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Kurt Sutter’s latest project, The Abandons, has already got fans buzzing with excitement and speculation. Since the success of Sons of Anarchy, Sutter has built a reputation for creating gritty worlds full of outcasts and violence, and his new Netflix Western appears no different. Set in 1850s Oregon, The Abandons might seem like a shift from his outlaw biker tales. However, there are several hints that the show could be more connected to Sutter’s previous work than initially thought. It could be a hidden prequel to Sons of Anarchy.

The Abandons follows a group of outcast families fighting against corrupt enemies in a lawless landscape. Sound familiar? While not much has been released about the show, that hasn’t stopped fans from speculating that The Abandons will offer a backstory to Samcro's origins and the Teller family at the center of it all. However, with the recent news...

American Cinema Editors has elected longtime editor Sabrina Plisco as its new president. She is now just the second woman to hold the position in the organization’s 75-year existence.

“I am incredibly honored to serve this great organization and am deeply committed to serving our members across the globe and upholding the highest standards of our profession,” Plisco said in a reported statement. “I look forward to collaborating with the Board and harnessing our collective expertise to achieve great things for Ace and the editing community as a whole.”

Plisco’s win was shared on Thursday, and was included in the org’s updated listing of its officers and board members. Under Plisco, Kevin Trent will serve as vice president. Lillian Benson will stand as Ace’s secretary and Michael Ornstein will be its treasurer. Plisco’s work in the industry spans over 50 years, with a resume filled with TV series and movies,...

Exclusive: The American Cinema Editors revealed Thursday that veteran editor Sabrina Plisco has been elected president of the motion picture editors society. She becomes just the second woman to lead the organization in its 75-year history.

Plisco, a two-time Emmy nominee whose swath of credits over a five-decade career include Disney/Marvel’s Doctor Strange and Ms Marvel along with two The Smurfs movies, Devious Maids and Clifford the Big Red Dog, will serve a two-year term.

Former Ace president Kevin Tent has been appointed by the Ace Board to serve as Vice President, filling the role previously held by Plisco.

“I am incredibly honored to serve this great organization and am deeply committed to serving our members across the globe and upholding the highest standards of our profession,” Plisco said. “I look forward to collaborating with the Board and harnessing our collective expertise to achieve great things for Ace...

Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter has exited his new Netflix western series The Abandons. Starring Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson, the series was also set to serve as a reunion for Sutter with his previous Sons of Anarchy castmates Michael Ornstein and Ryan Hurst. The Abandons was set to be Sutters first major television project after he was fired from the Sons of Anarchy spinoff series Mayans M.C. in 2019, serving as its creator, showrunner, and executive producer.

As originally reported by Deadline, Sutter has exited work on The Abandons with three weeks left before production was scheduled to wrap. While Netflix and Sutter's reps have declined to comment, sources suggest the change came as the result of creative differences that arose after the streamer had viewed rough cuts of the first few episodes.

Friction reportedly began when an early cut of the first episode ran an hour and 40 minutes long,...

Netflix and creator Kurt Sutter have parted ways on the streamer’s western The Abandons.

Sutter, who created the drama and was serving as showrunner, left the show over creative differences with Netflix. The Abandons, set in the Oregon Territory in the 1850s, has a few weeks of production on its season remaining and will continue filming in Calgary, Alberta.

Netflix declined comment.

Netflix gave a straight-to-series order to The Abandons in October 2022. The series, which stars Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson, centers on a group of outlier families in 1850s Oregon who come together to fight a corrupt, wealthy power that wants to force them off their land. The cast also includes Nick Robinson, Diana Silvers, Lamar Johnson, Natalia del Riego, Lucas Till, Aisling Franciosi, Toby Hemingway, Michael Greyeyes, Ryan Hurst, Katelyn Wells, Clayton Cardenas, Elle-Maija Tailfeathers, Brían F. O’Byrne, Marc Menchaca, Patton Oswalt, Michael Ornstein, Jonathan Koensgen, Jack Doolan,...

Deadline reports that Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter has exited The Abandons just three weeks before production on the first season of the Netflix series was slated to wrap. As always, the reason apparently comes down to those dreaded creative differences.

The report states that Netflix was concerned when the initial cut of the first episode came in at 1 hour and 40 minutes. It proved impossible to trim the episode down to an hour, so they decided it should be split into two. This required some additional scenes to create a cliffhanger for the new premiere, which have reportedly been written but not shot. After viewing the unfinished split episodes and part of the third, Netflix felt they “looked a bit disjointed and not propulsive enough.” A meeting between Netflix execs and Sutter to address the concerns didn’t take place before he departed.

Beyond going over budget and some alleged “friction with top talent,...

