The Real Reason Ron Perlman Left Sons Of Anarchy

The violent world of FX's Sons of Anarchy is populated by many, many bad people. Even in light of all that evil company, no one deserved the ugly end they got as much as Ron Perlman's Clay Morrow. For all the horror Clay dragged SAMCRO through, Perlman's charismatic performance as the former president of the Redwood Original Charter won him quite a few fans, many of whom were sad to see Morrow go. Series creator Kurt Sutter was aware of this tension at the time he made the decision to permanently cut Perlman loose, and told Entertainment Weekly,

"As much as people say that they want Clay dead, they don't want Clay dead...They want to see how Gemma feels about betraying Clay. They want to see how Juice feels about betraying. They want to see that play out even though they, in their gut, they know the guy should be dead."

Sons of Anarchy ended in 2014, so you'd be forgiven if time has put a gloss on all of Clay Morrow's transgressions. With all the petty acts of murder and dishonesty that pepper the series, it's interesting to note that Clay's most important crime actually happened off screen. SAMCRO President Clay Morrow, who spent so many years acting as a surrogate father to series' protagonist Jax Teller, played by Charlie Hunnam, actually murdered Jax's real father, and shacked up with his mother, Gemma, before the timeline of the show begins. That one violent act sets Clay and Jax on a collision course that isn't ultimately realized until the show's penultimate season, when Jax finally guns down Clay in recompense for his real dad's murder.

Given all the great drama that Morrow brought to Sons of Anarchy, it's interesting that Sutter decided Perlman had to go before the final season. As it turns it out, that decision had everything to do with the rigorous demands of the story, and the Shakespearean inspiration for Sons of Anarchy's tragic plot.

Sons of Anarchy is very much the modernized adaptation of Hamlet that its creator always intended it to be. Lest you wonder who's supposed to be whom, Sutter tips you off with a little naming convention. Gertrude, Hamlet's duplicitous mother from the play, is now Gemma, while Claudius, Hamlet's murderous uncle, translates to Clay. Jax is, of course, the outlaw MC version of Hamlet himself.

In an interview around the time of his exit, Perlman shared that his departure wasn't the result of any behind-the-scenes drama. If you're looking for someone to blame, blame Shakespeare. Keep watching the video to see the real reason Ron Perlman left Sons Of Anarchy.

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