Charlie Hunnam

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**Charles Matthew Hunnam** (Template:IPAc-en; born 10 April 1980) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Nathan Maloney in the Channel 4 drama *Queer as Folk* (1999–2000), Lloyd Haythe in the Fox comedy series *Undeclared* (2001–2002), the title role in *Nicholas Nickleby* (2002), Pete Dunham in *Green Street* (2005), Jackson "Jax" Teller in the FX drama series *Sons of Anarchy* (2008–2014) for which he was twice nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series, Raleigh Becket in *Pacific Rim* (2013), Percy Fawcett in *The Lost City of Z* (2017), and in the title role of Guy Ritchie's *King Arthur: Legend of the Sword* (2017).

## Early life

Hunnam was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, on 10 April 1980. His father, William "Billy" Hunnam (1952–2013), was a junk sellerTemplate:Clarify and alleged gangster who left the house when Charlie was two years old. His mother is Jane Bell, a ballet dancer and business owner. Hunnam has said that she did a very good job at being a single mother. He has an older brother named William and two younger half brothers on his mother's side named Oliver and Christian. At age 12, when his mother remarried, he moved to the village of Melmerby, Cumbria. One of his grandmothers painted portraits.
Hunnam was diagnosed with dyslexia, which makes it difficult for him to read and write and suffers from misophobia, fear of germs and dirt in general. During his adolescence, he played rugby and fought with his classmates, so he was expelled from Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Penrith, Cumbria, which forced him to study and to take exams from his home. After that, instead of going to university, he decided to go to the Cumbria College of Art and Design in Carlisle (now part of the University of Cumbria) to study Performing Arts, and graduated with a degree in the theory and history of film with a side in performing arts, with the idea of writing and directing his own films.

## Career

### Early work

Hunnam was discovered at the age of 17 in a branch of JD Sports on Christmas Eve while clowning around buying shoes for his brother. A production manager for the Newcastle-based children's show *Byker Grove* approached Hunnam and he was later cast in his first role as Jason in three episodes of the show. He also had a brief modeling career where he did a photo shoot for Kangol Caps and then decided modeling was not for him. Hunnam's first major role came at age 18 when he was cast by Russell T Davies as 15-year-old schoolboy Nathan Maloney in Davies' Channel 4 drama *Queer as Folk*.

He followed this up with his role as Daz in the film *Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?* (1999) and then moved to the United States.

His career expanded to include a recurring role as Gregor Ryder in the WB series *Young Americans*. He then appeared in the short-lived Fox series *Undeclared* as an English drama student called Lloyd Haythe. Despite critical acclaim, the series was cancelled after one season. Hunnam then appeared on the large screen in *Abandon* (2002), *Nicholas Nickleby* (2002), and *Cold Mountain* (2003).

Hunnam has stated that he does not wish to simply take any role that is offered, saying, “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 UK to take the lead role of Pete Dunham in the film *Green Street* (2005); however, his attempt at delivering a Cockney accent resulted in his inclusion in many critics' "worst accents in movie history" lists.

Hunnam said his role as Patric, a member of "The Fishes" in *Children of Men* (2006), was the final part in his "trilogy of mad men".

"I played the psycho in *Cold Mountain*, my character in *Green Street hooligan* is fairly psychotic and now I've got this role."

### 2008–2012

 File:Charlie Hunnam by Gage Skidmore.jpg
From 2008 to 2014, Hunnam starred as Jackson "Jax" Teller in *Sons of Anarchy*, a show about a prominent motorcycle club in a small fictional California town. Hunnam was cast after Kurt Sutter, the creator of the show, saw him in *Green Street*. His portrayal as Jax Teller has led Hunnam to receive a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination, three EWwy Award nominations for Best Lead Actor in a Drama series, and a PAAFTJ Award nomination for Best Cast in a Drama Series.

In 2011, Hunnam played the role of Gavin Nichols in the philosophical drama/thriller *The Ledge* by Matthew Chapman.

In 2012, he starred as the title character in the indie comedy *3,2,1... Frankie Go Boom* alongside his *Sons of Anarchy* co-star Ron Perlman. Hunnam said he considered the day he filmed scenes with Perlman the best and funniest day of filming he's had in his career. He also appeared as Jay, an ex-boxer, in Stefan Ruzowitzky's crime drama *Deadfall* (2012).