Kurt Sutter has departed his Netflix series The Abandons just three weeks before the Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson-led Western is set to wrap, according to a Thursday report from our sister site Deadline.

Sutter, who created the series, was also serving as executive producer and showrunner. The Abandons executive producer/director Otto Bathurst and co-ep Rob Askins will be overseeing the remainder of production, which will continue as scheduled.

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Exclusive: This is a shocker — Kurt Sutter is out of the Netflix series The Abandons just three weeks before the sprawling Western starring Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson is slated to wrap production in Calgary. Sutter was the executive producer/showrunner on the series, which he also created.

The Abandons executive producer/director Otto Bathurst and co-exec producer Rob Askins will oversee the rest of filming — including reshoots, which will continue as scheduled with no new showrunner named. (Sutter and Bathurst are pictured in the above cast photo taken at the start of production in May.) The Abandons is about six episodes into its seven-episode shoot, I hear. Reps for Netflix and Sutter declined comment.

The departure is believed to stem from creative differences over the direction of the big-scale production as it is wrapping filming and headed into post. I hear an alarm went off at Netflix when the...

Although Mayans M.C. focuses on an entirely different motorcycle club than the one in Sons of Anarchy, the two clubs have a long history with each other. The Oakland, California-based motorcycle club in Mayans M.C. can be traced all the way back to Sons of Anarchy's early days. The club also has plenty of business to do with Samcro after Jax's final goodbye in the show.

After Jax leaves the show, Chibs takes over the position of president of the club. To honor Jax's wish to get the club out of the gun business, Chibs intends to seal a deal with the Mayans, which inevitably leads to a war between the two clubs. Mayans M.C. frequently features reappearances from the original Samcro gang, and even a late character manages to make a brief cameo.

Gemma Teller Morrow Appears in a Flashback in Mayans M.C.

Related 10 Shows To...

A new image reunites several major cast members from the hit FX series Sons of Anarchy. The fun reunion comes a decade after the TV show ended its hit run in 2014.

The reunion happened at Washington State Summer Con. Theo Rossi, who played Juan-Carlos "Juice" Ortiz in Sons of Anarchy, shared a photo of the cast reunion that was taken at the event. Other cast members present in the image include Emilio Rivera (Marcus Alvarez), Charlie Hunnam (Jackson "Jax" Teller), David Labrava (Happy Lowman), Mark Boone Junior (Robert "Bobby Elvis" Munson), and Ron Perlman (Clarence "Clay" Morrow). The photo can be seen below.

Time marches onBUTthe #ReaperCrew is 4Life! pic.twitter.com/2JxDxVwkR7 Theo (@Theorossi) June 25, 2024

Related There are practically Zero redeemable characters in Sons of Anarchy - but does that really matter?

Some people struggle to connect with a series in which none of the characters have any redeeming qualities.

The Abandons dives into 1850s Oregon tensions, highlighting families battling a malevolent force for survival in a frontier setting. Witness the transformation from virtue to vice on The Abandons, where lines between justice and retribution blur amid escalating violence. Kurt Sutter's star-studded cast for The Abandons includes Lena Headey, Gillian Anderson, Lucas Till, and Patton Oswalt reuniting with familiar faces in a gritty Western narrative.

Kurt Sutter's latest creation for Netflix, The Abandons, has officially kicked off production in Calgary. Recently released cast photos from Netflix tease the onset of filming for the series' inaugural season. This new series introduces viewers to a narrative steeped in the harsh realities of 1850s Oregon, where diverse groups of families at society's edge seek to carve out their destinies.

The Abandons presents a gritty exploration of survival amid a backdrop of escalating tension and conflict. The new Western series plot centers on outlier families who,...

It’s been a few years since Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter first announced The Abandons, but the Western series has finally started shooting. Netflix announced the start of production of the first season of The Abandons in Calgary, with an official cast photo seen above.

The official logline for The Abandons reads: “As a group of diverse, outlier families pursue their Manifest Destiny in 1850s Oregon, a corrupt force of wealth and power, coveting their land, tries to force them out. These abandoned souls, the kind of lost souls living on the fringe of society, unite their tribes to form a family and fight back. In this bloody process, ‘justice’ is stretched beyond the boundaries of the law. The Abandons will explore that fine line between survival and law, the consequences of violence, and the corrosive power of secrets, as this family fights to keep their land.“

“I...

Today, Netflix announced the start of production in Calgary on Season 1 of The Abandons, a pulse-pounding action drama set in the West by Kurt Sutter via his SutterInk banner.

“I am fascinated by the metamorphosis of good into evil. What must transpire to drive the morally sound to become the dangerously corrupt,” said Sutter. “The Abandons explores those complex compromises through the most powerful human instinct — the love and protection of mothers.”

