NICE BOY OF THE WEEK: Stephen Amell

The Nice Boy of the Week this week is actor Stephen Amell, who is, of course, best known for his lead role of Oliver Queen in the new comic book based TV series Arrow that debuted last fall on The CW.

Stephen was born in Toronto and got his start in acting in 2004 and 2005 in guest appearances on the TV shows Queer as Folk, Degrassi: The Next Generation, 1-800-Missing and Tilt. In 2005, he appeared in a handful of episodes of the short-lived ABC Family drama Beautiful People as well as several episodes of the supernatural soap opera Dante’s Cove.

Over the next two years, he appeared in the Lifetime made-for-TV movie The House Next Door, the little seen dramatic film called The Tracey Fragments, which starred a then unknown Ellen Page and the Canadian series ReGenesis for which he won a Gemini Award (the Canadian version of the Emmy Awards) for his guest-starring role. He also starred in the 2007 film Closing the Ring that starred Shirley MacLaine and Christopher Plummer. During that time, he also had a recurring role in the half-hour Canadian comedies Rent-A-Goalie and Da Kink in My Hair.

From 2009 to 2011, he had a role in the direct to video sci-fi flick Screamers: The Hunting, a guest appearance in the Canadian drama Flashpoint and then the made-for-TV movie The Cutting Edge: Fire & Ice that starred Francia Raise from The Secret Life of the American Teenager. From there he appeared in several episodes of the sitcom Blue Mountain State and guest roles on CSI: Miami and NCIS: Los Angeles.

It was in 2011 where his career started to take off with a role in the made-for-TV movie Justice for Natalee Holloway as well as guest appearances in episodes of CSI, The Vampire Diaries, 90210, New Girl and the cable series Hung.

Before landing the role on Arrow that has virtually made him a household name (or at the very least recognizable for his incredible physique), he appeared in more than a handful of episodes of the ABC medical drama Private Practice as well as returning to a guest role on the popular family drama Heartland for which he had also made in 2007, 2008 and 2010.

And, at some point this year he is also expected to appear in the Hallmark Channel movie When Calls the Heart that is based on the popular Canadian West book series by author Janette Oke that will also star Lost alum Maggie Grace.

It was also recently reported that Stephen married his girlfriend Cassandra Jean on Christmas Day of 2012 in a secret ceremony while on vacation in the Caribbean. Congrats to the couple and wishes for continued success to Stephen in his career.