The Big Picture

• Sons of Anarchy had real Hells Angels help maintain authenticity for the show, converting fans to motorcycle culture.
• David Labrava transitioned from technical consultant to cast member, showcasing his multiple talents on the show.
• A former enemy of the show, Chuck Zito, ended up starring in Sons of Anarchy as a result of reconciliation and collaboration.

Kurt Sutter's biker drama Sons of Anarchy quickly became FX's runaway success. The series ran for seven seasons and followed young Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam) who discovers his late father's journals and the truth they hold about his mother Gemma (Katey Sagal) and her new husband Clay (Ron Perlman). Not only did this modern take on Hamlet convert many to motorcycle culture, but it was also praised by many pre-existing hogheads. This was in no small part due to the show's commitment to authenticity. Countless elements of the show are based on real-life biker gangs, and Sutter even brought the real Hells Angels on board to help.

Not every motorcycle club was a fan of Sutter, though. The documentary series The Devils Ride was marketing itself as "the real-life Sons of Anarchy," and an outspoken Sutter took to Twitter to say, "My SOA actors could kick the sh*t out of this 'real' MC." It wasn't long before TMZ reached out to The Devils Ride's subject Sandman who responded, "Here’s a reality check for ya Kurt... I am sending a personal invitation to your pretty-faced Kurt Cobain look-alike star Jax to come down to San Diego and prove your point. And tell him to wear those shiny white kicks too." Hunnam's unusual choice of footwear came under scrutiny, but it was inspired by the real-life Hells Angels' "heir apparent." Some Hells Angels even joined the Sons of Anarchy cast in support of the show.

David Labrava Went From Consultant to Cast Member as Happy Lowman

Setting out to make his show as accurate to real life as possible, creator Kurt Sutter utilized the help of a real Hells Angel. David Labrava was initially brought on as a Technical Consultant and continued to serve in the role until the series' end. Once on set, however, Labrava sought the opportunity to express his interests in writing, acting, and filmmaking to Sutter. "I asked him, 'I'd like to be on the show'," Labrava told CalTV, "and he made Happy the Assassin." His character Happy Lowman became a series regular, even joining the Redwood Original chapter. The actor also pushed for the opportunity to exercise his writing muscles too.

While simultaneously serving as Technical Consultant and fan-favorite actor, Labrava pitched and sold his first episode of Sons of Anarchy to FX as early as Season 2. David also co-wrote the episode "Hands" with Chris Collins and Kurt Sutter, an episode Time Magazine named best of the season. Despite Happy's serious demeanor, it's clear the range of Labrava's talents stretches far beyond just riding a Harley for the Hells Angels. It's no surprise that after witnessing David Labrava's success on the show, Kurt Sutter went on to cast three other Hells Angels in Sons of Anarchy afterward.

The Hells Angels' Sonny Barger Played a SAMCRO Founder

Jax's story is triggered by the discovery of his father John "JT" Teller's journals. JT (played by Victor Newmark and Nicholas Guest) had a specific vision for the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, which ultimately led to his demise at the hands of his wife Gemma and best friend Clay. This is a backstory so rich that it almost made for a high-profile movie prequel starring Brad Pitt as JT. It's this story that leads to the majority of the series' Christian allusions, including Jax's final pose, his son Abel's name, and the use of "John the Revelator" in the Season 1 finale.

The club's founding members (or "the First 9") make for an intriguing story. After returning from Vietnam in 1967 and facing discrimination, JT and Piermont "Piney" Winston (William Lucking) formed the club in hopes of rediscovering the brotherhood they had. The First 9 consisted of JT, Piney, Wally Grazer, Thomas Whitney, Chico Villanueva, Keith McGee, Otto 'Lil Killer' Moran, Clay Morrow, and last but not least, Lenny 'The Pimp' Janowitz. Janowitz only appeared in three episodes throughout the series, incarcerated in prison. To bring the required respect and memorability to the smaller role, Hells Angel Ralph 'Sonny' Barger played the character. This is a similar technique to Sutter's own acting role on the show as incarcerated footsoldier Otto Delaney.

Rusty Coones Earned His Role by Making Impressive Custom Bikes

Rusty Coones was the president of the Hells Angels San Fernando Valley and Orange County chapters. He is a co-owner of Illusion Motorsports, who makes custom-made bikes. He told Russ Brown that during Sons of Anarchy's first season, "I built a bike for FX to donate to the Wounded Warriors charity. And then Kurt wanted a bike, so I built a bike for him. Then Charlie came down." After impressing Sutter and the cast, Sutter offered Coones the opportunity to appear on the show. At first, Coones declined, saying, "I really appreciate the offer, but I gotta say, I’m really into my music right now." Sutter arranged for Coones to meet with the show's music director, Bob Thiele, and songs by his band Attika 7 were subsequently featured in the series.

After hearing his music on the show and receiving decent paychecks for it, Coones "got a taste for it." Coones asked Sutter if the offer was still available and the timing proved to be serendipitous. Coones auditioned and was cast as Rane Quinn, who first appeared in the show's fifth season as the Nomad chapter president before becoming a SAMCRO prospect in the sixth season. As Quinn, Coones rode his own original custom Hellrazor, the most expensive bike to appear on the show, valued at around $80,000.

Chuck Zito Went From Suing 'Sons of Anarchy' to Starring in It

The fourth and final Hells Angel to appear on Sons of Anarchy actually began as an enemy of the project. Former Hells Angel Chuck Zito had pitched his own motorcycle show to networks, a task that proved fruitless, so when Sons of Anarchy graced our screens, Zito assumed FX had stolen his idea. Chuck Zito sued the network for this, but the case was dismissed. As Sutter himself explained on Twitter, "There have been dozens of outlaw motorcycle tv dramas pitched in the last ten years. None of them has made it to series." Sutter went on to rub salt in Zito's wounds by calling him a "delusional bitch," so it's amazing to think a former member of the most notorious outlaw biker gang went on to collaborate with the showrunner.

Sutter wrote on his blog that he soon realized that "this was a guy who sincerely thought he was wronged," and ultimately felt bad about his response to Zito. He reached out to the biker and was surprised to see him wearing the Sons of Anarchy cut that belonged to their mutual friend Charlie Sheen. Zito, being a fan of the show, forgave Sutter, and they got to work burying the hatchet. Making amends, Sutter offered Zito the role of Frankie Diamonds in Season 5 of Sons of Anarchy. Frankie was a former member of the Nomads charter who was transferred to SAMCRO during the events of the series. It's clear that Sutter and Sons of Anarchy, in general, have a very broad range of attitudes towards real-life outlaw biker gangs, but one thing's for certain: It wouldn't be the same show without them.

All seven seasons of Sons of Anarchy are available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.

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