Charlie Hunnam
Encyclopedia
Charles Matthew "Charlie" Hunnam (born 10 April 1980) is an English
actor
. He is perhaps best known to UK audiences as Pete Dunham in Green Street Hooligans and as Nathan Maloney in the Channel 4
hit drama Queer as Folk
and to US
audiences as Vice President
of Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original Jackson "Jax" Teller in the FX network series, Sons of Anarchy
.
, England
on 10 April 1980. He is the second oldest of four boys. Hunnam stated that growing up, his favorite actors have always been Daniel Day-Lewis
and Sean Penn
.
Discovered while clowning around in a shoe shop by a production manager for the British children's show Byker Grove
, Charlie Hunnam was cast in his first role as the long-locked child model "Jason" in three episodes of the show. His first major role came soon after as Nathan Maloney in the Channel 4
drama Queer as Folk (UK). He followed this up with his role as "Daz" in the British film Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?
. Upon completion of both projects, Hunnam relocated to Los Angeles, California
to pursue his acting career.
His career, meanwhile, expanded to include a recurring role as Gregor Ryder in a TV Series for The WB
network called Young Americans
. He then appeared in the short-lived Fox
series Undeclared
as the British drama student Lloyd Haythe. The series was cancelled after only one season. Following Undeclared, he appeared in Abandon
, Nicholas Nickleby
(2002), and Cold Mountain
.
Hunnam has stated that he does not wish to simply take any role that he is offered: "I have 60 years to make the money, but the choices I make in the next five years are really going to define my career." This decision resulted in his return to the United Kingdom
to take the lead as Pete Dunham in Green Street
(also known as Green Street Hooligans, Hooligans, and The Yank).
Hunnam played the role of Patric, a member of "The Fishes", in Children of Men
(2006) directed by Alfonso Cuarón
. Hunnam states that this role was the final part in his "trilogy of mad men". "I played the psycho in Cold Mountain
, my character in Green Street
is fairly psychotic and now I've got this role."
Hunnam currently stars as Vice President Jackson "Jax" Teller in the FX network series, Sons of Anarchy, a prominent motorcycle club in a small fictional California
town.
Hunnam was voted ninth in Elle Girl
s top 100 sexiest men in 2005.
In 2011, Hunnam appeared in The Ledge
, a layered love story with themes of religious faith co-starring Liv Tyler
, Patrick Wilson
, and Terrence Howard
. In 2009, Hunnam sold his screenplay, Vlad, to Summit Entertainment
with Brad Pitt
's Plan B Studios co-producing. The film is being directed by music video director and photographer Anthony Mandler
and will focus on Dracula
as a young prince.
, the daughter of screenwriter Robert Towne
and actress Julie Payne. They divorced in 2002. He currently has homes in Los Angeles
, London
, and Bolton
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He is perhaps best known to UK audiences as Pete Dunham in Green Street Hooligans and as Nathan Maloney in the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
hit drama Queer as Folk
Queer as Folk (UK TV series)
Queer as Folk is a 1999 British television series that chronicles the lives of three gay men living in Manchester's gay village around Canal Street. Both Queer as Folk and Queer as Folk 2 were written by Russell T Davies...
and to US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
audiences as Vice President
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
of Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original Jackson "Jax" Teller in the FX network series, Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy is an American television drama series created by Kurt Sutter about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in Northern California...
.
Life and career
Hunnam was born in NewcastleNewcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on 10 April 1980. He is the second oldest of four boys. Hunnam stated that growing up, his favorite actors have always been Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis is an English actor with both British and Irish citizenship. His portrayals of Christy Brown in My Left Foot and Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood won Academy and BAFTA Awards for Best Actor, and Screen Actors Guild as well as Golden Globe Awards for the latter...
and Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
.
Discovered while clowning around in a shoe shop by a production manager for the British children's show Byker Grove
Byker Grove
Byker Grove was a British television series which aired between 1989 and 2006 and was created by Adele Rose. The show was broadcast at 5.10pm after Newsround on CBBC on BBC One...
, Charlie Hunnam was cast in his first role as the long-locked child model "Jason" in three episodes of the show. His first major role came soon after as Nathan Maloney in the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
drama Queer as Folk (UK). He followed this up with his role as "Daz" in the British film Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?
Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?
Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? is a film written by Ben Steiner, directed by Peter Hewitt and released in 1999. The British movie was filmed in Sheffield....
. Upon completion of both projects, Hunnam relocated to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to pursue his acting career.
His career, meanwhile, expanded to include a recurring role as Gregor Ryder in a TV Series for The WB
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
network called Young Americans
Young Americans (TV series)
Young Americans is an American television drama created by Steven Antin. The show debuted on July 12, 2000 on The WB network as a summer replacement for, and spin-off from, another Columbia TriStar Television production, Dawson's Creek. The series was originally ordered for the fall 1999-2000...
