On August 26, bikers coasted down Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood for the 2nd Annual Boot Ride and Rally, which featured FX’s Sons of Anarchy cast. Proceeds from the event benefit veterans’ programs through the Boot Campaign’s partner charities.
For those of you who don’t know what The Boot Campaign is, it’s a grassroots military appreciation and veteran awareness campaign started by five women from Texas, known as the Boot Girls. The Boot Girls launched the Boot Campaign in 2009 to spread awareness of the needs of military personnel returning home from combat, and to express gratitude to current military. Through the sale of military combat boots, the Boot Campaign donates proceeds to a group of partner charities that work with soldiers healing from a variety of physical and emotional combat wounds, embodying the campaign motto, “When They Come Back, We Give Back.”
The ride portion of the event began at 10:30 am at Santa Clarita’s Route 66 Classic Grill with the SOA stars leading the way, and concluded at the Happy Ending Bar & Restaurant in Hollywood, where riders and non-riders alike enjoyed live performances by Blackberry Smoke.
Sons of Anarchy cast members making a red carpet appearance to show their support for the Boot Campaign.
Current and past Sons of Anarchy cast members were in attendance to support this worthy cause: Charlie Hunnam, Theo Rossi, Kim Coates, Ryan Hurst, Ron Perlman, Dayton Callie, David Labrava, Maggie Siff, Winter Ave Zoli, Kristen Renton, Emilio Rivera, Kurt Yeager, Chris Reed, Michael Ornstein, Chris Browning, and Kenny Johnson were present, among others. Notably absent were Katey Sagal and series creator and executive producer Kurt Sutter who tweeted wishes for a successful event. Totally understandable, though, because he was writing episode 511 while wife Katey took daughter Sarah to college. It’s worth noting that fans of the show showed up in impressive numbers at both the Rally and Ride.
We caught up with the Sons’ stars during a busy red carpet, hoping for a scoop on season five.
Ron Perlman kidded, “Clay may or may not try to take back an alpha role within the club,” while Michael Ornstein shared that fans can expect “a lot of mischievousness” from his character, the popular Chucky. Following up on his comments in a recent WTF Sutter appearance, I inquired whether Ornstein had given more thought about what Chucky may do in his spare time.
Michael Ornstein and Chris Reed answer reporters’ questions.
“He has a whole life on his own. I think there’s a whole imaginary world that he lives inside that he really digs. To him, it’s not imaginary but it may be to other people,” he said. Next, Ornstein discussed how Chucky views SAMCRO. “He’s found a real home there, a real place to be, and I think he’s really useful and he’s going to stay there for a while.”
David Labrava talked about his experience as a writer last season as he penned the intense episode 410, “Hands.” “It was an honor for Kurt to give me a shot to write 10. Just where it sits in the season, it was a pivotal episode,” he noted. “Then, we worked two weeks in the room with Kurt and Chris Collins, incredibly talented writers. What an incredible experience.”
When I asked about a repeat writing opportunity, Labrava said he couldn’t “foretell the future at that level,” but had a lot to say about the changing of the guard in SAMCRO’s presidency. He confirmed that Happy’s loyalties lie with Jax. “There are old guys and young guys. Everyone is your brother but some guys become your pals. That is how it is at the club.”
David Labrava was among the cast members who rode to the Boot Rally.
Ryan Hurst told us he had just attended his first Sturgis Rally. “Sturgis was urgis,” he said, and I took that to mean he had a good time. I asked about how Opie was coping with being part of the brotherhood while dealing with Clay still being around.
“I think Opie’s had to deal with that from the very beginning. People in the club have killed people that he loved and he has to deal, whether he wants to be part of the club or not.”
Although Hurst wouldn’t give up any hints about the status of Opie and Lyla’s relationship, he warned us that Opie will be making some tough decisions soon. “By the end of season five, he’s going to have to decide whether he makes his family elsewhere or not.”
Mark Boone Jr. is hoping Bobby doesn’t get incarcerated again.
As soon as I saw Mark Boone Jr., I was anxious to know whether more incarcerations lie ahead for his character, Bobby Munson. “I hope not. Three seasons out of four Bobby has ended in jail,” Boone pointed out. “I’m really hoping it doesn’t happen again.”
Boone wasn’t at liberty to discuss what role Bobby plays in season five but offered an insightful perspective about the way his character operates. “Bobby seems more involved, that actually shows up in the show. Some people are very sly but I do think that Bobby has some kind of way of getting his point of view across, and he kind of sells it as something other than his personal ideas but they are his personal ideas. Hopefully it’s good for the club.”
Tommy Flanagan added, “You’ll get to see a lot more of Chibs and Chibs doing his thing. He’s a lot bolder. He gets things done a lot quicker and more efficiently.”
“You’ll get to see a lot more of Chibs,” Tommy Flanagan says.
After Chib’s dramatic personal vengeance in season four, I wondered if that specific family storyline would be explored soon. “Not this season but you never know with Kurt, he’s full of surprises,” he stated. When I asked about Chibs’ story arc involving Rossi’s character, Juice, we didn’t get too far. “There’s not much I can tell you, you’ll have to watch. It’s all good stuff.”
