Across its seven seasons as one of the most popular shows on TV, Sons of Anarchy amassed an almost cult-like following that watched every week and enjoyed the antics and adventures of SAMCRO (Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original). These fans would like to think they know everything there is to know about the show.
But when it comes to Sons of Anarchy, there are so many interesting and shocking tidbits of information that even the most seasoned veteran of the show didn’t know. Check out our picks, but be warned that there could be SPOILERS contained in this list.
10. Ron Perlman Was Scared of Motorcycles
Of all the characters in the show, there may be no one more visually intimidating and tough looking than the long-time President and patriarch of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Clay Morrow (who is played by actor Ron Perlman). However, when the cameras are off and the film stops rolling, Perlman was the only cast member who wasn’t ecstatic that he got the chance to ride the bikes during the scenes, as he was actually afraid of them initially. The 66-year-old actor also took several falls during the early days of filming the show, which probably contributed to this fear.
9. The Show’s Creator Appears as a Recurring Character in the Show
In addition to being the show’s creator, who also works as a writer, director and executive producer, Kurt Sutter also acts in the series, and actually has a fairly big role. Sutter plays Otto Delaney, who is a SAMCRO member who has been incarcerated for years, yet still remains entirely loyal to the club, right until the end. The fact that Sutter was able to do all of those different things for the Sons of Anarchy series leaves little doubt that he is likely the most important fixture in the show and why it became so widely loved by TV viewers all over the world.
8. Most of the Characters Actually Rode Their Bikes Off-Camera
Contrary to entry #10 on this list about Ron Perlman being scared of the motorcycles in the early going, most of the cast was completely fine with them and actually became enamored with the bikes they rode. In fact, most of the actors actually rode the bikes themselves in the show, only using stuntmen for the couple of bigger stunts. Also, a number of the characters in the show have continued to ride their bikes in their day-to-day lives and have become real fans of motorcycles. Some of these characters have also led numerous charity motorcycle rides across the USA.
7. Gemma Sang Some of the Music in the Series
In addition to playing the matriarch of the family in Sons of Anarchy, Gemma Teller, Katey Sagal is also an extremely talented vocalist. In fact, Sagal sings on not one, but multiple songs on the official best-selling soundtrack of Sons of Anarchy. In fact, according to an interview done by her with NPR’s Fresh Air, she believes she appeared in about one song per season. Singing isn’t one of those side project ideas for her, she has some true talent. This talent is evident given that she worked as a backup vocalist with both Bob Dylan and Bette Middler earlier in her career.
6. Jax Has the Most Blood on His Hands of Any Character
If you had to pick one thing that this series was known for, it would likely be the amount of bloodshed and the willingness of the creator to kill off any character, at seemingly any time. In fact, going through the amount of people killed by members of SAMCRO is truly horrifying. During the seven seasons of Sons of Anarchy, the motorcycle club was responsible for a grand total of 175 murders!! And who is the character with the most murders and therefore the most blood on their hands? You guessed it, Jax Teller. Jax was responsible for 45 of the murders, which is almost 20 more than the man in second place, Tig, who was responsible for 27.
5. Gemma is Married to the Show’s Creator
Another fact that most viewers of Sons of Anarchy probably aren’t aware of is that the show’s creator, Kurt Sutter, is actually married to Katey Sagal, who plays SAMCRO matriarch, Gemma Teller. The two got married in 2004 in a private ceremony at their home in Los Angeles, California. In 2007, the couple welcomed their first daughter into the world. When Sagal won her Golden Globe in 2011 for her role role as Gemma, her biggest thanks went out to Sutter and she said that “It’s a partnership that works well on-screen as well as off-screen.”
4. Happy Was in a Real Motorcycle Gang
Sons of Anarchy is extremely accurate with its depiction of how real life biker gangs work and the lifestyle that those types of individuals live. This is largely thanks to a ton of research done by the team in order to make it authentic. One person who was very important in this process was actor David Labrava, who plays SAMCRO’s “Happy” in the show. Labrava used to actually be a real life member of the Hells Angels, so he offered writers and producers a unique perspective on the lifestyle. Apparently, he is currently an inactive member who is in good standing with the club.
3. Chibs’ Scars Are Real
One of the deepest and most interesting characters in Sons of Anarchy is SAMCRO’s resident Scotsman, Chibs Telford, who is played by actor Tommy Flanagan. In the show, Chibs has a couple of very distinct scars on each side of his face that extend almost like a smile. What most fans of the show don’t know, however, is that those scars are actually real and not as a result of make up for the show. Before becoming an actor, Flanagan was a DJ in Scotland and received the scars as a result of a knife attack outside of a nightclub.
2. The Show is “Loosely” Based on Hamlet
This is one that isn’t so obvious, but when you begin to break it down and truly look at the comparison, it makes a ton of sense. Both Hamlet and Sons of Anarchy are chalked-full of bloodshed, betrayal and lies. In fact, it could be argued that Jax and Hamlet are near twins! For starters, they were both born rulers, as Jax was bred to be the president of the club and Hamlet to be the king of Denmark. Next, both were the sons of deceased fathers and thus forced to live under the watchful eyes of a power-hungry male. In the comparison, Clay would be Claudius and Gemma would be Gertrude.
1. Charlie Hunnam is Actually From the UK
As any huge fan of the show would tell you, Charlie Hunnam absolutely knocked it out of the park with his role of Jax Teller in the show. He was extremely convincing, delivered believable acting and by the end of the series, he was Jax Teller. What surprises a lot of people is that not only is Hunnam not from California like Teller, he is not even from the USA. That’s right; Charlie Hunnam is actually from the UK and has a very distinct and unique accent that is unlike any Californian biker. His ability to switch accents on a dime is very impressive considering how different his character and accent are from his real life accent and personality.
