For as much as the hit FX series Sons of Anarchy was about the men of a motorcycle club, those men-- and the show itself-- were often anchored by a group of powerful female characters and the dynamite actresses that played them. It's like the old saying goes: "Behind every TV show about biker dudes, there are the women who love and/or challenge them." Fine, so maybe that isn't a real saying...but it certainly applies here.
The casting in Sons of Anarchy was pitch-perfect across the board, but in particular, it couldn't have been easy finding just the right women to play some of the most complex and interesting characters on the series. And those women have had a lot to say about their time on the show as well as the show itself. Click on ahead for some revealing thoughts from Katey Sagal (Gemma), Maggie Siff (Tara), Winter Ave Zoli (Lyla), and more.
15 Maggie Siff Tried To Avoid Reading Fan Reviews
Shows like Sons of Anarchy create extremely passionate fans who get very invested in the characters on the show. It can be...a lot, which is why Maggie Siff, who played Tara, says of reading fan opinions of her character: "I really [didn't] read those things, partly because it's hard not to take it personally."
14 Katey Sagal Thinks The Ending Was Satisfying
It's no secret that Sons of Anarchy is loosely based on Shakespeare's "Hamlet," and as such, its finale was fittingly tragic. While it may have broken the hearts of fans, Katey Sagal (Gemma) says that from a creative standpoint, the ending of the show was "satisfying for all involved."
13 Winter Ave Zoli Liked The Tattoo-Related Freedom
Tattoos can present headaches for actors, as they often have to go to great lengths to cover their ink for roles. Not so for the cast of Sons of Anarchy and its cast of tatted up characters, because according to Winter Ave Zoli (Lyla), "It's probably the only show where you can get a tattoo and it's no problem."
12 Even Though She's Married To The Creator, Katey Sagal Never Got Inside Info On The Plot
Katey Sagal not only played Gemma, she's also married to Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter. So, did living with the head writer mean that Katey had the inside track on upcoming story points? She says she was just as in the dark as anyone else. "Even though I'm married to Kurt, I never [knew] what [was] going on."
11 Drea De Matteo Hated Filming Funeral Scenes
Sopranos veteran Drea de Matteo joined Sons of Anarchy with a particularly juicy role: Jax's baby mama. The ever-outspoken actor was asked whether filming funeral scenes for the show was emotional, and she gave this rather surprising response: "Those scenes...are the most tedious scenes of all time. To just be there and stand there all day, those are the worst days."
10 Ally Walker Knew Her Character Had To Go
An early villain that SoA fans loved to hate was Agent Stahl, played by actor Ally Walker. When asked how she felt about Stahl's demise, Ally admitted that the character had reached her logical conclusion: "She [was] such a bad, bad person that it [was] really hard to go anywhere else with her." Ally then added, "The bad guy must go down."
9 Maggie Siff Believes The Show Is A Mediation Of Anger And Violence
So just what is Sons of Anarchy ultimately "about," anyway? Does it glorify the life it is depicting, does it condemn it, or is it a little of both? Maggie Siff has this to say about what she sees as SoA's message: "When the show [was] working at its best, it [could] be a meditation on anger and violence."
8 Kristen Renton Bragged About Being More Fun Than Tara
A big reason to watch SoA was the thrill of watching bad boys and bad girls being bad at each other. To hear actor Kristen Renton tell it, it's just as thrilling for the actors playing such parts. "I love playing the bad girl," Kristen says. "I think [Ima is] more fun to play than a character like Tara, who's nice and who you're rooting for."
7 McNally Sagal Had Fun Punching People
Further keeping it in the family, Katey Sagal's sister, McNally Sagal, played hospital administrator Margaret Murphy. At first, McNally assumed she'd be a dull character who'd just be "shuffling insurance papers," but was pleasantly surprised at what the role asked of her. "It was fun to be my age and type of character and be punching people and kicked in the gut."
6 Drea De Matteo Didn't Want To Hear Spoilers
Actors are often fans of their own shows and avoid spoilers as much as everyone else. Drea de Matteo says that she hated hearing more about the story than was required for her to play her part, and said, "I [didn't] want to know what [was] happening. And even at the table reads, I [was] like 'La la la la la.' I [didn't] want to hear."
5 Katey Sagal Didn't Care Much That Some People Were Offended By The Show
The season six premiere of SoA courted controversy by depicting a school shooting, though the violence occurred off screen. As a result, the show took a lot of heat for not being more sensitive to viewers who might find such themes upsetting, prompting Katey Sagal to respond, "I believe we should be able to monitor our own families and our own children."
4 Winter Ave Zoli Loves What She Was Able To Do With Her Character
For a time, the SAMCRO headquarters were utilized as an adult film set, which is how fan favorite character Lyla entered the fray. Winter Ave Zoli, who played Lyla, relished the opportunity to find complexity in what would typically be a very one-note role, saying: "I loved that I could take this role that is so easily stereotyped, and turn it into something endearing and real."
3 Maggie Siff Wanted To Ride A Motorcycle
Sons of Anarchy definitely makes being in control of a hulking motorcycle look like a whole lot of fun, which is what prompted Maggie Siff to ask SoA creator Kurt Sutter if Tara would ever get to ride. According to her, Kurt's response was playfully dismissive: "Maybe we can see her away on a scooter at some point." Ouch.
2 Robin Weigert Gushes About The Love Of The Cast
We always want to assume that the cast of our favorite show are all best friends behind-the-scenes, but we know that isn't always the case. However, to hear Robin Weigert (Ally Lowen) tell it, it was one big love fest on the set of SoA, even for the actors who came on later: "There [was] a lot of genuine love, and they [were] very generous with that."
1 Maggie Siff Struggled To Watch The Last Season
After six seasons on the show, Maggie Siff had to settle for being just a viewer for SoA's seventh and final season, and had this to say about the experience: "The whole season was really hard to watch. We all knew it was never going to end well for anybody," and she added that she "felt very sad watching Jax and Gemma die."