# Charlie Hunnam
**Charlie Hunnam** (Charles Matthew Hunnam, born 1980) is an English actor, producer, and screenwriter best known for playing Jackson "Jax" Teller on the FX crime drama *Sons of Anarchy* (2008–2014) and for starring roles in films including *Pacific Rim* (2013), *The Lost City of Z* (2016), and *The Gentlemen* (2019).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402271/) • [2](https://www.biography.com/actors/charlie-hunnam)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1980, Newcastle upon Tyne, England[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402271/) • [2](https://www.biography.com/actors/charlie-hunnam) |
| Breakthrough TV role | Nathan Maloney in Russell T. Davies's *Queer as Folk* (1999), his first major role[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402271/) • [2](https://www.biography.com/actors/charlie-hunnam) |
| Signature role | Jax Teller in *Sons of Anarchy*, 92 episodes from 2008 to 2014; season 3 averaged 4.9 million weekly viewers[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402271/) • [3](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/tv-shows/sons-of-anarchy-limited-series-legends-ordered-fx/) |
| First film lead | *Nicholas Nickleby* (2002)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402271/) |
| Biggest commercial film | *Pacific Rim* (2013), $411.0 million worldwide[4](https://boxofficewatch.com/people/charlie-hunnam) |
| Recent work | Ed Gein in *Monster: The Ed Gein Story* (2025); creator of the FX/Hulu meta series *Legends*[2](https://www.biography.com/actors/charlie-hunnam) • [3](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/tv-shows/sons-of-anarchy-limited-series-legends-ordered-fx/) |
| Recognition | One Primetime Emmy nomination; 3 wins and 12 nominations overall[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402271/) |
## Early life and start in acting
Hunnam was born in Newcastle, England, to [Jane Bell](https://www.edgepedia.org/jane-bell), a business owner, and William Hunnam, who worked in the scrap metal industry and died in 2013. His parents divorced when he was a toddler, and his mother raised him and his older brother.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402271/) • [2](https://www.biography.com/actors/charlie-hunnam) He has described himself as "a little bit of a rebel" growing up; at age 15 he was severely beaten by six people, an experience he has said pushed him to learn to fight.[2](https://www.biography.com/actors/charlie-hunnam)
His first television appearance came at 18 with a guest role in the series *Byker Grove* (1989).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402271/) He enrolled at the University of Cumbria and graduated with a film degree.[2](https://www.biography.com/actors/charlie-hunnam) Fame in Britain followed with his role as the love-smitten Nathan Maloney in *Queer as Folk* (1999).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402271/)
## Early film career
After short-lived series including *Young Americans* (The WB, 2000) and *Undeclared* (2001–02), Hunnam's first film lead came as the title character in Douglas McGrath's adaptation of *Nicholas Nickleby* (2002).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402271/) • [5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/charlie_hunnam) International attention began with a supporting part opposite [Katie Holmes](https://www.edgepedia.org/katie-holmes) in the thriller *Abandon* (2002).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402271/)
He then played Bosie in *Cold Mountain* (2003), Pete Dunham in *Green Street Hooligans* (2005), and Patric in *Children of Men* (2006), three parts he has grouped as his "trilogy of mad men."[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402271/) During this period he was selective to the point of turning down more work than he accepted; he declined a role in *300* because he had committed to *Children of Men* with [Alfonso Cuarón](https://www.edgepedia.org/alfonso-cuaron), and he was in the final shortlist for Anakin Skywalker in the *Star Wars* prequels before the part went to [Hayden Christensen](https://www.edgepedia.org/hayden-christensen).[6](https://elpais.com/icon/2025-09-10/siempre-siento-que-estoy-a-una-pelicula-fallida-de-quedarme-sin-trabajo-charlie-hunnam-el-actor-que-siempre-dice-no.html) A financially strained stretch was eased when he sold a screenplay about Dracula to [Brad Pitt](https://www.edgepedia.org/brad-pitt)'s production company.[6](https://elpais.com/icon/2025-09-10/siempre-siento-que-estoy-a-una-pelicula-fallida-de-quedarme-sin-trabajo-charlie-hunnam-el-actor-que-siempre-dice-no.html)
