At 17 years old, Charlie was already working at a shoe shop. A creation administrator for the Newcastle-based kids' show Byker Grove talked to him and Hunnam was casted in his first part as Jason in three scenes of the show. His first real role came when he was 18, when he portrayed the role of a fifteen-year-old schoolboy Nathan Maloney in Russell T.  Davies' Channel 4 dramatization Queer as Folk. He took after this up with his role of Daz in the film Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? (1999) and afterward moved to Los Angeles.

His vocation extended to incorporate in in the WB Television Network when he got a repeating part as Gregor Ryder arrangement Young Americans. Later, he was in the fleeting Fox arrangement Undeclared as an English dramatization understudy called Lloyd Haythe. In spite of basic recognition, the arrangement was crossed out after one season. He then showed up on the huge screen in Nicholas Nickleby (2002), Abandon (2002), and Cold Mountain (2003). He has expressed that he doesn't wish to just take any part that he is offered: "I have 60 years to profit, yet the decisions I make in the following five years are truly going to characterize my vocation." This choice brought about his come back to the UK to lead role in the movie Green Street (2005), although his endeavors at conveying a Cockney stress brought about his consideration in numerous pundits' "most exceedingly bad stresses in motion picture history" lists. In 2011, Hunnam replaced Gavin Nichols in the metaphysical show/thriller The Ledge, which was produced by by Matthew Chapman. Later, he featured as the title character in the non-mainstream comic drama 3,2,1... Frankie Go Boom (2012) alongside Ron Perlman, with whom he had already worked in Sons of Anarchy. Charlie later said that he believed that the roles and parts he’d played and shot along with Ron Perlman were the most amusing day of shooting throughout his entire profession. He additionally showed up as an ex-boxer named Jay in Stefan Ruzowitzky's wrongdoing dramatization Deadfall (2012).

In July 2013 and earned $411 million around the world. On June 2, 2014, Charlie was recompensed a Huading Award for Best Global Emerging Actor, for his part as Raleigh, because of the film doing exceptionally well in the Asian markets.

Hunnam met on-screen character Katharine Towne in 1999 when they both auditioned for parts on Dawson's Creek. In the wake of dating for four weeks, they wedded in Las Vegas. The couple separated in 2002. He has been involved with gems architect Morgana Mcnelis since 2007. In July 2013, Hunnam affirmed that he and Morgana were leaving Los Angeles to live on a farm just outside the city.