Charlie Hunnam Nearly Headlined an Iconic 2000s Teen Drama Before Sons of Anarchy (2024)

Charlie Hunnam is known for playing the rugged, long-haired outlaw biker in Sons of Anarchy. Jax Teller is heartbreakingly charming, and at the same time, complete chaos. He put fans through a journey of hope and dreams only to break their hearts in the end. With both angst and vulnerability in his eyes, Hunnam is known for portraying characters who are good and evil at the same time. However, many years ago, he almost played a starry-eyed dreamer in an iconic teen drama show. In 1999, after having appeared in a handful of teen drama shows, Charlie Hunnam auditioned for the lead role in Dawson's Creek, which was an instant hit and known for its depiction of growing pains and bitter and sweet young loves. Along with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the show put Warner Bros. Network on the teen programming map for the next decade.

The 18-year-old British actor had a completely different look in the late 90s. Already a heart-breaker, the actor was still finding himself as an actor. Charlie Hunnam was at the beginning of his career when he auditioned for Dawson's Creek. Despite everything, the event changed his life in a big way and set him on a path that eventually led him to the charming "bad boy" of Hollywood fans know him as today.

Charlie Hunnam Auditioned for Dawson's Creek

In 1999, 18-year-old Charlie Hunnam was one of the actors to audition for the lead role in the iconic teen drama Dawson's Creek. The show follows the life of Dawson Leery, a wannabe filmmaker, as he faces the struggles and growing pains of his teenage and adolescent years along. He does this along with his close friend Pacey, the new girl next door named Jen, and his best friend Joey, who has been in love with him since childhood.

While it remains unknown which role the Sons of Anarchy star auditioned for, it's not hard to guess that he was probably up for the lead, Dawson Leery, given his blonde hair and charming appearance that matches the look James Van Der Beek had for the character in the show. The audition he attended for Dawson's Creek managed to change his life in a significant way. Interestingly, Hunnam met his ex-wife Katharine Towne during the audition. They fell madly in love in an instant, and three weeks later, the two found themselves in a chapel in Las Vegas, saying "I do" to each other. Recently, the actor opened up about the terrible experience of marrying someone so soon at an age so young, saying:

Hunnam had to head back to England after the audition. He feared that he wouldn't be able to see Towne ever again, so he thought that getting married would be the guarantee he was looking for. "We thought, 'What if we never see each other again? Let's get married, and then we'll have to see each other again, even if it's just to get divorced," the actor said. "So we came to Vegas, but I couldn't even get a drink, so I actually didn't think I would be able to get married."

Charlie Hunnam didn't get the role, for better or worse. His marriage with Thorne didn't turn out so well either. The end result was "three terrible, painful, expensive years" that the actor still regrets till this day. He also quoted getting "the cats" being the best part he got out of the marriage. He said:

What Could Have Been if Charlie Hunnam Was Cast in Dawson's Creek?

Dawson Leery is a starry-eyed character with a big dream to be a successful director one day. However, he has trouble facing his own feelings, let alone reality and heartbreak. He has a complicated relationship with his childhood best friend Joey as he's busy chasing the new girl next door. He bounces between the two girls, saying things that he doesn't mean, running from one complicated situation to another. The studio went with James Van Der Beek for the role, who did a wonderful job portraying the doll-eyed protagonist who struggles to grow up from a boy into a man.

James Van Der Beek popularized the show as the gentle heart-breaker who's hard to hate. It's hard to imagine anyone else for the role. While Hunnam had the build and the look of Dawson, he didn't have a tender dreamer side, which was crucial for the character. Without the innocence and the hopelessly romantic appearance, Dawson could be unlikable as a lead. In this case, Hunnam wouldn't have been right for the part. The English actor had too much angst and rebellion in his eyes to do Dawson justice.

While Hunnam is best known for playing the rugged biker and serial killer Jax Teller in Sons of Anarchy, the actor had a completely different outlook in the late '90s. Young Charlie Hunnam was nothing like the muscular biker in the famed show. However, he did have a "bad boy" vibe. The actor starred in three teen drama shows before his audition for Dawson's Creek. He played Wes in My Wonderful Life and appeared in one episode of Byker Grove and one episode of Miscrosoap, all showcasing his "bad boy" good looks. It's clear that he's not right for the role of Dawson Leery, and if he was cast for the role, Dawson's Creek might not have been able to achieve the same popularity it had, given that Hunnam would likely give the character a completely different vibe. His three-year marriage also ended up being a disaster, which, in part, contributed to the growing angst in his eyes. His own life journey would have been too different from the role if he were to play Dawson.

What Happened to Charlie Hunnam After Dawson's Creek?

While Charlie Hunnam lost the lead role to James Van Der Beek, the role that he did end up taking landed him big. In retrospect, not starring as Dawson Leery in the famed teen drama turned out to be a good thing for Hunnam. Because of the loss, he had the opportunity to do another show, which became pivotal in the scope of his career. Hunnam was chosen to star as the nuanced Nathan Maloney in ten episodes of Queer as Folk UK between 1999 and 2000. The role is emblematic of his career. Hunnam had a full nude scene in the show that sparked quite a controversy among English conservatives. This was due to the explicit nature of the gay sex scene that involved his 15-year-old character, although Hunnam was 19 at the time.

The character Nathan Maloney launched Hunnam's career and put him in front of the public's eyes. Studios began to notice Hunnam's ability to juggle between the complicated, conflicting natures of a character, which paved the way for the later roles that Hunnam ended up taking. Just like Jax Teller, who is as repulsive as he is attractive, a force that energizes the show with his chaotic energy, Nathan Maloney is both one to love and one to hate. After Queer As Folk UK,Hunnam starred alongside Ian Somerhalder in three episodes of Young Americans in 2000. He starred as Katie Holmes' (Katie Burke) violent and rich stalker boyfriend who "disappeared" in Abandon. He also played an albino gunman psychopath in Back to Cold Mountain in 2003, then the rude West Ham United thug in Hooligans, which many viewers have voted to be one of Hunnam's best roles.

From 2008 to 2015, Charlie Hunnam starred as the titular biker, Jax Teller in Sons of Anarchy. The role is his biggest to date and established him as one of the hottest men in Hollywood. After spending more than a decade playing morally gray characters, Hunnam was approached to play the kinky billionaire Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey. However, due to scheduling conflicts and filming for the last season of Sons of Anarchy, Hunnam had to walk away from the role. He has since starred in franchises like Rebel Moon. He also has an upcoming television series named Criminal.

Sons of Anarchy

9

10

TV-MA

Action

Drama

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
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Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

September 3, 2008

Cast

Charlie Hunnam , Katey Sagal , Kim Coates , Mark Boone Junior , Tommy Flanagan , Ron Perlman , Johnny Lewis

Main Genre

Crime

Seasons

7

Creator

Kurt Sutter

Number of Episodes

92

Network

FX

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu