His Journey From Working-Class Tyneside To Silver Screened Hollywood Has Been A Long And Intense Slog. But Now That The Outlaw Biker From Sons Of Anarchy Has Been Crowned King In Guy Ritchie’s Arthurian Epic, The Reward Has Repaid The Toil. Charlie Hunnam Explains To Mh Why He Doesn’t Know Anyother Way
"The Great White Is Not An Apex Predator," says Charlie Hunnam across the breakfast table. “Orca whales eat them, so great whites have learned to be afraid of anything swimming in their direction. The best mode of self-defence is to swim toward them. Now, admittedly, it takes an extraordinary amount of courage and will to force one’s body to do that…”
If it’s not the most obvious subject to be discussing over eggs with a rising Hollywood star, it is nevertheless an instructive way to begin understanding Hunnam’s intense approach to, well, pretty much everything.
Not long ago, the 37-year-old Tynesider was in the final stages of planning an ambitious shark-diving excursion with photographer Michael Muller. The project would be dangerous – they would be filming out in open water rather than from cages – and wits would be needed. But the trip didn’t come off.
His response to this news was revealing. Hunnam was so disappointed not to have the opportunity to test out his theory that he instead dived back into a feverish, unbroken run of work. He says he hasn’t taken time off in seven years. There was a plan B – a two-week trip to Thailand with his long-term girlfriend, Morgana McNelis – but commitment to his career won out.
“I just had so much anxiety about going away and not doing any work for two weeks,” he offers by way of justification. “I hadn’t been able to get to a point where I was ready to commit to a fortnight off. Which is, I realise, insane.” McNelis, he assures MH, has sensibly made her own holiday arrangements over the years.
ROYAL ASCENT
This story is from the June 2017 edition of Men's Health UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 2017 edition of Men's Health UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Every Question You Ever Had About Really Eating Well
Nutrition is a maddening business. Foods are in one day, compost the next; vitamins that cured ills last week are promptly debunked. We all want to eat better, but who has the time to sift fact from fad? Rest easy because this is your easily digestible, bite-sized guide to doing precisely that
The False Prophets Of Wellness
Muscle, fat loss, wisdom… Whatever you seek, there is now an entrepreneurial guru armed with hashtags who claims to have the answer. But is it gospel?
The Brexit Diet
Whether you voted Leave or Remain, the EU has transformed the way we eat – and crashing out threatens to deal a mighty blow to both our palates and our nutritional health. MH spoke to the experts worried that the true impact of Brexit will leave a very bad taste in our mouths.
The Gastropub Nutrition Plan
New research suggests you don’t need to cut back on flavour either to satisfy your cravings or to cook off kilos. Better pass that piccalilli
Your Detox Doner Card
The vilified sat fat in your kebab is actually the antidote to offset booze’s impact on your liver. How convenient
Reach For The Stars
He has crossed the Atlantic, from Peckham to Hollywood, carrying multiple blockbusters on his newly broad shoulders. But while John Boyega’s star is in the ascendant, his feet remain firmly on the ground – thanks to a few fundamental life lessons learned along the way. Take note and look up.
One Word Answer #43
As tedious as they might have seemed at the time, most of the lessons our parents taught us as kids were worthy of adherence. Sit up straight at the table; look people in the eye when you thank them; try not to spit at strangers – even as an adult, these are values to live by.
Stamina? It's As Easy As Pie
Don’t flake on post-workout pastry. Pie and mash is your new performance enhancer
The Trip Treatment
Once the poison of the counterculture, psychedelic drugs are gaining credibility as a powerful, viable mental health tool that could transform the way we understand ourselves. Are you ready to turn on, tune in and dose up?
Working Out In Sharp Relief
At the time of writing, a shocking figure is splashed across the news: “London’s 45th murder victim this year – an 18-year-old stabbed to death.” The capital is in crisis, and the police are no closer to a solution.