### 2013–present

 File:Charlie Hunnam by Gage Skidmore 4.jpg
Hunnam starred as Raleigh Becket in Guillermo del Toro's sci-fi film *Pacific Rim*, which opened in July 2013 and grossed $411 million worldwide. It was announced on 2 September 2013 that Hunnam would play the lead role of Christian Grey in the film adaptation of E. L. James' novel *Fifty Shades of Grey*. However, on 12 October 2013, Universal Pictures announced that Hunnam had withdrawn from the film due to conflicts with the schedule of his series *Sons of Anarchy*.

On 2 June 2014, Hunnam was awarded a Huading Award for Best Global Emerging Actor, for his role as Raleigh in *Pacific Rim* due to the film performing well in Asian markets. Hunnam reunited with del Toro in the horror film *Crimson Peak*, alongside Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, and Jessica Chastain. The film began shooting in February 2014 and was released on 16 October 2015.

Hunnam starred as geographer Percy Fawcett in James Gray's adventure drama *The Lost City of Z*, filmed from August–October 2015, premiered at the New York Film Festival in 2016, and was released in April 2017. Hunnam also starred in Guy Ritchie's action-adventure film *King Arthur: Legend of the Sword*, which was filmed between March and July 2015 and was released in May 2017.

### Screenplays

Immediately prior to getting cast on *Sons of Anarchy*, 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 the real-life story of Vlad the Impaler. Hunnam learned the story from locals in Romania while shooting *Cold Mountain*. He stated that he had not acted in 18 months and was so broke that if he had not managed to sell the script he would have had to sell his house and move back to England to live with his mother. Hunnam is also developing a screenplay based on a 2011 *Rolling Stone* article that he optioned about Edgar Valdez Villareal, an American drug lord who ran one of the biggest cartels in Mexico. Another project he has in development is a film about gypsy culture in Britain, which he hopes to direct. He stated that it is "a part of English society that's really seldom been explored, but is one of the most colourful and interesting parts of British society."

## Personal life

Hunnam met actress Katharine Towne in 1999 when they both auditioned for roles on *Dawson's Creek*. After dating for three weeks, they married in Las Vegas and divorced in 2002. He has also had relationships with model Sophie Dahl, actress Stella Parker and film producer Georgina Townsly.

Hunnam has been dating artist Morgana McNelis since 2005.

In 2016, Hunnam began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Rigan Machado and went on to receive his blue belt in October 2018.

