Eight years have passed (eight!) since Sons of Anarchy ended with Jax Teller letting the spirit of Jesus guide his bike into a semi-truck or something. Since that green-screen moment, lead actor Charlie Hunnam went on to dodge 50 Shades Of Grey and embark upon a wide-ranging career including The Lost City of Z, Crimson Peak, and Papillion. Oh, and he informed us all that he previously turned down the rock star role (which went to Russell Brand) in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which blows my mind a bit, but that’s all in the past (or maybe not).
Hunnam is still best known as president of Kurt Sutter’s SAMCRO-based creation. And let’s just say that he’s a world away from Charming in Apple TV’s Shantaram series. The show’s an odyssey of sorts, following Gregory David Roberts’ same-named book, which charts an Australian convict who flees from prison and ends up in India, where life takes turns both dazzling and troubling. The book may or may not be based upon Roberts’ own life experiences, which is part of the fun. From the show’s synopsis:
“Shantaram” follows a fugitive named Lin Ford (Hunnam) looking to get lost in vibrant and chaotic 1980s Bombay. Alone in an unfamiliar city, Lin struggles to avoid the trouble he’s running from in this new place. After falling for an enigmatic and intriguing woman named Karla, Lin must choose between freedom or love and the complications that come with it.
Shantaram premieres on December 16, only on Apple TV.