Emilio Rivera does a great job playing Mayan leader Marcus Alvarez, and he jokingly warned me at the beginning of the interview: “You’re not going to get much from me.” However, he added all he could do was confirm that “Alvarez is alive,” and the Mayans and the Sons are back to being friends.
Has anyone pick up the cryptic pattern here? Does Sutter send a “no-spoiler” memo to his actors before they attend media or public events? I’m starting to think so!
Theo Rossi was up next, noting, “This is an extremely crazy season for Juice, not like last year wasn’t. Everything has its recourse, everything that goes up goes down.” He then quickly elaborated on season five: “It’s like a reboot of the show. It’s just different; Clay is not there so it’s a whole different kind of thing. Everyone’s finding their way with Jax as president. For the younger guys, it’s like the club is going in a different direction and the big question is will Jax turn like John Teller, or will he turn out like Clay Morrow? Either way is not good. I just can’t wait for everybody to watch it September 11.”
Theo Rossi is an Ambassador for the Boot Campaign.
Knowing how loyal and vested the Sons’ following is, I commented that the date can’t come fast enough for fans either. Rossi chuckled, adding, “It will be here before you know it and the funny thing about the way it goes, it will be over before you know it. With the 13 episodes, it happens so fast,” he pointed out. “It’s a funny thing even for us; we just had that realization the other day. We were all sitting around, and I’m like ‘wow, its season five.’ We feel like we just started.”
Rossi is not only one of the biggest cast supporters of the Boot Campaign, he’s also one of its Ambassadors. He’s very committed to this responsibility and spends a lot of personal time with service men. “Whenever I get a minute off work, I go to any base I can. We’ve been to Iraq, Kuwait, Ft. Hood, everywhere. I actually have a bunch of [Navy] Seals staying at my house. A couple of army guys, when they come out, they stay with me.”
Rossi shares what triggered his deep involvement in supporting American military troops. “Myself, Kim Coates, Mark Boone Junior, and Dayton Callie, we went over to Iraq and Kuwait a couple of years ago on a USO tour and it changed everything for me because the fact is, we’re all in this together and these guys are coming home. They’re the most skilled, beautiful, living superheroes, and I feel I would do anything that I can because I feel it’s my duty to help them have an easier time when they come back.”
It was Rossi and Coates who initially led the way on stage to officially welcome the crowd at the rally. Ironically, they also revealed the most interesting season five scoop: fans of the show should expect to see lots of Tig’s backside.
Rossi and Coates addressing fans on stage.
Although the cast was rather elusive about the status of their characters in the upcoming season of Sons of Anarchy, they happily shared details regarding their upcoming projects.
Hurst just finished the film CBGB with Alan Rickman, which is due out next year. Boone Jr. said he was working on his music: “I hope to break it out soon.” Rossi is working on his production company’s first film. “We’re in pre-production on that, which I’m also in but that would be the focus the second Sons ends.”
Ron Perlman and Charlie Hunnam have two upcoming films together, in addition to their FX TV work: the Legendary Pictures and Guillermo del Toro-directed Pacific Rim due out July 2013, and the indie film, 3,2,1…Frankie Go Boom, which will be released October 12, 2012.
Charlie Hunnam took time to talk to reporters and fans during the event.
In Frankie, Perlman plays Phyllis, a transgender character. Quite possibly pulling my leg, Perlman stated the Phyllis transformation required 17 hours. When I asked him if he was tired of working with Hunnam, he jokingly responded, “Yes!”
In addition to being an actor, Ornstein described himself as a multi-disciplinary artist who can be found on Friday nights on Twitter with his “Live Blast Radio” initiative, during which he primarily showcases his writing. “I love finding new ways to use technology for my work, for my writing and my painting, and I think it’s the way to go. I’m developing it, check it out.”
The “Busiest Cast Member” award has to go to Rivera. He’s had a steady work pipeline of Indie films that are about to premiere. Filly Brown is slated for release January 2013 and boasts a cast that includes Eddie Olmos, Jamie Rodriguez, Lou Diamond Phillips, and singer Jenny Rivera. Water & Power will premiere at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. That film also stars Wanda De Jesus, who appears in a multi-episode arc on Sons this season. Rivera has also completed work on The Devil’s in the Details, which is slated to be released later this year and also stars Ray Liotta and Noel Gugliemi. However, the most exciting news Rivera shared is that he’s scheduled to direct his first feature film, Sangre y Familia, next year. Production is slated to begin sometime in March in Texas.
Yadi and Emilio Rivera shared news about Emilio’s upcoming directorial debut.
So how did Rivera land the directing gig? “They sent me a script. When I read it and my character dies on page 23, I said ‘I really like the script’ and I go, ‘The only way I’ll do this is if I can direct it’ and they said, ‘We’re hoping you would say that.’”
Sangre y Familia is expected to be released in 2014.
Much has been written about how close the Sons of Anarchy actors have become, and how the synergy among cast members continues beyond the FX set. The fact that the majority of the cast showed up to the Boot Campaign is proof of their camaraderie once again, as well as their giving spirit.
Season five of Sons of Anarchy premieres Tuesday, September 11, 2012. For more on the show visit: http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/soa/. On Twitter, follow @SonsofAnarchy, @sutterink, @FXNetworks, and tweet using the hashtag #SOAFX.
All photos © 2012 Yourentertainmentcorner.com and Elle Lutz. All Rights Reserved.
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