As a group of diverse, outlier families pursue their Manifest Destiny in 1850s Oregon, a corrupt force of wealth and power, coveting their land, tries to force them out. These abandoned souls, the kind of lost souls living on the fringe of society, unite their tribes to form a family and fight back.

In this bloody process, “justice” is stretched beyond the boundaries of the law. The Abandons will explore that fine line between survival and law, the consequences of violence,...

Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter is heading to the Old West with his next major TV project. The Abandons, a Western series created by Sutter, is now in production in Calgary with a first look at the cast officially revealed.

Per Netflix, a handful of photos have been released featuring Sutter on the set with the various members of the ensemble cast of The Abandons. The star-studded cast includes Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) and Gillian Anderson (The X-Files) as "two mothers locked in a bloody feud." Both can be seen in the new photos with Sutter and the rest of the cast of The Abandons, and the images can be viewed below.

Related What Is Mr. Mayhem in Sons of Anarchy? Meeting Mr. Mayhem is the darkest fate that any Sons of Anarchy character can ever meet, but it's only reserved for those who truly deserve it.

Headey plays Fiona Nolan,...

Kurt Sutter has lassoed himself quite an ensemble for The Abandons, his new Netflix Western now filming in Calgary.

With production now underway and first cast photos revealed below, the creator of Sons of Anarchy and veteran of The Shield said to Tudum, “I am fascinated by the metamorphosis of good into evil. What must transpire to drive the morally sound to become the dangerously corrupt. The Abandons explores those complex compromises through the most powerful human instinct — the love and protection of mothers.”

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The Abandons has the potential to give justice to Sons of Anarchy's best character, Opie. The show will reunite Kurt Sutter with Sons of Anarchy stars Ryan Hurst and Michael Ornstein. Opie Winston's tragic and unfair demise in Sons of Anarchy can be rectified through The Abandons.

Netflix’s upcoming Western TV series The Abandons has the potential to do justice to Sons of Anarchy’s best character. Created by Kurt Sutter, Sons of Anarchy premiered on FX in 2008 and came to an end in 2014 after seven seasons. Sons of Anarchy was well-received by critics and viewers, and it made way for a spin-off series, Mayan M.C., which ran for a total of five seasons. Sons of Anarchy took the audience to the fictional town of Charming, California, to follow the title motorcycle club, led during the first seasons by Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman).

The real protagonist of...

Netflix's new western series, The Abandons, reunites Sons of Anarchy stars for an exciting frontier tale set in 1850s Oregon. Creator Kurt Sutter's past struggles may find redemption with this stellar cast, promising violent, outlaw antics similar to his iconic show. The Abandons looks to recapture Sutter's former success with an impressive ensemble cast including Game of Thrones and Sons of Anarchy stars.

Netflix’s new western series, The Abandons, is turning into a Sons of Anarchy reunion for creator Kurt Sutter. Telling the story of a diverse group of renegade families in 1850s Oregon, the upcoming series is set to be led by Game of Thrones’ Lena Headey and The X-Files’ Gillian Anderson as the matriarchs of opposing frontier clans. Sutter, who also starred in Sons of Anarchy as the incarcerated Samcro member Otto Delaney, previously cast Michael Ornstein, who played his character’s onscreen prison friend Chucky Marstein.

Netflix's new western series, The Abandons, reunites Sons of Anarchy stars for an exciting frontier tale set in 1850s Oregon. Creator Kurt Sutter's past struggles may find redemption with this stellar cast, promising violent, outlaw antics similar to his iconic show. The Abandons looks to recapture Sutter's former success with an impressive ensemble cast including Game of Thrones and Sons of Anarchy stars.

Netflix’s new western series, The Abandons, is turning into a Sons of Anarchy reunion for creator Kurt Sutter. Telling the story of a diverse group of renegade families in 1850s Oregon, the upcoming series is set to be led by Game of Thrones’ Lena Headey and The X-Files’ Gillian Anderson as the matriarchs of opposing frontier clans. Sutter, who also starred in Sons of Anarchy as the incarcerated Samcro member Otto Delaney, previously cast Michael Ornstein, who played his character’s onscreen prison friend Chucky Marstein.

Kurt Sutter has been moving on from the world of Sons of Anarchy and Mayans M.C. with the development of his upcoming Netflix series, The Abandons. Even so, at least one major name from the franchise will be teaming back up with Sutter as one of the stars of the new show.

