had since the beginning. And while he did say he didn't support the act of striking -- pointing out how hard it was on working actors -- he now says he's been educated on the process ... this after speaking to SAG leadership, who explained it wasn't done lightly.

You'll recall ... Stephen got a lot of backlash, at first, for saying what he said about striking, but since then ... it sounds like the dude has come around to realizing it's for a larger purpose, despite some growing pains people might be experiencing on the ground.

Interestingly, what Stephen says here on camera strongly echoes what he told us on "TMZ Live" a couple weeks ago ... when he was trying to put his original remarks in context.