British star Charlie Hunnam, known for his roles in Sons of Anarchy, Monster: The Ed Gein Story, and Green Street, is still driven by his original ambition of becoming a writer-director, despite a long and successful career in acting.
Reflections on Career Path
During an appearance on the Prestige Junkie podcast, Hunnam shared insights into how his acting career took an unexpected turn. He initially entered film school with dreams of being a writer/director, having spent his youth enamored with films, storytelling, and the art of direction.
“I went to film school wanting to be a writer/director,” he reflected. “I spent all my entire youth watching films and thinking about film and storytelling and always thought I would be a director.”
Hunnam’s career trajectory changed after he was cast in Byker Grove, a long-running children’s television series filmed in Newcastle, where he grew up.
“And then I got an opportunity somewhat randomly, although I don’t think these things are random, to do an acting role in a show called Byker Grove, which was a children’s TV show where I shot in Newcastle, where I’m from,” he said.
This early opportunity led to acquiring an agent and landing a role in Queer As Folk, which was just his second audition. By the time he was 18, nearly 19, he had moved to America and was focused on his acting career.
“And here we are, like 27 years later, I’m still a frustrated writer-director,” he added.
Upcoming Role as Ed Gein
Hunnam’s current year has been marked by his portrayal of serial killer and body snatcher Ed Gein in the drama Monster: The Ed Gein Story. Initially, he faced challenges in understanding the psyche of the Butcher of Plainfield, whose horrific acts inspired characters in films such as Norman Bates in Psycho, Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs.
Hunnam eventually managed to delve deeper into Gein’s mindset, finding the role immensely rewarding.
“I thought with Ed’s, when I accepted the role and started getting into it, it felt utterly impossible. It just felt too great of a challenge. I couldn’t find who I thought this guy was, and I was really panicked and really afraid of the darkness and bleakness of the subject matter,” he shared.
“But as I journeyed through that and continued to force myself to move forward and go deeper, it ended up being one of the most rewarding processes I had.”