Per Variety, Ryan Hurst is one of three new cast additions to The Abandons, a Western drama series in the works at Netflix. This marks a Sons of Anarchy reunion, as Hurst previously played Opie in the hit show created by Sutter. The actor is also known for his role as Beta in AMC's The Walking Dead. In recent years, Hurst has also had starring roles in the TV shows Paradise City and The Mysterious Benedict Society.

Related What Happens to Wendy in Sons of Anarchy? Jax's ex-wife, Wendy, was one of Sons of Anarchy's...

Kurt Sutter’s upcoming western series “The Abandons” is rounding out its cast.

Variety has learned exclusively that Ryan Hurst, Michael Greyeyes, Michiel Huisman, and Toby Hemingway have all joined the Netflix series in recurring roles. Exact character details are being kept under wraps.

The series marks a reunion for Hurst and Sutter, who previously worked together on the hit FX series “Sons of Anarchy.” Sutter created the series, on which Hurst played the character Opie for the show’s first five seasons. Hurst is also known for his time on “The Walking Dead” and shows like “Bates Motel” and “Outsiders.” He has starred in films like “Remember the Titans” and “We Were Soldiers.”

He is repped by UTA and Piper Kaniecki Management.

Greyeyes has previously been in films such as “Blood Quantum” and “Wild Indian.” His recent credits include the Taylor Sheridan series “1923” at Paramount+ and the comedy “Rutherford Falls” at Peacock.

New cast members have been announced for the upcoming Netflix series The Abandons.

Per Deadline, several recurring cast members have been revealed for The Abandons. Among the new names joining the production are Patton Oswalt, Sarah White (The Bastard Executioner), Michael Ornstein (Sons of Anarchy), Elle-Maija Tailfeathers (Three Pines), Brian F. O'Byrne (The Bastard Executioner), Haig Sutherland (Lucky Hank), Katelyn Wells (Ginny & Georgia), and Marc Menchaca (Ozark). Additionally, other new cast members include Jack Doolan, who played Tommy TNT in The Boys, as well as Jonathan Koensgen, who played Officer Stevenson in Season 1 of Reacher.

Related What Happens to Opie in Sons of Anarchy? Ryan Hurst played Jax's loyal best friend in Sons of Anarchy's first four seasons before facing a heartbreaking departure, but how did it all happen? Close

Starring cast members for The Abandons were previously announced. The show will star Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), Gillian Anderson...

Exclusive: Kurt Sutter’s upcoming Netflix Western drama The Abandons is rounding out its recurring cast with 10, including Patton Oswalt (A.P. Bio), Sarah Grace White (The Bastard Executioner), Michael Ornstein (Sons of Anarchy) and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (Three Pines).

Additional recurring stars include Brían F. O’Byrne (The Bastard Executioner), Haig Sutherland (Lucky Hank), Jack Doolan (The Boys), Jonathan Koensgen (Reacher), Katelyn Wells (Ginny & Georgia) and Marc Menchaca (Ozark). Details regarding the characters they will portray remain under wraps.

(Clockwise L-r) Brían F. O’Byrne, Haig Sutherland, Jack Doolan, Jonathan Koensgen, Katelyn Wells & Marc Menchaca

The project reunites Sutter with Ornstein, who played Chucky Marstein in both FX’s Sons of Anarchy and its spinoff series Mayans M.C., which were created and co-created by Sutter, respectively. He will also collaborate again with White and O’Byrne, who co-starred in his short-lived period drama The Bastard Executioner.

Created and executive produced by Sutter,...

The American Cinema Editors (Ace) has announced its new board. Current president Kevin Tent will serve another two-year term.

Lillian Benson will continue to serve alongside him as will vice president Sabrina Plisco and treasurer Andrew Seklir. Former associate board members Dana Glauberman and Nancy Richardson have been bumped up to the board, replacing outgoing members Anita Brandt-Burgoyne and Michael Ornstein.

“On behalf of American Cinema Editors, we are proud to welcome our newly elected Board Members to the Ace leadership team,” stated Tent.

Tent is best known for his collaboration with filmmaker Alexander Payne. They first worked together on the 1996 film “Citizen Ruth.” He was elected to the board in 2020 and was nominated for both an Ace Eddie and an Academy Award for editing Payne’s film “The Descendants,” starring George Clooney. He won the Ace Eddie Award for best edited drama film that year.

Says Tent, “As Ace...

Society opens door for non-us editors with launch at EditFest Global virtual conference.

American Cinema Editors (Ace) has created an international partnership programme allowing film editors from outside the US to become members of the honourary society.

The Ace International Partners programme will be officially launched at the society’s EditFest Global virtual conference event, staged this year on August 28 and 29.

The programme – developed by Ace international committee leaders Edgar Burcksen and Michael Ornstein, together with executive director Jenni McCormick – will be open to “experienced and well-established” editors who are members of an Ace-recognised editing organisation in their own countries.