## References

1. ↑ "Charlie Hunnam: Biography". *TV Guide*. Archived from the original on 13 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141113164136/http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/charlie-hunnam/bio/144223. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
2. ↑ Rivkin, Annabell (2 September 2005). "Hollywood Blonde".
3. ↑ "High Street card shop one of the best in UK" (24 June 2011).
4. ↑ Dawkins, Walter (24 November 2011). "Charlie Hunnam's biker is riding a tightrope in 'Sons of Anarchy'". Retrieved on 27 November 2013. Template:Dead link
5. ↑ "Nerdist Podcast: Charlie Hunnam", Nerdist (8 July 2013). Retrieved on 27 November 2013.
6. ↑ "Person Details for Charles Matthew Hunnam, "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008" — FamilySearch.org". *familysearch.org*. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV47-V5HN. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
7. ↑ "Charlie Hunnam Facebook fansite". Retrieved on 27 November 2013.
8. ↑ "Exclusive: Charlie Hunnam Talks 3,2,1... Frankie Go Boom, Internet Piracy, More". http://www.shockya.com/news/2012/10/11/exclusive-charlie-hunnam-talks-321-frankie-go-boom-internet-piracy-more/. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Charlie Hunnam on Sons of Anarchy, Pacific Rim, and Henry David Thoreau". Showbizjunkies.com. 2 September 2013. http://www.showbizjunkies.com/tv/charlie-hunnam-interview-sons-of-anarchy-interview/. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
10. ↑ "Who is Charlie Hunnam?". http://www.freep.com/usatoday/article/2756803. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
11. ↑ "CHARLIE HUNNAM, WHO GREW UP IN NORTH CUMBRIA, LANDS LEAD ROLE IN FIFTY SHADES OF GREY MOVIE". Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131002064707/http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/charlie-hunnam-who-grew-up-in-north-cumbria-lands-lead-role-in-fifty-shades-of-grey-movie-1.1082404. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
12. ↑ "Charlie Hunnam coming home for new movie role". Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131022031528/http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/charlie-hunnam-coming-home-new-1417073. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
13. ↑ "Meet the Alumni". University of Cumbria (UK). http://www.cumbria.ac.uk/AboutUs/Alumni/Features/Profiles/Home.aspx. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Appearance", *The Tonight Show with Jay Leno*, NBC (17 July 2013).
15. ↑ Roth, Jon (21 February 2016). "Charlie Hunnam on His Calvin Klein Campaign, Leaving Sons of Anarchy, and His Next Not-So-Big Role". *GQ*. https://www.gq.com/story/charlie-hunnam-calvin-klein-reveal-interview.
16. ↑ "Charlie Hunnam Q&A". Female First. 11 July 2013. http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/movies/charlie-hunnam-300975.html.
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Holmes, Barry J (25 April 2010). "Charlie Hunnam: The Queer as Folk star has grown into a burly biker with a top-rated cable show", *The Independent*. Retrieved on 30 June 2012.
18. ↑ "Worst Cockney Accent Film Set". Retrieved on 27 November 2013.
19. ↑ "Homesick in Hollywood". IC Newcastle. 25 June 2006. http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/sundaysun/news/tm\_method=full%26objectid=17289732%26siteid=50081-name\_page.html. Retrieved 30 May 2012. Template:Dead link
20. ↑ Gilbert, Gerard (8 May 2009). "Sons of Anarchy – Wheels on fire", The Independent. Retrieved on 25 June 2012.
21. ↑ "June - 2013 - Pan-American Association of Film & Television Journalists". *wordpress.com*. http://paaftj.wordpress.com/2013/06/. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
22. ↑ Gans, Andrew (8 April 2011). ""The Ledge," Featuring Charlie Hunnam, Liv Tyler, Patrick Wilson, Terrence Howard, Due in July". Playbill. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140116095012/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/149677-The-Ledge-Featuring-Charlie-Hunnam-Liv-Tyler-Patrick-Wilson-Terrence-Howard-Due-in-July.
23. ↑ Zakarin, Jordan (3 May 2012). "'Frankie Go Boom' Poster Features a Transgender Ron Perlman (Photo)". *The Hollywood Reporter*. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/risky-business/frankie-go-boom-poster-ron-perlman-transgender-296904.
24. ↑ Lesnick, Silas (11 October 2012). "Interviews: 3, 2, 1... Frankie Go Boom". Comingsoon. http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=95617.
25. ↑ Stewart, Andrew (5 December 2012). "'Deadfall' preems at Arclight". Variety. https://variety.com/2012/film/news/freeze-framed-1118063120/.
26. ↑ Nelson, Rob (25 April 2012). "Review: 'Deadfall'". Variety. https://variety.com/2012/film/reviews/deadfall-1117947447/.
27. ↑ "Casting Call: Charlie Hunnam to Star in Guillermo del Toro's PACIFIC RIM; Amber Heard and Shiloh Fernandez Like SYRUP". Collider. http://collider.com/charlie-hunnam-pacific-rim-amber-heard-shiloh-fernandez-syrup/. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
28. ↑ Schillaci, Sophie (2 September 2013). "Charlie Hunnam to Play Christian Grey in 'Fifty Shades of Grey'". *The Hollywood Reporter*. Prometheus Global Media. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/charlie-hunnam-play-christian-grey-619312. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
29. ↑ Kroll, Justin (12 October 2013). "Charlie Hunnam Falls Out of 'Fifty Shades of Grey'". *Variety*. PMC. https://variety.com/2013/film/news/charlie-hunnam-falls-out-of-fifty-shades-of-grey-1200718847/. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
