SOA's Mark Boone Jr. Was Certainly Not A Rookie In Motorcycle Riding
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Unlike Charlie Hunnam, a newbie biker who actually dropped his motorcycle on the first day of filming "Sons of Anarchy," Mark Boone Jr. was no stranger to riding prior to taking on the role of SAMCRO member Bobby Munson.
In an interview with AV Club, Boone revealed that his passion for biking began in adolescence. At only 11 years old, he purchased his very first bicycle for a mere $50. "I started sneaking it out and riding it around. My grandparents bought land in northern Wisconsin almost 90 years ago now, and so all through my childhood, I rode," he recalled.
However, Boone retired his motorcycle for some time at the age of 18. After his brother-in-law experienced a horrible biking accident, Boone's mother pleaded with him to quit riding. He obliged — until he landed the part on Kurt Sutter's series. "I shouldn't have been on a motorcycle for many years because I was an idiot. Then when the pilot [for "Sons of Anarchy"] was picked up, the motorcycle I ride every day, I bought that within a couple of days," said Boone.
In fact, the thought of riding again was what ultimately compelled Boone to accept the job.
Mark Boone Jr. initially didn't want to be a TV actor
When the opportunity came about to join the "Sons of Anarchy" cast, Mark Boone Jr. was hesitant. Just a quick glimpse at his IMDB page shows that, largely, he's a movie actor. As stated in "Sons of Anarchy: The Official Collector's Edition," he never wanted to be a well-known TV star who gets his character's name yelled at him in public places. However, he couldn't say "no" to "Sons of Anarchy" when it meant he could reconnect with motorcycles.
"I love motorcycles. There's something very exciting about [them]. Even the symbol of a motorcycle takes you somewhere right away," said Boone, who bought a Harley immediately after FX picked up the show. "It gave me a really good excuse to have one and ride one again. I am very happy to reintroduce the motorcycle into my life. I ride all the time; that is my primary form of transportation."
For Boone, working long hours on set, having to sometimes don an Elvis Presley costume, and hearing the occasional exclamation of "Bobby!" at a restaurant were all worth it. That's because, after so many years, he got to reestablish his biking passion.