‘Sons Of Anarchy’ Star Charlie Hunnam Talks Growing Up And Becoming A Man, Says ‘Real Strength Takes Vulnerability’

Charlie Hunnam has certainly built up quite the career as an actor. From his iconic role as Jax Teller on Sons of Anarchy to his numerous upcoming movie projects, including Crimson Peak and Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur, Hunnam has been on a hot streak as of late. With that in mind, the actor recently sat down with Elle Canada and discussed his early days as a youth.

“When I was 15, I was banned from going to Florence on an art-history trip by a teacher who generally thought I was a ‘menace to society.’ While he was away, I broke into his stash of acrylic paints and painted this giant crushed-up Coke can. It was maybe the best painting I’d ever done, but he ripped it up in front of the whole class.”

Hunnam, who is no stranger when it comes to playing violent characters, went on to state that his behavior actually got him into major trouble with his school.

“We used to twist old art scissors into throwing stars, and I could hit a f**king bull’s eye, no problem. So I threw some of these scissors at him, and they landed in the doorframe parallel to his head. And that was it — they expelled me from school.”

Youthful rebellion aside, Charlie Hunnam also revealed that despite thinking it was bad to cry when he younger, showing emotions is actually a strength every man should possess.

“Standing on your own two feet, living by your code of honor and being a rock for the people around you,” he explained when asked what being a man was all about in today’s society. “But in the modern context, it also means being in touch with your feminine side. Men have to be strong enough not to repress their emotions; real strength allows for vulnerability.”

Charlie’s career has now featured a variety of different roles, from the violent biker in Jax Teller to his upcoming role as a young King Arthur in Guy Ritchie’s Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur. In regards to his new role, Hunnam revealed to the Men’s Journal that the legend of King Arthur was actually the thing that got him interested in acting.

“I fell in love with the story and would watch any of the movies about that story that played when I was a kid,” Hunnam explained. “It’s a real honor to be able to play this role.”

Catch Charlie Hunnam in Crimson Peak this October and in Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur in the summer of 2016.

[Photo Courtesy: Kevin Winter for Getty Images]