Who says authors can’t be actors? No stranger to the silver screen, the renowned “King of Horror"Stephen Kinghasnot only written a host of horror novelsbut madecameos in plenty of adaptations of his own works. King has played a minister in 1989’sPet Semataryand a shopkeeper in Andy Muschietti’sIt Chapter 2,even taking on a minor role in the 1994 TV miniseries adaptation ofThe Stand, buthis bit part inSons of Anarchymight behis most memorable role to date.
The FX crime drama, starringCharlie HunnamandKatey Sagal, welcomed King in 2010 as one of the series' numerous surprise cameos, with unexpected actors likeLea Michele,Ashley Tisdale, and evenDavid Hasselhoffmaking appearancesover the course of the series' 6-year run. So, how did King’s cameo come about, and how didKurt Sutter’s FX dramamanage to land one of the most prolific authors of all time? Ever the good sport, King still mentions the cameo in interviews, and even years later, looks back on the role fondly.
Sons of Anarchy
A biker struggles to balance being a father and being involved in an outlaw motorcycle club.
Stephen King Cleans Up in ‘Sons of Anarchy’
In Season 3’s third episode, “Caregiver,“King plays Bachman, a subtle nod to his pen name, Richard Bachman. Bachman is a “cleaner” hired to dispose of a body by Gemma Morrow-Teller (Katey Sagal) and Tig Trager (Kim Coates), following the death (technically murder, depending on who you ask) of Gemma’s father’s live-in caretaker. Bachman displays an affinity for ’80s music (classic King), which he requests prior to the job and proceeds to blast while dismembering the body and, like King, brings an eerie, unsettling vibe to the experience.
Like many ofSons of Anarchy’s characters, Bachman rides a motorcycle, specifically a red Harley-Davidson Road-Glide.King also makes another semi-cameo in the series— Season 4’s eighth episode, “Family Recipe.” In the episode, a fake Stephen King novel, appropriately titledCycle Zombies, is seen being read by SAMCRO member Piney Winston (William Lucking).
Stephen King’s ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Cameo Was a Lucky Strike for FX
The cameo was a matter of divine timing, as King was already in Los Angeles, whereSons of Anarchyprimarily filmed, to accept an award.Writing about the experience on his blog,King says he “jumped at the chance” to appear onSons of Anarchy, stating creator Kurt Sutter promised to put him on a “bitchin’ Harley” (the aforementioned Road-Glide), which the seasoned author could hardly have turned down. The darker role Sutter had written for him was a departure for King, who stated that he was usually relegated to playing “country bumpkins.”
Why Does Stephen King Hate Stanley Kubrick’s ‘The Shining’ So Much?
The master of horror has a point.
Though he was a guest on set, King was still familiar with a portion of the cast and crew. King metCharlie Hunnam, who plays Jackson “Jax” Teller, for the first time, but was also eager to reconnect with prior collaborators: Ron Pearlman, in particular, who had acted in two adaptations of King’s books (SleepwalkersandDesperation), as well as Billy Gierhart, who worked on the 2007 adaptation ofThe Mist.King also relished the opportunity to act alongside television veterans Katey Sagal and Kim Coates, who treated him as a professional though, as King noted, “I most assuredly am not.”
Of all the roles King has played over the last few decades, his role as Bachman is both parts unsettling and unexpected. Though oft-forgotten by some, to many King fans,hisSons of Anarchycameo is one of his most iconic. Gruesome body disposal aside, it appears the experience was a positive one, andin an interview with Tudum, King reflected on his acting experience, stating “My finest moment was doing a cameo inSons of Anarchy, and I got to ride a motorcycle.”
Sons of Anarchyis available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
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