Kurt Sutter

Lore & Background

Kurt Sutter was born in Rahway, New Jersey, and grew up in Clark, New Jersey. He graduated from Roselle Catholic High School in 1982 and earned a BA in mass media with a minor in English from Rutgers University in 1986. After moving to New York City, he studied Meisner technique, did theater, and taught at the Gately/Poole Conservatory. He later obtained an M.F.A. in performance and directing from Northern Illinois University, starting in 1997.

Sutter began his television career as a staff writer for the first season of FX's The Shield in 2002, making his acting debut as Armenian mob hitman Margos Dezerian. He rose through the ranks to become an executive producer and wrote or co-wrote 18 episodes total, making him the series' second most prolific writer after Shawn Ryan. In 2008, he created Sons of Anarchy for FX, serving as head writer and showrunner, writing 61 of the show's 92 episodes, and appearing as incarcerated club member Otto Delaney. He cast his wife, actress Katey Sagal, as main character Gemma Teller Morrow.

Sutter later created the Sons of Anarchy spinoff Mayans M.C. and developed The Bastard Executioner for FX, which was cancelled after one season. In October 2019, he was fired from FX after multiple complaints about his 'abrasive' and 'unprofessional' behavior. He also wrote the film Southpaw, which was released in 2015, and appeared in the 2021 science fiction film Chaos Walking, his first feature film acting role.

Reader's Guide

Kurt Sutter's significance lies in his creation of Sons of Anarchy, a critically and commercially successful FX series that ran for seven seasons and spawned the spinoff Mayans M.C. His work on The Shield helped establish FX as a destination for gritty, character-driven crime dramas. Sutter's writing style, influenced by William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Mad Magazine, Hanna-Barbera cartoons, and Hill Street Blues, brought a literary and pop-culture sensibility to the outlaw motorcycle club genre. His research with actual club members lent authenticity to Sons of Anarchy. Despite his creative successes, Sutter's career at FX ended in 2019 following complaints about his behavior. His legacy includes a distinctive voice in television drama, a long-running franchise, and a notable collaboration with his wife, Katey Sagal.

Did You Know?

• He wrote or co-wrote 61 of Sons of Anarchy's 92 episodes.
• Sutter's wife, Katey Sagal, played main character Gemma Teller Morrow on Sons of Anarchy.
• He was fired from FX in October 2019 after multiple complaints about his 'abrasive' and 'unprofessional' behavior.