30. ↑ "Charlie Hunnam gets special honor at China's Huading Film Awards - Daily Mail Online". *Mail Online*. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2645837/Orlando-Bloom-looks-dapper-chic-tuxedo-smart-Charlie-Hunnam-gets-special-honor-Chinese-film-awards.html. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
31. ↑ Template:Cite av media
32. ↑ Kit, Borys (18 January 2013). "Charlie Hunnam in Early Talks to Join Guillermo Del Toro's 'Crimson Peak'". *The Hollywood Reporter*. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/charlie-hunnam-crimson-peak-guillermo-del-toro-early-talks-413639.
33. ↑ Kroll, Justin (30 January 2014). "Legendary, Universal Date Guillermo del Toro's 'Crimson Peak' for October 2015". Variety. https://variety.com/2014/film/news/legendary-universal-date-guillermo-del-toros-crimson-peak-for-oct-2015-1201078647/.
34. ↑ Carpenter, Perry (29 July 2015). "Robert Pattinson Spotted with Brad Pitt, while FKA Twigs tries on Wedding Dresses". Inquisitr. http://www.inquisitr.com/2292028/. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
35. ↑ "Charlie Hunnam on 'Sons,' 'Fifty Shades' fallout, and what's next". *Entertainment Weekly*. https://ew.com/article/2014/10/03/charlie-hunnam-fifty-shades-sons-anarchy/. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
36. ↑ Mike Fleming Jr. "'Sons Of Anarchy's Charlie Hunnam Is Guy Ritchie's Choice For King Arthur - Deadline". http://deadline.com/2014/08/sons-of-anarchys-charlie-hunnam-is-guy-ritchies-choice-for-king-arthur-825945/. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
37. ↑ Rebecca Ford. "Charlie Hunnam, Margot Robbie Eyed for 'The Mountain Between Us'". *The Hollywood Reporter*. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/charlie-hunnam-margot-robbie-eyed-730196. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
38. ↑ Anthony D'Alessandro (December 21, 2015). "Guy Ritchie's King Arthur Film Gallops To 2017, 'Lights Out' On July 22, 2016: WB Release Date Changes". http://deadline.com/2015/12/knights-of-the-roundtable-king-arthur-guy-ritchie-sully-lights-out-1201670759/. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
39. ↑ "Sons of Anarchy Star Talks About His Vlad Script". DreadCentral. http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/34916/sons-anarchy-star-talks-about-his-vlad-script. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
40. ↑ "Story of 'Vlad' the Impaler Won't Touch on Vampirism". BloodyDisgusting. http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/18350. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
41. ↑ Reynolds, Simon (2 September 2013). "Charlie Hunnam confirmed as Christian Grey in '50 Shades of Grey' movie". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a511921/charlie-hunnam-confirmed-as-christian-grey-in-50-shades-of-grey-movie.html. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
42. ↑ "GQ&A: Charlie Hunnam". http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2013-07/10/charlie-hunnam-interview-pacific-rim-sons-of-anarchy. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
43. ↑ "Hunnam ready for battle in Pacific Rim". St Albert Leader. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131202231037/http://www.stalbertleader.com/2013/07/11/hunnam-ready-for-battle-in-pacific-rim/. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
44. ↑ "Charlie Hunnam Recalls 'Terrible, Painful, Expensive' Three-Year Marriage To Actress Katharine Towne". Us Weekly. 17 April 2017. https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/charlie-hunnam-on-terrible-painful-three-year-marriage-w477225/. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
45. ↑ "Hunnam Credits Failed Marriage For Helping Him Find Fame". Contact Music. 7 November 2003. http://www.contactmusic.com/news-article/hunnam-credits-failed-marriage-for-helping-him-find-fame. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
46. ↑ alohacriticon.com, ed. (2005). "Nació el 10 de abril de 1980 en Newcastle Upon Tyne (Inglaterra)." (in Spanish). https://www.alohacriticon.com/cine/actores-y-directores/charlie-hunnam/.
47. ↑ Kimble, Lindsay (10 March 2016). "Who Is Morgana McNelis? Five Things to Know About Charlie Hunnam's Girlfriend". *People*. http://www.people.com/article/morgana-mcnelis-five-things-to-know. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
48. ↑ "Charlie Hunnam Has A Message For Fangirls Bullying Longtime Girlfriend". *The Huffington Post*. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/charlie-hunnam-girlfriend-online-attacks\_us\_56e1bc42e4b065e2e3d51cb8.
49. ↑ "Charlie Hunnam asks fans to stop attacking his girlfriend". *Entertainment Weekly*. http://www.ew.com/article/2016/03/09/charlie-hunnam-girlfriend-video.
50. ↑ "Charlie Hunnam Asks Fans to Stop Attacking His Girlfriend: 'She Is an Intelligent, Beautiful, Kind Person'". *PEOPLE.com*. https://people.com/celebrity/charlie-hunnam-asks-female-fans-to-stop-attacking-girlfriend-morgana-mcnelis/.
51. ↑ "Charlie Hunnam Talks Learning Jiu-Jitsu, His Work Out Regimen For King Arthur & More". BJJ Eastern Europe. https://www.bjjee.com/articles/charlie-hunnam-talks-learning-jiu-jitsu-work-regimen-king-arthur/. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
52. ↑ "Rigan Machado Promotes Charlie Hunnam (and Joel Kinnaman)". Jiu Jitsu Times. https://www.jiujitsutimes.com/rigan-machado-promotes-charlie-hunnam-and-joel-kinnaman/. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
53. ↑ WSJ Staff. "Who Was Nominated for the 2015 People's Choice Awards (Full List)". *WSJ*. https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/11/04/who-was-nominated-for-the-2015-peoples-choice-awards-full-list/. Retrieved 24 July 2015.

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