Ace (American Cinema Editors) has launched its new International Partnership Program which allows for film editors in other countries to become members of Ace.

The International Committee, led by long-time Ace members Edgar Burcksen, Ace and Michael Ornstein, Ace, in collaboration with Ace Executive Director Jenni McCormick have been working to expand the community of editors who live and work outside the United States and are members of an editing organization. Their vision for a more united and synched up global film editing family is finally coming to fruition and will be officially launched and celebrated at this year’s global Editfest event being held virtually Aug. 28 and 29.

Ace International Partners can become part of Ace’s network of film editing professionals. They attend Ace gatherings, receive discounts on Ace events around the world (including U.S. events), and receive a complimentary subscription to CinemaEditor Magazine.

They are also invited...

Monday, Dec. 8 Ryan Phillippe, Tom Pelphrey to Lead ‘American Murderer’

The Traveling Picture Show Company and GiGi Films have cast Tom Pelphrey as con man Jason Derek Brown in “American Murderer,” alongside Ryan Phillippe playing the FBI agent tasked to hunt him down.

Idina Menzel and Academy Award nominee Jacki Weaver have also been cast. AFI alumnus Matthew Gentile wrote the script and will direct, with principal photography commencing in Salt Lake City. Kevin Matusow and Carissa Buffel will produce for Tpsc alongside Gia Walsh and Kara Baker under the GiGi Films banner, in line with Utah state and SAG-AFTRA Covid-19 protocols.

“American Murderer” is based on the true story of Brown – a charismatic conman who bankrolls his luxurious lifestyle through a series of scams. When his funds run low and his past catches up with him, he plots his most elaborate scheme yet and, in the process, becomes the...

[This story contains spoilers for season one, episode two of FX's Mayans Mc, "Escorpion/Dzec," as well as major spoilers from Kurt Sutter's Sons of Anarchy.]

Months ago, actor Michael Ornstein received a text message from his old friend and colleague Kurt Sutter, asking if he was still living in Los Angeles, and if he was available to hop back into the Sons of Anarchy universe. One can only imagine the exact phrasing of Sutter's inquiry, just as much as one hopes Ornstein's reply was along the lines of his Sons character Chuck "Chucky" Marstein's ...

Kaelyn Hutchins and Anthony Ippolito have been elevated to managers at Principal Entertainment La. The promotions were announced by Principal Entertainment La partners Marsha McManus and Larry Taube.

Hutchins has been with the management/productions company since 2014 assisting multiple managers and co-owner/partner Marsha McManus. Before joining Principal, she began her career at the boutique management company Jordan Lee Talent. Some of her clients include Dead Women Walking star Maya Lynne Robinson, Terrence Terrell (Unsolved), Michael Ornstein (Sons of Anarchy) and Angela Sprinkle (Teachers).

With a focus primarily on developing comedic talent, Ippolito worked under co-owner/partner Larry Taube and now represents clients including Ana Fabrega, the co-writer, co-executive producer and costar of the HBO/Broadway Video series Los Espookys; Ikechukwu Ufomadu, whose Dance Nation at Playwrights Horizons earned him a spotlight in Time Out New York’s “Comics to Watch in 2018” shortlist; and Lorelei Ramirez who is currently developing...

A moment of high praise for FX’s top drama, “Sons of Anarchy,” riding off into the sunset this year as Sutter’s Hamlet on Harleys says goodbye to characters like Gemma (Katey Sagal), Jax (Charlie Hunnam), Tig (Kim Coates), Bobby (Mark Boone Junior), Juice (Theo Rossi), Wendy (Drea de Matteo), Unser (Dayton Callie) and Chuckie (Michael Ornstein) among many stellar acting peers who have served showrunner Kurt Sutter well over the seven years it aired on the network. Sutter even played a pivotal Samcro character – Otto Delaney – in the series.Even FX chief exec John Landgraf’s wife Ally Walker was […]...

Sons of Anarchy opened with Jax (Charlie Hunnam) and Juice (Theo Rossi) at the fateful location where John Teller died. Instead of killing Juice for his betrayal, Jax decided to give him a mission to test his loyality to the brotherhood. Jax tells him to get himself arrested by shooting at the tires of cop cars. Once he’s inside, he’s to kill Lin (Kenneth Choi). Unbeknownst to Juice, Jax has a back-up plan in the form of Ron Tully (Marilyn Manson) should he fail.

Sons of Anarchy Recap

While overseeing Red Woody’s latest production, Jax gets a visit from Unser (Dayton Callie), who informs him that Eglee (Marya Delver) is alive and talking. Eglee told Unser that the day she was shot both Samcro and Ab were there. She has no plans on ratting anyone out, so long as she can be guaranteed her own safety. Jax...

