The fiercely protective, hot-headed SAMCRO matriarch Gemma Teller (Katey Sagal) is a fascinating Sons of Anarchy character whose backstory helps explain who she is. Gemma is SAMCRO member Jax’s (Charlie Hunnam) mother and the self-proclaimed queen of Charming, the fictional Northern California town that is home to the titular motorcycle club. Gemma considers herself the unofficial leader of SAMCRO, and wields her power with an iron fist, never thinking twice about striking out against perceived enemies. But Gemma’s hotheadedness is her downfall, as she kills her daughter-in-law Tara (Maggie Siff) over false information, and Jax kills Gemma out of revenge in the final season of Sons of Anarchy.
In lesser hands, Gemma could have been a one-note character, but Sagal imbues her with complexity, and her tour de force performance saw her win a Golden Globe in 2011, the only major acting award win for the show. Sagal’s emphasis on Gemma’s love for her family makes her relatable and sympathetic, though it’s always a question as to why Gemma repeatedly puts her loved ones in harm’s way by encouraging their involvement in the club and having such a central role in it herself. But Gemma’s backstory goes a long way in revealing why the character embraced the outlaw lifestyle in Sons of Anarchy.
Gemma Met John Teller In 1977
Sons of Anarchy would never have been what it was had Gemma not met Vietnam veteran John Teller and gotten pregnant with Jax soon into their courtship. Gemma was born in 1957 in Oregon but moved with her family to Charming where her father became the reverend of the local church. Born a rebel, Gemma left home at age 16 and met John Teller shortly after. As Police Chief Wayne Unser (Dayton Callie) put it, Gemma returned to Charming “10 years later with a baby and a motorcycle club.” The mother charter of SAMCRO set up shop, and Gemma lived there ever since.
Though the Sons of Anarchy is a men-only motorcycle club, and uphold sexist ideals, Gemma is treated differently than other women involved with the club and is shown a high level of respect and reverence. As her backstory finds her living out most of her childhood in Charming, the town is a home turf for Gemma, making it easier to see as her kingdom as opposed to if the club settled elsewhere. Gemma’s history with SAMCRO goes a long way in cementing her credibility, and she relishes her role as wife of the president — first John, then Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman) — and mother figure to the Sons of Anarchy.
Gemma Loves The Motorcycle Club Lifestyle & Wants It For Her Family
Gemma’s Sons of Anarchy backstory is all about her rejecting traditional society, and that’s what appeals to her about the SAMCRO life. Sagal said in an interview with EW that Gemma is “a person who likes living off the grid. She likes having her own little world. She’s in total support of it.” To Gemma, danger and crime are a small price to pay for that freedom, and because she places such a premium on it, she wants it for future generations of her family.
Sagal went on to say that she didn’t think Gemma would be supportive if her grandchildren wanted to walk a more conventional path. It was her choices that got Gemma killed in Sons of Anarchy, but while she was alive, she existed entirely on her own terms.
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