Why Charlie Hunnam Waited Seven Years to Star in Shantaram

Charlie Hunnam proves that patience is a virtue. 

The 42-year-old actor, who starred as Jax Teller on seven seasons of FX’s Sons of Anarchy from 2008 to 2014, returns to television on Apple TV+’s Shantaram, premiering Oct. 14.

An adaptation of Gregory David Roberts‘ 2003 novel of the same name, the series is based on real-life experiences of Roberts and centers on Lin Ford (Hunnam), a convicted Australian bank robber who escapes from prison and flees to India.

Hunnam, who appeared in movies like 2019’s The Gentlemen and 2016’s The Lost City of Z after leaving Sons of Anarchy behind, exclusively told E! News that his television dry spell was by design. 

“I love long-form storytelling and I’ve been really eager to get back into television,” Hunnam said. “I had a few opportunities, particularly over the last five years, to get involved with things that would have been really extraordinary.”

However, Hunnam wanted to wait. 

“Seven years ago, I read Shantaram and it became an obsession for me to be part of the creative team that would bring this adaptation to screen,” he revealed. “Luckily, seven years later, that tenacity has paid off and I’m the guy that got to play Lin.”