Actor, artist, poet, writer and...gamer? Apparently "yes" for multi-hyphenate badass talent Michael Ornstein, cast as Chucky on FX's "Sons of Anarchy." Ornstein shows off his skill-set in the gaming world with the 1337LoungeLive crew this Wednesday. Fans who love Chucky Marstein from "Sons of Anarchy" can chat with him live and online Wednesday, April 3 from 7 Pm - 9 Pm Pst at www.1337LoungeLive.com. Come chat with Michael during their live stream! Also, check out his video below, when he paid a surprise visit to the Lounge and made some rather forceful requests... Ornstein tells M&C, "We'll talk about Sons of Anarchy, art, tech and answer questions from fans worldwide...Maybe I'll paint live, that'd be...

Exclusive: In a sign of continuity, The Saint, the backdoor pilot from Brad Krevoy’s film and TV production company Mpca, has cast the two men who played the dashing Templar in the previous two Saint TV series, Roger Moore and Ian Ogilvy. Also joining the cast of the Saint reboot, starring Adam Rayner and Eliza Dushku, are James Remar (Dexter), Enrique Murciano (CSI), Thomas Kretschmann (Wanted), Beatrice Rosen (The Dark Knight), Yani Gellman (90210), Greg Grunberg (Heroes), Michael Ornstein (Sons Of Anarchy), Sonalii Castillo (Heroes), Sammi Hanratty (A Christmas Carol), Oliver Bell (The Sparticle Mystery), Kirsty Mitchell (Capone’s Boys), and Jason Brooks (Star Trek). Moore also is producing the pilot, directed by Simon West from a script by Jesse Alexander who serves as showrunner. A new take on Leslie Charteris’ The Saint 70-book franchise, The Saint will follow the exploits of Simon Templar (Rayner), a brilliant criminal who uses...

Spoilers The latest installment of Sons of Anarchy was a smorgasbord of head shaking events. I had to sleep on it before penning some thoughts. Highlights of this jam-packed episode include a Belfast beatdown bonding session, Walt Goggins as a fetching trans-sexual working girl, the Chucky Getaway Walk - my new strut to master based on Michael Marisi Ornstein's hilarious turn masquerading as an Iraqi war-vet-turned-confectioner delivering a Mickey Finn Fudge package that facilitates some major fat shaming, a double perverted sexual blackmail session and ultimately a deep bloody bite in the ass for Tig, who cannot get a break this season. How much suffering can one man take this season? Tig's bum stitches Back to Walt. The...

FX 'Sons of Anarchy' star Michael Marisi Ornstein is a multimedia artist we love to cover. His role as amputee Chucky on the macho gritty "Sons of Anarchy' is a well-crafted quirky oddball who throws the normally uber intense cast off-kilter for a second, creating magic in scenes that balances out the drama. He will be in San Francisco for a send up of American icon Jack Kerouac Tribute at the Beat Museum: Honoring and Reinventing Kerouac.s Scroll at the San Francisco Beat Museum on the evening of October 27. Ornstein will partake in honoring Jack Kerouac.s book On the Road at The Beat Museum San Francisco, October 27, 28 and will also celebrate the upcoming release...

We love Michael Marisi Ornstein's quirky character "Chucky" on FX's "Sons of Anarchy." He's the only one so far that has given our steely Gemma (Katey Sagal) a moment to pause and nearly crack her up. Ornstein is also a fine arts painter and has had several gallery showings here in Los Angeles. Tonight he takes live theater to a new venue: Twitter. He contaced Monsters and Critics about this event. "I'm going to try something tonight and use Twitter as a venue. I'm going to Tweet an original play in real time on Twitter, complete with pre-show and post-show music." Fans can follow Michael @swimdeep on Twitter and you'll see the Tweets live, and be able to...

We got a look behind the scenes of Sons of Anarchy upcoming fifth season earlier this week from the vantage of Chucky (Michael Ornstein) and Gemma (Katey Sagal), and now another Sons of Anarchy duo is next up in this Before the Anarchy video sent to us by FX. Current fans already know about Dayton Callie’s (who I loved in Deadwood) Wayne Unser, whose been with the show almost since the beginning (the second episode), but this tease offers us a look at one of the new faces Samcro is going to have to deal with, one Damon Pope.

Harold Perrineau, who most people know from Lost, signed on to Sons of Anarchy last May to portray Pope, an ex-drug kingpin in Oakland. What’s Pope’s angle with Samcro? Remember Laroy’s girl who got hit in Tig’s hit and run intended for Laroy? That was Damon Pope’s daughter,...

