Arrow Star Stephen Amell Made His Acting Debut On This Acclaimed LGBTQ+ Drama

Years before Stephen Amell helmed "Arrow" — one of the best shows on The CW – he got his start thanks to the LGBTQ+ drama series "Queer as Folk." The Canadian American show was a remake of the groundbreaking 1999 British series of the same name.

Amell joined Showtime's "Queer as Folk" in Season 4 as the spin instructor who's in charge of training the gang for the Liberty Ride charity bike ride from Toronto to Pittsburgh. Amell appeared in Episodes 12 and 13, giving his career the boost it needed. Ironically, Amell already had a connection to the role.

"I had been acting for four months. I had never gotten a job yet, and I said to my agent, because I was a spinning instructor at the time, I said, 'If I don't get this job, I quit,' figuring that me being a spinning instructor would be totally important," he told the now-defunct-site, AfterElton. "It wasn't important at all, but I did get the job." The remake ran for four seasons and 83 episodes. Peacock also tried a modern "Queer as Folk" remake, but it was canceled after the first season.

"Queer as Folk" isn't the only LGBTQ+ show in Stephen Amell's resume, as he also appeared in "Dante's Cove" in 2005. He played frat boy Adam in the first season of the Here TV series — which only consisted of two episodes. The supernatural drama series followed Kevin Archer (Gregory Michael) and Toby Moraitis (Charlie David) who move to the small town of Dante's Cove and discover that an ancient magical religion is deeply entrenched in the community.

In the aforementioned interview, Amell also discussed his brief stint on "Dante's Cove" saying: "At first it was a horrible experience because we had a terrible director. They fired him. They brought on a really great guy." 

However, Amell couldn't reprise his role as Adam in Season 2 because he was starring in Richard Attenborough's romantic drama movie, "Closing the Ring." The role was recast, with Jon Fleming taking over for "Dante's Cove" Season 2 and beyond. The character eventually acknowledged his own sexuality during a sex scene with the show's immortal villain, Ambrosius Vallin (William Gregory Lee). 

For longtime "Arrow" fans looking for their next caped adventure to binge, be sure to check out TVLine's 15 favorite superhero shows. As for what Stephen Amell is up to next, the actor is gearing up for Fox's "Baywatch" reboot airing in January 2027.