. He then appeared in the short-lived Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
series Undeclared
Undeclared
Undeclared is an American sitcom that aired on Fox during the 2001–02 season.- Premise :The half-hour comedy was Judd Apatow's follow-up to his earlier television series Freaks and Geeks, which also lasted for one season...
as the British drama student Lloyd Haythe. The series was cancelled after only one season. Following Undeclared, he appeared in Abandon
Abandon (film)
Abandon is a 2002 American thriller film released by Paramount Pictures and Touchstone Pictures. It was written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, starring Katie Holmes as a college student whose boyfriend disappeared two years previously...
, Nicholas Nickleby
Nicholas Nickleby (2002 film)
Nicholas Nickleby is a 2002 comedy-drama film written and directed by Douglas McGrath. The screenplay is based on The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens, which originally was published in serial form between March 1838 and September 1839.-Plot:In a prologue we are...
(2002), and Cold Mountain
Cold Mountain (film)
Cold Mountain is a 2003 war drama film written and directed by Anthony Minghella. The film is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Charles Frazier...
.
Hunnam has stated that he does not wish to simply take any role that he is offered: "I have 60 years to make the money, but the choices I make in the next five years are really going to define my career." This decision resulted in his return to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to take the lead as Pete Dunham in Green Street
Green Street
Green Street is a 2005 British/American independent drama film about football hooliganism in England. It was directed by Lexi Alexander and stars Elijah Wood and Charlie Hunnam. In the United States and Australia, the film is called Green Street Hooligans, while in the United Kingdom it has the...
(also known as Green Street Hooligans, Hooligans, and The Yank).
Hunnam played the role of Patric, a member of "The Fishes", in Children of Men
Children of Men
Children of Men is a 2006 science fiction film loosely adapted from P. D. James's 1992 novel The Children of Men, directed by Alfonso Cuarón. In 2027, two decades of human infertility have left society on the brink of collapse. Illegal immigrants seek sanctuary in England, where the last...
(2006) directed by Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón Orozco is a Mexican film director, screenwriter and film producer, best known for his films Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Y tu mamá también, and A Little Princess.- Early life :...
. Hunnam states that this role was the final part in his "trilogy of mad men". "I played the psycho in Cold Mountain
Cold Mountain (film)
Cold Mountain is a 2003 war drama film written and directed by Anthony Minghella. The film is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Charles Frazier...
, my character in Green Street
Green Street
Green Street is a 2005 British/American independent drama film about football hooliganism in England. It was directed by Lexi Alexander and stars Elijah Wood and Charlie Hunnam. In the United States and Australia, the film is called Green Street Hooligans, while in the United Kingdom it has the...
is fairly psychotic and now I've got this role."
Hunnam currently stars as Vice President Jackson "Jax" Teller in the FX network series, Sons of Anarchy, a prominent motorcycle club in a small fictional California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
town.
Hunnam was voted ninth in Elle Girl
Elle Girl
Elle Girl was the largest older-teen fashion and beauty magazine brand in the world with 12 editions and supplements worldwide. Launched in August 2001, it was the younger sibling to Elle magazine, and similarly focused on beauty, health, entertainment and looked at daring fashion—its slogan: "Dare...
s top 100 sexiest men in 2005.
In 2011, Hunnam appeared in The Ledge
The Ledge (film)
The Ledge is a 2011 thriller film written and directed by Matthew Chapman, starring Charlie Hunnam, Terrence Howard, Liv Tyler and Patrick Wilson. The film premiered in the U.S...
, a layered love story with themes of religious faith co-starring Liv Tyler
Liv Tyler
Liv Rundgren Tyler is an American actress and model. She is the daughter of Aerosmith's lead singer, Steven Tyler, and Bebe Buell, model and singer. Tyler began a career in modeling at the age of 14, but after less than a year she decided to focus on acting. She made her film debut in the 1994...
, Patrick Wilson
Patrick Wilson (actor)
Patrick Joseph Wilson is an American actor and singer. Wilson has spent years singing lead roles in major Broadway musicals, beginning in 1996. In 2003, he appeared in the HBO mini-series Angels in America...
, and Terrence Howard
Terrence Howard
Terrence Dashon Howard is an American actor. Having his first major role in the 1995 film Mr. Holland's Opus, which subsequently led to a number of roles in films and high visibility among African American audiences. Howard broke into the mainstream with a succession of well-reviewed television...
. In 2009, Hunnam sold his screenplay, Vlad, to Summit Entertainment
Summit Entertainment
Summit Entertainment LLC is an independent film studio headquartered in Santa Monica, California with international offices in London.-History:...
with Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
's Plan B Studios co-producing. The film is being directed by music video director and photographer Anthony Mandler
Anthony Mandler
Anthony Mandler is a commercial and music video director, who has written and directed music videos for several artists. His most notable and frequent collaborator is Rihanna...
and will focus on Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
as a young prince.
