Today, many may still recognize actor Ryan Hurst as the man who played the role of Harry ‘Opie’ Winston on the FX series Sons of Anarchy. Perhaps, what many don’t realize is that Hurst had been a professional actor long before he landed his role in the series, having portrayed the lead role in Remember the Titans while also starring in other critically acclaimed films such as Saving Private Ryan, Patch Adams, and Rules of Engagement.
And long after Opie was beaten to death on Sons of Anarchy, Hurst has moved on to several notable projects, proving that fans haven’t seen the last of this veteran actor yet.
He Starred In A Series And Movie Immediately After
After his final Sons of Anarchy appearance in 2012, Hurst was keen to take a break, but then the TNT series King & Maxwell happened. “I did actually want to take some time off, but as things worked out, this was just one of those roles,” Hurst explained while speaking with Collider. “When the stars align, you’ve gotta go where they’re telling you to go.” In this case, the stars aligned for Hurst to portray an autistic savant named Edgar Roy. The role was a clear departure from playing Opie since Hurst himself wanted a role that was a “complete opposite.” It also required extensive research, although Hurst revealed that he had been reading up on the subject “for many, many, many years.”
Around the same time, Hurst also got to work on the biographical drama CBGB alongside Malin Akerman and the late Alan Rickman. Upon learning about the film, Hurst recalled, “Everyone was clamoring to be in it.” And when he got cast, Hurst shared he had the best time working with Rickman. “I have two or three scenes, that were just me and Alan Rickman, who’s just exactly what you think he is,” Hurst remarked. “He’s so wonderful to play with.”
He Took On Other Television Roles
Shortly after starring in CBGB, Hurst went to work on the Emmy-nominated series Bates Motel where he was cast to play ex-con Chick Hogan. For him, it’s the mystery behind Chick that appealed to him from the beginning. “I’m always a fan of characters, whether they’re large or small, that bring in emotion that’s a little difficult to capture, and ambiguity I think is the name of the game when you’re talking about a mystery or thriller,” Hurst explained during a press conference. “Whether to trust them, whether to be afraid, whether to not be afraid, so that’s what I like most about Chick.”
Around the same time, Hurst also got cast in the crime drama Outsiders. His character, Li’l Foster Farrell, may slightly resemble Hurst’s Sons of Anarchy character, but the actor has said that they’re really nothing like each other. “The similarities start and end with the hair and the beard and that I play both characters,” the actor told The Wrap. “Opie was a rock between a rock and a hard place. Little Foster is a pushover.”
Soon after, Hurst worked on the Amazon Prime Video crime drama Bosch before joining the cast of The Walking Dead. Prior being cast as Beta, Hurst revealed that he had been a “giant fan of the show.” It was also great to have the opportunity to work with longtime friends Norman Reedus and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. As for portraying Beta, Hurst said he appreciated playing a character who “really have a journey in front of them. During a Q&A with AMC, Hurst also said, “What I loved in the comic is that Beta is a riddle.”
He Also Reunited With Charlie Hunnam On The Big Screen
In between his television work, Hurst also found the time to work on Sam Taylor-Johnson’s drama A Million Little Pieces alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, Juliette Lewis, Giovanni Ribisi, Odessa Young, and Sons of Anarchy co-star Hunnam.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t much of a reunion behind the scenes for Hurst and Hunnam. “I was only on that film for two days,” Hunnam explained while speaking with The Hollywood Reporter. “I just went in to do a couple scenes with them because they were putting that film together for absolutely no money at all.” That said, Hunnam said he has since been able to spend more time with Hurst thanks to their shared love of yoga. “So, we now see each other very, very frequently at this Kundalini yoga studio that we both go to,” Hunnam revealed. “He’s one of my dear friends.”
Today, Hurst is set to appear in the upcoming drama The Mysterious Benedict Society. It was originally going to air on Hulu, but the series has since moved to Disney+. Based on a novel, The Mysterious Benedict Society centers on four gifted orphans who get recruited by a benefactor for a secret mission. Hurst will play a proctor named Milligan who is not as scary as he may seem, despite his towering appearance. The series is set to premiere in June.