"Sons of Anarchy": A motorcycle gang is coming to your house

The one piece of swag that I really wanted at press tour never existed - something with the "Sons of Anarchy" colors. Maybe the creators of the new series, debuting Sept. 3 on FX, are trying to emulate a real gang in demanding respect for their colors, rather than hand out t-shirts to wimps like TV critics. Certainly there are a few guarded looks and much vagueness when they about the real gang that allowed them to hang around and do research. And some of the producers themselves look tough. One of them, John Linson, never took off his mirrored shades and hardly said more than two words during the session, sitting with his arms folded like a biker at a big sitdown. Could just be the usual Hollywood smoke and mirrors, but hey, I'm not going to be the one to ask.

To quote FX head honcho John Landgraf, "At its core, “Sons of Anarchy” is a generational  family drama. It’s also a crime drama, and it’s also  laced with social commentary." The cast includes sometime pretty boy Charlie Hunnam as Jax Teller, the heir to the SAMCRO throne; Katey Sagal as Gemma Teller, the matriarch of the family; and Ron Perlman as Clay Morrow, the cofounder and president of SAMCRO, the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original." (Sagal is also married to producer Kurt Sutter.)

A lot of other questions did get asked during the press tour session, including one brilliant one by me to Hunnam, and an edited Q'n'A follows. I'll have a review next week...

Sutter on the origin of the idea: I had lunch with John Linson and  Art Linson two years ago. And, you know, John had this  notion about doing a family drama set in the world of  outlaw motorcycle clubs. What John gave me was — you  know, he was completely immersed in the culture,  well-versed in the area. He had friends and  associates who were living the life, and what he  offered me was a front-row seat. And I wouldn’t –  you know, I didn’t want to get involved with anything that I felt I couldn’t do authentically. And, you  know, I can’t mention any organizations, but one of  these organizations sort of opened their doors to me,  and I got to see it firsthand, you know. And it was — it’s a fascinating culture. And the thing that attracted me to the world and these guys, I think, was — you know, I had no doubt that they were dangerous cats, you know. But there was this amazing camaraderie. There was this amazing sort of familial  “I’d kill for my brother” bond that all of them had  that was just somewhat endearing. And that, juxtaposed against the lifestyle, just was really sort  of fascinating material.

From that, I began  to do some academic research on the world and some of these clubs and really — you know, the notion that  most of these clubs really began as something else. They began as fraternities, of brotherhoods of guys, just most of them war veterans getting together to blow off steam. And in a very short period of time, a lot of these clubs morphed into essentially organized crime syndicates. And I thought that was such an epic arc that happened. And my — the core of the idea for the drama was I thought, you know, how does that guy, that first guy who designed the patch, put on the cut, and said, “Hey, let’s go out and ride motorcycles, have a few beers, and kick some ass” — how does that guy feel about eventually what the club became? And does he have regret? Does he have remorse? Would he feel the need to change it? And at that point, the idea and the club and the world is much bigger than the individual. And that’s sort of the idea that the drama grew from.

And then I imposed the sort of  Hamlet archetype on top of that.

Question: it seems like the character who would be looking at – going, “Gee, what did I start? What did this turn into?” is either Mr. Perlman’s character or the dead king character in the Hamlet analogy. So how are the various characters looking at the change in the situation?

Sutter: Yeah, I think the — in my mind, ‘Jax  Teller,’ who Charlie Hunnam plays, is essentially –  you know, not to be — to keep nailing the pretentious  Shakespearean analogy, but I will, is the Hamlet  character. And in my mind, the manuscript that he discovers in the pilot is essentially the ghost of his
father. And that’s what — the discovery of that  “Perhaps everything I’ve known, everything that means
something to me is perhaps wrong.” And the drama  spins out of that.

Question: Did any of the actors have to learn how to  ride for this role? And what was that experience  like?

Sagal: Ron?

Perlman: Yes.  (Laughter.)

Question: Could you elaborate?

Perlman: I’m still in the process of learning how to ride. It’s not going very well. (Laughter.)  But I have major medical, so –  (Laughter.) I think a bunch of us had to learn how  to ride. I’m probably the biggest tinhorn of all.  But, you know, it’s the magic of movies. We’ll figure out a way to sell it, I guess. It’s terrifying. I’m not going to lie to you. (Laughter.)

Question: Could you tell us about your role?

Perlman: these guys are all guys who pretty much came to this  after having given the ultimate sacrifice to their  government. And then they came home, and they got a little bit disillusioned about what heroes and warriors are supposed to be greeted like and formed an alternate kind of thing to depend on, an alternate family, an alternate political structure. They’re completely self-sufficient. Not completely anarchistic. They don’t want anything to do with any organization but their own. There’s a sort of a ruthlessness that comes with protecting the values that they always thought should be great American values but found out that that American dream that was being shoved at them was a little short of something you could truly depend on. And so there’s a very compelling sociopolitical point of view that they have. And my guy is one of the founding members, and he was partners with ‘Jax Teller’’s dad from the inception of the club, and now he’s kind of running the show. And he’s — he doesn’t accept failure. He doesn’t accept failure on any level. He’s very, very convinced that what he does, he does for the greater good.

Sutter: The drama, I think, happens is that you have this organization that believes that and commits to that, and yet they have to exist in — within the social boundaries that we all know. And how do you
navigate that philosophy in a world where there are laws and there are rules and your kids have to go to
the same schools as every other kid and you have to buy groceries at the same place everybody else buys groceries? So for me, the cool hook of the world was that philosophy trying to — imposing that philosophy on what we all understand to be the boundaries of society.

