The Cast of “Sons of Anarchy” Talks Season 5.
Article and Photos copyright Suzanne Philips
The cast and creator of the hit FX show “Sons of Anarchy” rolled into the 2012 Comic Con in San Diego to discuss the amazing success of the show and what is in store for Season 5. The popularity of the show was evident in force at the annual convention for comic and entertainment fans. Sons of Anarchy shirts and biker gear was everywhere at this year’s event and it reflects how the show has gathered a diverse fanbase. There was a packed autograph signing on the main convention floor and a panel with all of the cast in the huge Hall H at the San Diego Convention Center – an honor normally reserved for huge film panels and long-established TV shows.
Cast members Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Ron Perlman, Theo Rossi, Kim Coates, Mark Boone Junior, Tommy Flanagan, Maggie Siff, Ryan Hurst, Dayton Callie and creator Kurt Sutter sat down to discuss the upcoming explosive fifth season and where there characters are headed.
After all of the turmoil of last season, many of the characters in the show are in a period of adjustment. Ryan Hurst who plays fan-favorite Opie says that “Opie is still grieving over his father and is coming to terms with the club and where he fits in, and in the first couple of episodes we will see where that goes.” Kim Coates feels that his character “Tig is really off the leash now. The leash was really with Clay the first couple of season and then Clay started to lie to Tig. Tig wasn’t sure where he was going last year – with Jax and the club he is literally off the leash. The way it ended last year – why do I always kill the wrong girl?” Coates laughs. “I think this season is going to be pretty dramatic for Tig and pretty upsetting for Tig and a lot of shit goes down.”
Theo Rossi’s character Juice had a crazy time last season and that will continue this year “The show is so filled with secrets, everybody has these massive secrets. Juice is so confused. Tig is off the leash and Opie left and wasn’t at the table. Juice is there but he is hiding this huge thing with killing Miles and working with the ATF. It’s just about secrets and what comes out and what doesn’t and this is a guy who is so confused at this point and he is super vulnerable to anything that can happen. He wants to go back to being that fun-loving guy but at the same time the clown is crying on the inside.”
Tommy Flanagan who plays Chibs is the new Sargent at Arms in the Sons. “Clay kind of saved Chibs in the backstory in Ireland and Jax was just a young kid when he came to the club. Chibs kind of sees Jax as his son. Clay has done so much shit that it is hard to stay “Team Clay” though he does have some loyalty to him. But he is definitely on Jax’s side.”
Mark Boone Junior who plays Bobby on the show says that his character “Bobby has always been seemingly the level-headed member of this idiot’s band. I guess that is destined to continue, unless he somehow goes off the rails. Bobby has always been standing in for what the club needs and he will continue to do so.”
Creator Kurt Sutter talks about the tumultuous relationship between Tara (Maggie Siff) and Gemma (Katey Sagal) “The interesting thin about Tara and Gemma this season is the push and pull of a mother-daughter relationship. It’s this daughter who is trying to exercise her own control and become her own person in this family structure. And you have this mother who is threatened by that, who wants to be part of that, who tries to insert herself in that. And it’s really sort of a back and forth. It really changes from episode to episode. I think that is really the balance that is going on between them this season”. Katey Sagal agrees “I think Gemma loves Tara very, very much and at the same time I think she is threatened by her position, that Tara might be taking over Gemma’s position. They love each other, then they are fighting and then they love each other again.”
Maggie Siff says of her character Tara “One of the nice things in this story is playing a love story as old as it is. They are high school sweethearts. I have always felt that there is something about this that trumps everything else. You know she can’t walk away from it and that’s the truth. It’s also where she comes from. She is such an orphan character that in a way this is the only family she has and it’s almost the only family she has ever known. There is this attachment to Jax and also to Gemma I think – it’s family, it’s who she is and it’s all she has.”
Charlie Hunnam says that now that Jax has moved into the position of running the club “I think the moment when I sat down at the end of last season when I sat down and assumed the position of president, there was kind of a tangible excitement among the guys – a feeling that we were moving into a new chapter of the show.” Ron Perlman chimed in “Don’t get used to that chair” – just sayin.”
“Clay only knows of one way and that is to be on top, he takes a back seat to no one, he takes orders from no one. He lets no one else set the agenda” continues Perlman. “We see him at the beginning of Season 5 and everything that he has ever worked for in his life has been taken from him, except his life. He is wife-less, he is president-less, he has lost the respect and trust of his crew and family. He literally starts off with nothing but has to wonder – why the fuck would you leave me alive, you know I’m coming back. What’s amazing for me is that I am getting to play the exact same human being in a different set of circumstances. What Kurt has given me to play this season is so much fun. Where we are going I am not really sure, but I do know that it is going to be fraught with tension and wonderment as to whether if it is possible what Clay is dreaming for himself – or re-dreaming for himself. He is a guy who just – unless I’m dead, I ain’t stopping. So there you have it Mr. Teller – don’t get used to that chair, bro!”
Another thing that makes this show so unique is the relationships that the actors share. They truly are a family of sorts and this mirrors the relationships their characters have onscreen. Theo Rossi echoes that “The greatest thing about this show is that we get to work together for another season. It was proven again last night at one of these ridiculous Hollywood parties. A lot of these shoes these people don’t even talk to each other, they don’t hang out together, they don’t walk in together, they don’t do anything. We not only just like hang out and love each other, we live, bleed and work together. I know people say that and make all that bullshit thing but it’s a lie. I saw it again last night which is why we only lasted 15 minutes at the party. We hang out together, we like being together, we respect each other, we love each other’s work. These two characters (Tig and Opie) they are my two favorite characters on the show. I won’t say that if I am at another table with other guys, these truly are. They are the most complex, the most interesting. We all feel that way about it. It’s such an ode to Kurt and what he has done. He has created all these great characters.”
Kim Coats sums it up “What’s different about this season is that we are looking at the table through a different lens. When you sit down at the table the first time this year and Clay is not there – it’s just weird.” Rossi agrees “It’s completely different. It is different – it feels different and it fuels what every character feels and it’s like , ok… here we go.”
Season 5 of “Sons of Anarchy” will feature guest stars such as Jimmy Smits, Joel McHale, and Harold Perrineau. Kurt Sutter promises a crazy, explosive season and you can check out brand new episodes of “Sons of Anarchy” which air on FX starting Tuesday, September 11th.
Sons of Anarchy is one of the best shows on TV and sadly it’s underrated and hasn’t been nominated for any awards. That doesn’t change the fact that this is a great show with a great story and powerful characters. Last season left me breathless in how things played out with Juice and Clay being shot. I’ve already got my Hopper ready to record the entire season just in case I miss something. Jax is now in power at SAMCRO and Tara has taken Gemma’s place. I’m wondering how Clay and Gemma will deal with their backburner roles now as I’m sure Clay doesn’t take being dethroned lightly and Gemma surely misses the lifestyle. A bunch of my Dish co-workers are fans of the show as well so we talk about it a lot. I’m so happy that the show is back and that the wait is over.