Charles Matthew Hunnam, better known as Charlie Hunnam, was born on April 10, 1980, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. He is the son of William "Billy" Hunnam, a metal merchant, and Jane Hunnam, an entrepreneur. His parents divorced when he was two years old, and he later moved with his mother and stepfather to Melmerby, Cumbria, at the age of 12. He attended Heaton Manor School in Newcastle and later Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Penrith, Cumbria. After being expelled from secondary school and failing to attend his final exams, Hunnam enrolled in the Cumbria College of Art and Design, where he graduated with a degree in film theory and history.
By the age of 17, Charlie Hunnam was working at a shoe store in Newcastle when a production manager for the local children's television show Byker Grove discovered him. He was cast in a brief role as Jason in three episodes of the show. His breakthrough came at age 18 when he played 15-year-old Nathan Maloney in Russell T Davies' Channel 4 drama Queer as Folk. The role established him as a rising actor with a willingness to take on challenging characters.
Hunnam followed this with a role as Daz in the film Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? (1999), after which he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a broader acting career.
In the U.S., Hunnam secured a recurring role as Gregor Ryder on the WB Network's series Young Americans. He then appeared in the short-lived Fox comedy Undeclared as Lloyd Haythe, a British drama student. Despite positive reviews, the show was canceled after one season.
His film roles during this period included Nicholas Nickleby (2002), Abandon (2002), and Cold Mountain (2003). Determined to build a meaningful career, Hunnam once stated, "I have 60 years to make money, but the decisions I make in the next five years are really going to define my career."
This career focus led him back to the UK, where he played the lead in Green Street (2005), a film about football hooliganism. Although his attempt at a Cockney accent was widely criticized, the role helped solidify his place in drama-focused cinema.
In 2011, Hunnam starred in the metaphysical thriller The Ledge, replacing actor Gavin Nichols. The film was directed by Matthew Chapman. He later took on the title role in the independent comedy 3,2,1... Frankie Go Boom (2012), acting alongside Ron Perlman, with whom he had previously co-starred in the hit FX show Sons of Anarchy. Hunnam later remarked that working with Perlman on those projects created some of the most enjoyable filming days of his career. He also played an ex-boxer named Jay in Stefan Ruzowitzky’s crime drama Deadfall (2012).
| Birth Date: | 10 Apr, 1980 |
| Age: | 40 yrs |
| Citizenship: | United Kingdom |
| Birth Place: | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Gender: | Male |
| Description: | English actor and screenwriter |
| Spouse: | Katharine Towne[1999-2002] |
| Net Worth 2021: | 20 million |
