Truth be told, it took some major convincing to get me to believe the little British guy from Undeclared was the huge dude in that show about motorcycles with Peg Bundy. Another truth, I’ve only ever seen one episode of said hit show so you can guess that’s not why I have any love for Charlie Hunnam — but because he’s a fellow April baby like myself and happens to be turning 35 this week, we’re going to talk about why it seems like he’s everyone and their mom’s must-have man. I mean, I get it. I have eyes and I can see why Sons of Anarchy was all about this guy, but why else do people fall all over him?
Name: Charles Matthew Hunnam
Birthday: April 10, 1980
Place of Birth: Newcastle, England
Fan Site Shout Out: @ECharlieHunnam
Best Known For
He made waves in his homeland when he got a role on Queer as Folk — not the American one that we’ll talk about later, but the original. From there he moved onto US TV with Undeclared alongside Seth Rogen and the man-always-squinting Jay Baruchel. A good looking guy, he scored a big screen part in Nicole Kidman’s Cold Mountain and then come 2008 his life changed forever when he became Jax Teller. For six years he played the badass biker and it was an instant hit that drove fans crazy. It was one of those shows that you really couldn’t pinpoint the fan base either. Tough guys liked Sons of Anarchy for obvious reasons, but it was pulling in housewives thanks to Teller showing a whole lot of backside. During that time he was in Pacific Rim with Charlie Day and now that his biker days are done, he’s moving on to King Arthur’s court next year as the lead and The Mountain Between Us in 2017.
5 Quick Charlie Hunnam Facts
- He’s the second oldest of four brothers.
- RZA is his favorite artist.
- Speaking of the artists and whatnot, he has a degree in the theory and history of film.
- Two of his best friends are Jamie Bell and Anne Hathaway.
- That body of his makes him feel better. He told Men’s Fitness, “I’m happier, more confident, and more positive when I work out. And I feel like I’m a better actor because of the clarity it gives me.”
Reasons You Love Charlie Hunnam
It’s not impossible that some of you stumbled upon Queer As Folk, took a mental note, and then picked up your love affair with Hunnam when he transformed into Jax. That’s something that could’ve happened and that’s a long time for you to have stood by and waited for his next big break. However, I’m sure 99% of you fell onto his fandom after he scored the FX role. That’s okay too, because you were not alone. You also aren’t alone in being part of the group who just drool over this guy because he’s the stereotype of what men should look like. The rest of you love him because, let’s face it, you gained major respect for him and were relieved when he dropped out of 50 Shades of Grey.
Having only seen the final episode of Sons of Anarchy, I can’t say that I fully understand the character but he seems like a lot of others that have graced screens in the past, both big and small. He comes from heartbreak and ache. He’s suffered the loss of two loves, has seen friends and family die countless times, and has had to overcome. In the end, he does what he sees fit in order to ensure his kids have a safe place. You love that no matter what, Jax was an anchor for the story and all the while, he looked pretty immaculate.
What you also love is that just when you couldn’t love him more, you heard that he was going to be Christian Grey. Yes, those who think that book is a great piece of work were excited — but being a true fan, you knew that it would kill all the cred he’d gained on Sons. Thankfully, he claimed he couldn’t make it work with his schedule and the part went elsewhere. Whether or not he was telling the truth, or realized that doing that movie would be the biggest mistake he could ever make, you applaud his decision to this day. You get enough of his body when he’s Jax anyway.
Charlie Hunnam stepped into the role of Jax and rode straight into your heart and even though it’s gone, you can’t shake what that character means to you due to his pain and what he’s been through and what he’s done to keep moving on all the way to the end. In the end you love Charlie as much for what he’s done as what he didn’t have time to do, thankfully.
Reasons I Love Charlie Hunnam
Undeclared is one of the many shows Fox decided to take away from fans too soon, and I must admit that years ago I had a picture of Charlie Hunnam from that show on my wall. He was sitting, looking to the side and I think had on a dark pink button up. I bet if I searched through some boxes, it’d turn up. So my love for Charlie was more like a middle school crush and as I said before, I could not believe that he was the guy making all the noise on Sons of Anarchy. Not just because he was a small fry back then, but because I didn’t realize he was still working.
In all seriousness, though, why I should love this guy is because he was part of a show that inspired my favorite show to be made. If the original Queer as Folk had never existed, who knows if a show like that would’ve ever come to the US? Let’s be real, America likes to take British versions and just put people we’d find attractive in them and watch them take off — The Office, Shameless. So a round of applause from me to Hunnam and the rest of that cast — because of them I got the US version, and let’s be real, that’s my all time favorite show ever.
So while my love for Charlie doesn’t run too deep, it does reside in an adolescent infatuation and a thank you.