FX sent over this new featurette made to prep us for the upcoming 5th season of Sons of Anarchy. Titled “Before the Anarchy: “Chucky and Gemma” it, as you’d expect, features Michael Ornstein and Katey Sagal (whose Gemma was also central to a recent season 5 teaser) talking about the paths of their characters for the upcoming season. Some of the major changes I think are rather plainly, and effectively, illustrated in the poster above that was released earlier this month, perfectly illustrating the Samcro reality as it stands now.

You already know both Gemma Chucky, but Sons of Anarchy does have some new players lined up for us next season, including Chuck Zito, Wanda de Jesus, and Ashley Tisdale (who we’ve already seen pics of in the mix and drama), and a very cool story involving new Samcro member, Greg the Peg.

related | Before Samcro? – Comic-con Sons Of Anarchy Previews,...

Last week, FX debuted a "Before the Anarchy" featurette for Season 5 of Sons of Anarchy, returning Tuesday, September 11 at 10 Pm Et with "Sovereign". Today, the network has released a new "Before the Anarchy" video, featuring Michael Marisi Ornstein ("Chucky") and Katey Sagal ("Gemma") discussing their characters, along with footage from the set, and a few words from series creator Kurt Sutter.

clickHere to visit TVWeb and get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the production.

Sons of Anarchy episode 5.1, "Sovereign" airs on FX September 11th, 2012.

***"Sons of Anarchy" star Michael Marisi Ornstein (Chucky) has isalso a respected fine artist. One of my favorite characters from 'Anarchy' is .Chucky. the Ocd onanistic fingerless aide de camp taken in by Samcro and company. Chucky has become an integral character in a cast full of heavyweights. Actor Michael Marisi Ornstein is more than a thespian; he is also an accomplished artist and photographer who writes stripped down and poignant poetry to accompany many of his stunning visual imagery. Michael.s interpretation of the Chucky character has elevated what could have been a forgettable secondary character in the violent and gritty FX drama. Ornstein turned his moments into cryptic comedic gold, allowing the revved...

"Sons of Anarchy" star Michael Marisi Ornstein (Chucky) has proposed and created a new logo for the Marines' snipers, according to MilitaryTimes.com blogger Dan Lamothe. One of my favorite characters from 'Anarchy' is .Chucky. the Ocd onanistic fingerless aide de camp taken in by Samcro and company. Chucky has become an integral character in a cast full of heavyweights. Actor Michael Marisi Ornstein is more than a thespian; he is also an accomplished artist and photographer who writes stripped down and poignant poetry to accompany many of his stunning visual imagery. Michael.s interpretation of the Chucky character has elevated what could have been a forgettable secondary character in the violent and gritty FX drama. Ornstein...

"Sons of Anarchy" star Michael Marisi Ornstein (Chucky) has proposed and created a new logo for the Marines' snipers, according to MilitaryTimes.com blogger Dan Lamothe. One of my favorite characters from 'Anarchy' is .Chucky. the Ocd onanistic fingerless aide de camp taken in by Samcro and company. Chucky has become an integral character in a cast full of heavyweights. Actor Michael Marisi Ornstein is more than a thespian; he is also an accomplished artist and photographer who writes stripped down and poignant poetry to accompany many of his stunning visual imagery. Michael.s interpretation of the Chucky character has elevated what could have been a forgettable secondary character in the violent and gritty FX drama. Ornstein...

Wednesday night's PaleyFest panel was devoted to Sons of Anarchy, and true to the show's name, it was a wild ride! Executive producer Kurt Sutter was joined on stage by his wife (and star) Katey Sagal plus Theo Rossi, Tommy Flanagan, Dayton Callie, David Labrava and Michael Ornstein for a conversation moderated by Stuart Levine of Variety. Between stories about Perlman's lack of motorcycle prowess and working with Tom Arnold and David Hasselhoff, the gang spilled a few hints about season five. Starting off about a month after season four's explosive finale, Jax and Tara will be front and center as they figure out how to operate within their new roles as president of Samcro and old lady. Or, as Sutter put it,...

The intense, gripping drama series Sons of Anarchy has become the most-watched series for FX and has developed a devoted fan base rivaled by few other TV shows currently on the air. So, it was no surprise that it was honored at the 29th Annual William S. Paley Television Festival, saluting excellence in programming. During the March 7th panel, a few hints were given about story direction and character development for Season 5 (the most notable of which was that it will pick up about a month after where Season 4 left off), which starts shooting in May with a September premiere date, and an update was given about a possible prequel series. Hit the jump to see the highlights of what show creator Kurt Sutter (“Otto”), along with cast members Katey Sagal (“Gemma”), Theo Rossi (“Juice”), Tommy Flanagan (“Chibs”), Dayton Callie (“Unser”), David Labrava (“Happy”) and Michael Ornstein (“Chucky”), had to...

