Charlie Hunnam Once Described Exactly How Far He Went to Embody Jax Teller on ‘Sons of Anarchy’

Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam has said that he is nothing like his character Jax Teller. He’s not really a tough, bada** biker-type with a penchant for violence. Instead, he’s a self-described “hippie who smiles a lot” and prefers a “gypsy way of life.”

But during those seven seasons that he starred on Kurt Sutter’s biker drama, Hunnam went pretty method with his character. The actor says he went to great lengths to embody Jax Teller.

Charlie Hunnam based Jax Teller on a real-life 22-year-old real-life ‘outlaw’

When Hunnam was doing research for Sons of Anarchy and the role of Jax, he didn’t know anything about the world of motorcycle clubs. So, he went to Oakland to hang out with a well-known club, and that’s where he met the real-life Jax Teller.

“This one kid in particular that I met was amazing. It was kind of a dream come true for me in a lot of ways when I went up there. Because he was Jax Teller. His dad was in the club and had been in the club his whole life,” Hunnam told The Huffington Post.

Hunnam said he was drawn to the real-life Jax before he even knew who he was because he “just had an amazing presence about him.” He was so inspired that he based Jax’s looks, style, and mannerisms on this 22-year-old who he described as the kind of guy that they just “don’t make” anymore.

“He was like an old school outlaw, cowboy, fu**ing badass gunslinger. But modern day, you know?” Hunnam said.

The ‘Sons of Anarchy’ star once described how far he went to embody Jax Teller

Hunnam says he based everything about Jax on this 22-year-old Oakland biker who inspired the “whole aesthetic.” His character “literally wears the jeans and the shoes” that the real-life Jax wore. 

The Brit took this look very seriously, both on and off-screen. He went to great lengths to embody the character, and then did a “massive spring cleaning” when the series ended.

“I pretty much wore nothing but plaid shirts for the last seven years, and then as soon as I finished, I just felt compelled [to] have a massive spring cleaning,” Hunnam told GQ Magazine.

“I just went through and got rid of everything. I put everything I had into that show. I lived it as much as I could. I never got in a car the whole seven years. I was only on my bike and rolling around with a bunch of real bikers and occasionally acting like a maniac.”

Charlie Hunnam had a difficult time saying goodbye to his ‘Sons of Anarchy’ character

Letting go of Jax when Sons of Anarchy came to an end wasn’t easy for Hunnam. He says that he went through “genuine bereavement” after living with that character for seven seasons.

“Saying good-bye to the character was a motherf**ker. As stupid as it sounds, it really felt like a genuine bereavement, because he was this guy that I loved and hung out with constantly for seven years,”  Hunnam said.

“It was a lot of tears for, like, two or three weeks, every time I thought about it. Then one day, I woke up and was like, “Okay, it’s time to move on. RIP, Jax Teller.” 

All seven seasons of Sons of Anarchy are available on Hulu.