Charlie Hunnam’s Most Memorable Roles

Charlie Hunnam made major waves in Hollywood with his riveting role in the TV series Sons of Anarchy. He played Jax Teller in the gritty series about a motorcycle club in California and showed both his brooding exterior while also allowing him to flex his range with intense dramatic sequences.

Despite his SOA being his most famous project, the actor had roles before that which helped him secure the gig and while the show also helped him get roles in massive blockbusters. In fact, he led both The Lost City of Z and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword in 2017, further cementing his star power in Hollywood.

To celebrate the actor’s big day, we’re looking back at some of the best projects he’s been involved in, whether he’s a leading man or an integral part of an ensemble.

Scroll through to revisit some of his best roles.

Nathan Maloney (‘Queer as Folk’)

Hunnam’s turn as teenage rebel Nathan Maloney in Queer as Folk wasn’t his first on-screen role, but it was his first bonafied hit. The drama portrayed the lives of three young gay men in 1990s England, and it became a hit that spawned sequel series and a U.S. remake.

Hunnam’s career owes a lot to the Channel 4 show, and he knows that. He’s even expressed returning to the role of Nathan if there’s ever a revival of the series.

Lloyd Haythe (‘Undeclared’)

In Judd Apatow’s comedy series that followed the critically-acclaimed Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared was a slightly more lighthearted exploration of the life of a first-year college student in the 2000s.

Hunnam played the handsome exchange student who regularly offered advice to his roommates and neighbors about how to meet women, demonstrating his charm and charisma early on. The show also featured a young Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, and Jason Segel in some of their earliest roles.

Pete Dunham (‘Green Street Hooligans’)

Before embracing the tough lifestyle of Jax Teller, Hunnam starred as a member of a soccer gang that was just as likely to cheer on his favorite football club as he was to butt heads with rival gangs.

Hunnam was just as charming and persuasive here as he was in the comedic Undeclared, but Green Street Hooligans showed off a much tougher, intimidating side of the actor, which were qualities he needed on Sons of Anarchy.

Jax Teller (‘Sons of Anarchy’)

Clearly his breakout role, Hunnam’s portrayal of Jax resonated with fans and critics alike.

From butting heads with his own motorcycle club, trying to find his own identity vs. what was forced upon him, and starting his own legacy, Hunnam showed a wide range of acting abilities in the show’s seven seasons.

Raleigh Becket (‘Pacific Rim’)

In one of the biggest films of his career, Hunnam starred as the pilot of a Jaeger, one of the only lines of defense against a series of Kaiju set on destroying humanity.

Although Hunnam might not have demonstrated as wide a range of emotions as he had in previous films, Pacific Rim showed he had the action star bravado to lead a big budget blockbuster.

Dr. Alan McMichael (‘Crimson Peak’)

Writer/director Guillermo Del Toro must have established quite the connection with Hunnam while filming Pacific Rim, as the filmmaker also cast Hunnam in the supernatural period piece Crimson Peak. Although he wasn’t the focal point of the film, Hunnam was still an integral part of the plot.

The film didn’t bring in huge box office numbers, the relationship between Del Toro and Hunnam will most likely result in seeing the two work together again. That’s good news for Hunnam fans, as Del Toro is one of the most ambitious filmmakers currently in the game.

King Arthur (‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’)

The Guy Ritchie-directed King Arthur: Legend of the Sword was slated to put Hunnam in the major-leading man category of action stars. However, the movie disappointed critically and at the box office.

Despite this, Hunnam shined as the titular character and provided fans with a promising look at the future leading roles he’ll surely score.

Henri Charrière (‘Papillon’)

While it hasn’t seen a wide release just yet, the remake of the 1973 biographical prison drama Papillon is already wowing critics.

Hunnam stars as Henri Charrière, a  convicted murderer who maintained his innocence and desires to escape the French prison he’s being held in. His dedicated performance has been lauded by those who have seen the film, as has the chemistry between him and co-star Rami Malek.