Personal life
Upon his arrival in Los Angeles in 1999, Hunnam met and married actress Katharine TowneKatharine Towne
Katharine Payne Towne is an American actress.Towne was born in Hollywood, California, the daughter of actress Julie Payne and Robert Towne, an Oscar-winning screenwriter, director, and actor....
, the daughter of screenwriter Robert Towne
Robert Towne
Robert Towne is an American screenwriter and director. His most notable work may be his Academy Award-winning original screenplay for Roman Polanski's Chinatown .-Film:...
and actress Julie Payne. They divorced in 2002. He currently has homes in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Byker Grove Byker Grove Byker Grove was a British television series which aired between 1989 and 2006 and was created by Adele Rose. The show was broadcast at 5.10pm after Newsround on CBBC on BBC One... |
Jason | TV series |
| 1997 | My Wonderful Life | Wes | TV series |
| 1998 | Microsoap Microsoap Microsoap is a children's sitcom, co-written by Mark Haddon and co-produced by the BBC and the Disney Channel. A total of 26 episodes were made, lasting over four series, and airing from 1998-2001. The series Producer for all episodes was Andy Rowley... |
Brad | TV series |
| 1999 | Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? is a film written by Ben Steiner, directed by Peter Hewitt and released in 1999. The British movie was filmed in Sheffield.... |
Daz | |
| 1999–2000 | Queer as Folk | Nathan Maloney | TV series |
| 2000 | Young Americans Young Americans (TV series) Young Americans is an American television drama created by Steven Antin. The show debuted on July 12, 2000 on The WB network as a summer replacement for, and spin-off from, another Columbia TriStar Television production, Dawson's Creek. The series was originally ordered for the fall 1999-2000... |
Gregor Ryder | TV series |
| 2001–2002 | Undeclared Undeclared Undeclared is an American sitcom that aired on Fox during the 2001–02 season.- Premise :The half-hour comedy was Judd Apatow's follow-up to his earlier television series Freaks and Geeks, which also lasted for one season... |
Lloyd Haythe | TV series |
| 2002 | Nicholas Nickleby Nicholas Nickleby (2002 film) Nicholas Nickleby is a 2002 comedy-drama film written and directed by Douglas McGrath. The screenplay is based on The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens, which originally was published in serial form between March 1838 and September 1839.-Plot:In a prologue we are... |
Nicholas Nickleby | |
| 2002 | Abandon Abandon (film) Abandon is a 2002 American thriller film released by Paramount Pictures and Touchstone Pictures. It was written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, starring Katie Holmes as a college student whose boyfriend disappeared two years previously... |
Embry Larkin | |
| 2003 | Cold Mountain Cold Mountain (film) Cold Mountain is a 2003 war drama film written and directed by Anthony Minghella. The film is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Charles Frazier... |
Bosie | |
| 2005 | Green Street Green Street Green Street is a 2005 British/American independent drama film about football hooliganism in England. It was directed by Lexi Alexander and stars Elijah Wood and Charlie Hunnam. In the United States and Australia, the film is called Green Street Hooligans, while in the United Kingdom it has the... |
Pete Dunham | |
| 2006 | Children of Men Children of Men Children of Men is a 2006 science fiction film loosely adapted from P. D. James's 1992 novel The Children of Men, directed by Alfonso Cuarón. In 2027, two decades of human infertility have left society on the brink of collapse. Illegal immigrants seek sanctuary in England, where the last... |
Patric | |
| 2008– | Sons of Anarchy Sons of Anarchy Sons of Anarchy is an American television drama series created by Kurt Sutter about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in Northern California... |
Jackson "Jax" Teller | TV series |
| 2011 | The Ledge The Ledge (film) The Ledge is a 2011 thriller film written and directed by Matthew Chapman, starring Charlie Hunnam, Terrence Howard, Liv Tyler and Patrick Wilson. The film premiered in the U.S... |
Gavin Nichols | |
| 2011 | Frankie Go Boom Frankie Go Boom Frankie Go Boom is an upcoming film directed by Jordan Roberts and starring Ron Perlman and Charlie Hunnam.-Plot:Ron Perlman plays a man who Phil who changes into a woman and changes his name to Phyllis.... |
||
| 2012 | Blackbird Blackbird (2012 film) Blackbird, previously titled Kin, is an upcoming crime drama film directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky, from a screenplay by Zach Dean. It stars Olivia Wilde, Kate Mara, Charlie Hunnam and Eric Bana.... |
||
| 2013 | Pacific Rim |