Question: You say that you’ve sort of given an open  door into this world, which is kind of an weighted issue  since, I mean, back in the day the Hells Angels participated in the Corman film and then turned around and sued him for defamation of character. And I know Sonny Barger is now after Michael Tolkin and his HBO show. How tight are you with these guys? Is there going to be any backlash? They’re fairly litigious.

Linson: I think we’ll be okay.

Question: That’s it?

Linson: That’s it.

Meevee: I hope you’ll take this as a compliment. But  I sort of think of you going back to “Undeclared” and some of the other roles that you’re really well-known for, and I watching this on the closed circuit last night, and I started to look down at the cast list and looked up and went, really?

Hunnam: That’s great.

Linson (to Hunnam): What’s he trying to say?

MeeVee: (This role is) sort of unexpected for you. Can you talk about finding this character and what you had to do to prepare this character and also about the learning to ride that we asked Ron about?

Hunnam: I was very fortunate that I hooked up with these guys pretty early in the process, so I had a
lot of time to learn. Had a great guy who taught us all. By the time we actually got to shooting, I was really, really comfortable on the bike. And, you know, it’s whether you — whatever role I’m playing, the process is pretty similar, you know. I do a little academic research and then really just go out into the world and try — I felt that this character wasn’t a huge — wasn’t too far away from the character or the world that I had investigated and explored for "Green Street Hooligans." Those groups of hooligans live by a lot of the same rules and, you know — I can’t  think of the word.

But so basically I just — I spoke with Kurt a lot, and John was an incredible wealth of knowledge about this
world, and so I started there and read a few books. And then the greatest research was actually finding a few, you know, real-life outlaws and hanging with them for a couple of weeks and just walking the walk and talking the talk, just learning about the aesthetic and then just trying to apply as best I could to what we were doing.#

Comments

[torchwood]

I'm sure this show is gonna piss off a lot of people,
law enforcement, local admin, some veterans, but mostly real
bikers in Real M.C.s. They won't be cast in a "favorable"
light and the "citizens" are just gonna have their fears
confirmed and re-enforced.
It's gonna be interesting seeing Peggy Bundy/Leela as a Biker momma,
not much of a leap, really...
Never the less,as a fan of 'the Shield', I'll watch to-nite
and hope it's not total rubbish...

[Tee]

Ditto here...I can already see people flinch when we come through their town....Man it's already bad enough...now this...I love Kathy Segal so I may actually watch for her...

[T]

What a bunch of BS ......this show is the furthest thing from mc life ....rubbish ......ridiculous.

[shenchao]

I knew a few Hells's Angels back in the 70's and they were the most patriotic, loyal, scary guys around. But I gotta say if our county gets attacked again I know those guys are gonna be around to protect us. I hope this show at least shows that patrotic side to them.

[J T]

I'm really surprised that Ron Perlman would play the part of the leader of a racist biker group. Hell, he's married to a Black woman in real life. I know the everyone has to make a living, but damn!!! I guess if she doesn't have a problem with it, I shouldn't Anyway, just my opinion...
J

[Wayne]

When can you get the all black T-SHIRTS with the Logo on the back?

[V-star star]

This is a TV show, better than most. I ride, I've wrecked, I've fought. But this IS Hollywood. True life is either too extreme or too boring for media. Riders should view with a grain of salt, and the public will always be influenced. But i have only been messed with once. most people wave to bikers on cruisers and are angry at sport bikes these days. This show probably won't change that. I haven't seen a Harley pop a wheelie next to a minivan full of terrified children in awhile :) WATCH THE SHOW, its entertainment some of us can relate too, and all can enjoy. (except the wee-ones)

[wanda wlyde]

i have watch this show 3 times it's great love it i like the cast , they take care of the problem that just there way or the high way great show
wanda

[Murray]

"I'm really surprised that Ron Perlman would play the part of the leader of a racist biker group. Hell, he's married to a Black woman in real life. I know the everyone has to make a living, but damn!!! I guess if she doesn't have a problem with it, I shouldn't Anyway, just my opinion..."

The Sons aren't racist in the show. Their rival is though

[W.R.]

Love the show. Bikes, Chicks, it will soon be too cold to ride up north. It will be nice to have something to watch with my favorite things in it.

[Taz]

Hey guys....its a great show! and it entertaining! Yep it has it's time slot for sure... but so does alot of other 1 hr. shows on Channels 2-6-8-or 12...and many more...If you don't like it then shut THE #### up and turn the channel!
It seems every ASSHOLE out in the world has a opinion! AND LIFE IS TO SHORT...AND WERE ALL MADE OF FLESH AND BONE! SO LIFE IS NOT PERFECT... EVEN IN THE MOVIES...AND I AM A BIKER!

[New car pricing]

"Sons of Anarchy": A motorcycle gang is coming to your house"
I like to see these type of shows, there's a lot to learn from them. These type of behaviors are just another expression of people in society, interesting to see why, what are their personalities, how were their parents, etc.

[Steel]

...where can you pruchase offical products??? T-Shirts, etc.

[D-Day]

This is a small but serious warning to you folks who are looking for T-shirts and such. I probably wouldn't wear anything with the logo, patches, etc. Motorcycle clubs take their patches VERY seriously and don't appreciate the general public trying to copy that. Their patches are EARNED not bought.

Sure, most of them will realize that it's a TV show. But, some may not and that's what could get you into trouble.

[rooster]

rooster and snake both agree most awesome show ever cant wait till next season biker life rules!!!

[meangene]

close enough to reality to keep scooter tramps interested and enough hollywood to keep Joe citizen nervous. keep your knees in the breeze