Charlie Hunnam

Charles Matthew Hunnam is an English actor born on April 10, 1980, in Newcastle upon Tyne. He is widely recognized for playing Jackson "Jax" Teller in the FX drama series Sons of Anarchy (2008–2014) and for leading roles in various feature films and television productions. Over his career, he has essayed diverse characters across science fiction, historical dramas, action thrillers, and biographical projects.

Raised primarily by his mother, a ballet dancer and business owner, Hunnam grew up alongside his older brother and two younger maternal half-brothers. His family relocated to Melmerby, Cumbria, when he was 12 years old following his mother's remarriage. After attending Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Penrith, he chose to pursue higher education at the Cumbria College of Art and Design in Carlisle. He graduated with a dual degree in performing arts alongside film history and theory, initially aiming to write and direct his own films.

Hunnam's acting career began after he was discovered at age 17 in a retail store, leading to a minor role in the teen drama Byker Grove. He gained wider prominence at age 18 playing Nathan Maloney in the Channel 4 series Queer as Folk. Following a move to the United States, he landed roles in television projects such as Young Americans and the short-lived comedy series Undeclared. His early feature film credits included Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?, Abandon, Nicholas Nickleby, and Cold Mountain.

After returning to the United Kingdom to star in Green Street (2005) and appearing in Children of Men (2006), Hunnam secured his breakthrough role as motorcycle club leader Jax Teller in Sons of Anarchy. His performance across the show's seven seasons earned him multiple award nominations, including two Critics' Choice Television Award nods. During this period, he also starred in films such as The Ledge, 3,2,1... Frankie Go Boom, and Deadfall.

Hunnam gained further international exposure starring as Raleigh Becket in Guillermo del Toro's sci-fi blockbuster Pacific Rim (2013), which earned him a Huading Award. He subsequently starred in del Toro's Crimson Peak, played explorer Percy Fawcett in The Lost City of Z, and took on leading roles in Guy Ritchie's King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and The Gentlemen. His film repertoire continued with roles in Triple Frontier, Last Looks, and Zack Snyder's two-part space opera Rebel Moon.

On television, Hunnam led the Apple TV+ series Shantaram in 2022 and was cast as the lead character in Amazon Prime Video's comic adaptation Criminal. In 2025, he executive produced and starred as Ed Gein in the third season of the Netflix anthology series Monster, earning nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, an Actor Award, and a Critics' Choice Television Award.