As someone who watched every single episode of Judd Apatow’s short-lived Undeclared in real time I am consistently fascinated by the acting career of Charlie Hunnam. First it was recognizing him in films like Cold Mountain and Children of Men. Then after multiple first season Sons of Anarchy promos I finally put together it was the same guy portraying what soon would become UPROXX’s favorite love-to-hate bro-walking, nostril-flaring Hamlet of the MC: Jax Teller.
And NOW it’s Hunnam’s impending jump to summer blockbuster sci-fi/action star in Pacific Rim that has me fascinated (don’t get me started on the Ron Perlman-FX-Charlie Day connection). Not a bad career arc for the pretty-faced British kid who was billed under Jay Baruchel on a show that everyone forgets about thanks to Freaks and Geeks.
But none of this will ever fascinate me as much as the dude’s real life accent. From the few interviews I’ve seen it’s been all over the place for years, but last night on Conan it reached peak convolutedness. Like many British actors before him (see: Bale, Christian) years of living in the States and constantly using American accents in his work has turned his speech pattern into this weird indecipherable amalgam of all influences. In the clip below where he describes going head-to-head with multiple home burglars (lol, wut?) he goes in and out of Jax Teller, Nicholas Nickelby, and west coast dock worker effortlessly. It’s so odd and mesmerizing it’s enough to make you not notice how peculiar an interview it is for a guy promoting his summer blockbuster.
I have no answers, only questions. So here’s the new Sons of Anarchy promo in case you haven’t seen it yet. Blows will be thrown. Maybe Tara’s new hair can help divert your focus.
