How Charlie Hunnam Behaved On Set Of Sons Of Anarchy, According To Maggie Siff
Charlie Hunnam's character Jax Teller on FX's "Sons of Anarchy" may need to act tough and cruel around his SAMCRO brothers, but he's allowed around Tara Knowles (Maggie Siff) to break down his walls a little bit. Through Season 6, the two share a unique bond as they rekindle the flame after a decade. The world of Charming and its outlaw motorcycle gangs are not for Tara, but she stays for Jax, even helping to care for his and Wendy Case's (Drea de Matteo) son.
Jax sees person after person die over the years. After all, it comes with the nature of his lifestyle. However, when he sees the brutally murdered body of Tara on the floor, he can't take it. This scene has been hailed by "Sons of Anarchy" fans as some of Hunnam's best bit of acting in his career. On Reddit, u/michfin67 praised the scene by describing it in detail, "...the way Charlie's holding her body, the tears flowing, his hands and arms shaking, that wail he did at the end." Several fans were inclined to agree: "Ooo you are right, when Jax found Tara dead.... THAT was the best acting by Charlie all series," one wrote, with another mentioning how the tragic scene made them freeze even after the screen faded away.
Jax's love for Tara is so strong that, after this heartbreaking loss, he sets out to kill her murderer –- his own mother, Gemma Teller Morrow (Katey Sagal).
On-screen, Jax is fierce and protective when it comes to Tara. He even agrees to a deal with District Attorney Tyne Patterson (CCH Pounder) that would allow Tara to escape Charming unscathed and put himself in jeopardy. But what was Hunnam, the man behind Jax, like on set while working with Siff during these trying scenes?
Maggie Siff said Charlie Hunnam was great to collaborate with on set
In a 2012 interview with Digital Spy, Maggie Siff shared details on what it was like to work alongside Charlie Hunnam until Tara's demise in Season 6, Episode 13 ("A Mother's Work"). Just as Jax works to get through difficult situations with Tara, Hunnam did the same with Siff.
"Even if we don't know what we're doing, if we have a problem with a scene or the writing, if I get confused or tired, I always know with Charlie, we'll find a way through," Siff said. "There's something about being able to work with someone like that, which is so gratifying. It's such a relief to have that sort of constant experience. He's so sweet and lovely too."
Additionally, just as Jax gets to break down his walls around Tara, Hunnam could do the same with Siff. She explained that, while he had great friendships with the other SAMCRO actors, they'd often joke around with each other: "So I feel like when he comes over to my side of the fence ... he gets to relax and show a different side of himself."
For Hunnam, the feeling is mutual. When Gemma committed her horrifying act of violence, Hunnam joined the rest of the world in mourning the loss of Tara. He was also saddened to see his time on set with Siff come to an end after six years. He said (via Mashable), "I really enjoyed working with her, and I think out of all the things we've achieved on 'Sons of Anarchy,' the relationship with Jax and Tara is the thing that I find plays the most real and deep and rich and has been the thing I've been most proud of."