## Sons of Anarchy
Hunnam's role in *Green Street Hooligans* caught the eye of writer [Kurt Sutter](https://www.edgepedia.org/kurt-sutter), who cast him as the protagonist of *Sons of Anarchy*, a drama about an outlaw motorcycle club that became FX's most popular show and a critical success.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402271/) Hunnam played [Jax Teller](https://www.edgepedia.org/jax-teller), a young club member who begins questioning himself, his relationships, and the club after discovering a manifesto written by his late father; the series ran for seven seasons and 92 episodes from 2008 to 2014, with its third season averaging 4.9 million weekly viewers.[3](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/tv-shows/sons-of-anarchy-limited-series-legends-ordered-fx/) The role made him a star in the United States and earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402271/)
## Film career after Sons of Anarchy
**Blockbusters and auteurs.** Hunnam's first commercially successful starring film role was as Raleigh Becket in [Guillermo del Toro](https://www.edgepedia.org/guillermo-del-toro)'s *Pacific Rim* (2013), which grossed $411.0 million worldwide.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402271/) • [4](https://boxofficewatch.com/people/charlie-hunnam) He reteamed with del Toro for the horror film *Crimson Peak* (2015), then played the explorer [Percy Fawcett](https://www.edgepedia.org/percy-fawcett) in James Gray's *The Lost City of Z* (2016) and the title role in [Guy Ritchie](https://www.edgepedia.org/guy-ritchie)'s *King Arthur: Legend of the Sword* (2017).[7](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/charlie-hunnam/) • [5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/charlie_hunnam) *King Arthur* grossed $149.2 million worldwide against a 31% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, and a Guardian commentary at the time argued that Hunnam lacked the lineup-recognition quality of a conventional movie star.[4](https://boxofficewatch.com/people/charlie-hunnam) • [8](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/08/tom-hardy-charlie-hunnam-king-arthur-movie-star-actor)
**Later roles.** In 2017 he also starred as [Henri Charrière](https://www.edgepedia.org/henri-charriere) in the *Papillon* remake opposite [Rami Malek](https://www.edgepedia.org/rami-malek), and in 2019 he appeared in three films: *Triple Frontier*, *True History of the Kelly Gang*, and Ritchie's *The Gentlemen*, the last grossing $115.2 million worldwide.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/charlie_hunnam) • [4](https://boxofficewatch.com/people/charlie-hunnam) His highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes is *Children of Men* at 92%, and his lowest is *The Ledge* (2011) at 14%.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/charlie_hunnam) On Metacritic, his best-scoring film is *Children of Men* at 84 and his worst *Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire* (2023), in which he played Kai, at 31.[9](https://www.metacritic.com/person/charlie-hunnam/)
He was cast as Christian Grey in *Fifty Shades of Grey* (2015) but dropped out three weeks before shooting began, citing personal reasons and his *Sons of Anarchy* schedule.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402271/)
## Recent work
In 2025 Hunnam played the killer [Ed Gein](https://www.edgepedia.org/ed-gein) in *Monster: The Ed Gein Story*, the latest installment of Ryan Murphy's anthology series, joining predecessors [Evan Peters](https://www.edgepedia.org/evan-peters) ([Jeffrey Dahmer](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeffrey-dahmer)) and Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch (the Menendez brothers).[2](https://www.biography.com/actors/charlie-hunnam) For the role he tried to obtain tapes of an interview conducted with Gein after his arrest, gaining access only a week before shooting, after he had already conceived the character's voice.[10](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2026-08-10/charlie-hunnam-monster-ed-gein-story-netflix)