For those of us unable to attend this year's PaleyFest on the holy grounds of the Saban Theatre, it was a torture to sit at home when the Sons Of Anarchy panel was supposed to be live streamed, and stare at a blank screen with an occasional "We are experiencing technical difficulties" message popping up. A collective online gasp went through the fiber-optic cables and Dsl modems when Sons Of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter's frozen head suddenly started to talk. Also in attendance were Katey Sagal, Theo Rossi, Tommy Flanagan, Dayton Callie, David Labrava and Michael Ornstein.

For being a panel about a murderous motorcycle club, the Sons of Anarchy PaleyFest event was packed with a surprising amount of laughter. Probably because the show’s creator, Kurt Sutter, and cast that attended seem to genuinely love the hit FX series -- which will start shooting its fifth season in May -- and each other. Photos: PaleyFest 2012 Featuring 'Parks & Recreation,' 'Community,' 'New Girl' Sutter’s wife actress Katey Sagal, who stars as Gemma on the show, attended along with Theo Rossi, Tommy Flanagan, Dayton Callie, David Labrava and Michael Ornstein. Plenty of jokes were had as the cast

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On the FX drama series Sons of Anarchy, actor Michael Marisi Ornstein stars as Chucky, a man who clearly knows how to make a mean bowl of chili. An associate of Samcro, Chucky handles basic tasks at Teller-Morrow Automotive Repair shop and helps out around the clubhouse. Throughout the seasons, he’s proven to be a good, loyal and useful friend. During a recent interview to talk about Season 4, Michael Marisi Ornstein talked about how much he’s enjoyed shooting every single episode, what he loves about playing people who are complicated, how one episode in season one has turned into a much-loved character on the series, how fans are surprised that he actually has fingers when they meet him, the he enjoys using various mediums to communicate a story or emotion, and how he’d like to do a multi-media tour with his artwork. Check out what he had...

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

If you asked me what I’d consider to be a perfect episode of Sons Of Anarchy ‘Family Recipe’ was pretty much it. The episode was just as hilarious as it was tragic, with plenty of character driven moments as well as just the right amount of requisite action. Even if its been an arguably patchy season, the last few episodes have been a definite confidence boost.

Having said that, watching Piney (William Lucking) being brutally slain by Clay (Ron Perlman) at the end of the episode was quite a sucker punch. He’s not only been one of the few characters this season who we’ve been able to sympathise with, but Piney has always been one of my favourites of the crew – thanks to his almost fatherly relationship with Jax (Charlie Hunnam) and his dedication to the old-morals of the club. Taking a shotgun...

This past Tuesday, Samcro took over Hollywood as the Sons of Anarchy cast and crew arrived at the Arc Light Theater for their Season 4 Premiere. Ryan J. Downey hit the red carpet for exclusive interviews with creator of the show Kurt Sutter, as well as cast members Ron Perlman, Katey Sagal, Charlie Hunnam, Maggie Siff, Ryan Hurst, Dayton Callie, Michael Marisi Ornstein, Kristen Renton, David Dossett, Khleo Thomas, Theo Rossi, Kim Coates, and Tom Arnold. Check out what the cast and crew had to say about the upcoming season, set to return on FX September 6th with Episode 04.01: "Out".

Click to watch Exclusive: Kurt Sutter and Katey Sagal!

Click to watch Exclusive: Maggie Siff!

Click to watch Exclusive: Ryan Hurst!

Click to watch Exclusive: Dayton Callie!

Click to watch Exclusive: Michael Ornstein!

Click to watch Exclusive: Tom Arnold!

Click to watch Exclusive: Kristen Renton!

Click to watch Exclusive: David Dossett!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

After the sheer intensity of last weeks opening episode, it was a relief that things were a little bit quieter this week. Well, as quiet as Sons of Anarchy can be. It still featured the usual macho action, brutal torture and murderous Ira priests. Actually that last one is new, but the introduction of Father Ashby (James Cosmo) certainly fits well into the show.

His introduction in the opening of the episode, led the way for more scenes in Belfast, with Jax’s (Charlie Hunnam) son Abel now in the hands of Cameron’s (Jamie Mcshane) cousin, Maureen. We discover that Father Ashby, has close ties with both the Ira and Samcro, and is disappointed with Cameron’s handling of the situation. After the Ira are informed that Agent Stahl (Ally Walker) and the Atf are responsible for Edmond’s murder, Ashby marks Cameron to be executed.