In August 2026, FX ordered *Legends*, a meta limited series created by Hunnam with Jonathan Groff and executive produced by Rob Mac, in which the *Sons of Anarchy* cast, including Ron Perlman, Katey Sagal, Maggie Siff, and Theo Rossi, reunite at a fan convention playing themselves. It is the second spinoff in the *Sons of Anarchy* universe after *Mayans M.C.* (2018).[3](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/tv-shows/sons-of-anarchy-limited-series-legends-ordered-fx/) Hunnam is also attached to the Prime Video crime series *Criminal*, in post-production, and the series *Legacy of Spies*, in which he plays Alec Leamas.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402271/)
## Acting approach and writing
Hunnam has said he went to film school to study film theory rather than acting technique, and that he gravitates toward roles involving sensitive characters.[11](https://www.lwlies.com/interviews/charlie-hunnam-lost-city-of-z-king-arthur) • [12](https://www.dailyactor.com/actors-on-acting/charlie-hunnam-creating-opportunities/) His preparation is intensive: before committing to a role he reads the script five or six times.[10](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2026-08-10/charlie-hunnam-monster-ed-gein-story-netflix) Rami Malek, his *Papillon* co-star, described him as "an incredibly thoughtful actor who doesn't make any decisions without digging as deeply as he can into the character's mind."[13](https://kfd.kinepolis.be/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/PAPILLON_International-Final-Production-Notes-7-10-18.pdf)
Beyond acting, Hunnam is a screenwriter who has spoken about taking a greater role in the storytelling process and has written his own miniseries; the Dracula script he sold early in his Hollywood years and the *Legends* series he created are both products of that side of his career.[6](https://elpais.com/icon/2025-09-10/siempre-siento-que-estoy-a-una-pelicula-fallida-de-quedarme-sin-trabajo-charlie-hunnam-el-actor-que-siempre-dice-no.html) • [12](https://www.dailyactor.com/actors-on-acting/charlie-hunnam-creating-opportunities/) • [3](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/tv-shows/sons-of-anarchy-limited-series-legends-ordered-fx/)
## Personal life
Hunnam was married to Katharine Towne from 1999 to 2002.[2](https://www.biography.com/actors/charlie-hunnam)
## References
1. [Charlie Hunnam – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402271/)
2. [Charlie Hunnam: Biography, Actor, Screenwriter – Biography.com](https://www.biography.com/actors/charlie-hunnam)
3. [Charlie Hunnam and 'Sons of Anarchy' Cast to Reunite in FX and Hulu Meta Thriller 'Legends' – TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/tv-shows/sons-of-anarchy-limited-series-legends-ordered-fx/)
4. [Charlie Hunnam Box Office: Every Movie Ranked – Box Office Watch](https://boxofficewatch.com/people/charlie-hunnam)
5. [Charlie Hunnam Movies & TV Shows List – Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/charlie_hunnam)
6. ["Siempre siento que estoy a una película fallida de quedarme sin trabajo": Charlie Hunnam – El País](https://elpais.com/icon/2025-09-10/siempre-siento-que-estoy-a-una-pelicula-fallida-de-quedarme-sin-trabajo-charlie-hunnam-el-actor-que-siempre-dice-no.html)
7. [Charlie Hunnam - Actor](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/charlie-hunnam/)
8. [Jude Law is one but Tom Hardy isn't: what makes a movie star? – The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/08/tom-hardy-charlie-hunnam-king-arthur-movie-star-actor)
9. [Charlie Hunnam – Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/charlie-hunnam/)
10. [How Charlie Hunnam reinvented himself with 'Monster's' Ed Gein – Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2026-08-10/charlie-hunnam-monster-ed-gein-story-netflix)
11. [Charlie Hunnam: 'Modern life is not particularly interesting to me' – Little White Lies](https://www.lwlies.com/interviews/charlie-hunnam-lost-city-of-z-king-arthur)
12. [Charlie Hunnam on Why Acting is Exciting and How He's Creating His Own Opportunities – Daily Actor](https://www.dailyactor.com/actors-on-acting/charlie-hunnam-creating-opportunities/)
13. [Papillon International Production Notes – Kinepolis](https://kfd.kinepolis.be/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/PAPILLON_International-Final-Production-Notes-7-10-18.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › English actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Gw to H*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license