Katharine Towne is an actress, known for being the daughter of the late screenwriter and director Robert Towne. She is also remembered as the former wife of Charlie Hunnam, the actor who later became famous as Jax Teller on FX’s Sons of Anarchy.
The two were still teenagers when they married in 1999. At that time, both were just starting out in acting. Towne had already appeared in a few projects, while Hunnam’s role as Nathan Maloney in Queer as Folk gave him his first real step forward.
Even though they both shared a love for acting, their young marriage was short-lived. A few years later, it ended in divorce, with Hunnam later describing the experience as “horrible.”
Here’s what to know about Katharine Towne and her brief marriage to Charlie Hunnam.
What Does Katharine Towne Do?
Towne built her career in acting, starting out in the late 1990s. She made her debut in the teen comedy Girl (1998) and soon after landed a part in the cult favorite Go (1999).
That same year turned out to be busy for her. She earned wider attention with a supporting role in the hit romantic comedy She’s All That (1999) and appeared in several other projects, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Bachelor.
Through the early 2000s, Towne continued to work in films. Her credits include What Lies Beneath (2000), The In Crowd (2000), and Evolution (2001). A decade later, the actress added more titles to her résumé with appearances in CSI: NY (2011), Blur (2011), and The Aquabats! Super Show! (2012). Her final on-screen role came the same year in Beauty and the Least: The Misadventures of Ben Banks.
Since then, Towne has stepped away from acting. Reports suggest the former star has now turned her focus to screenwriting, following in the path of her late father, and has also become involved in mental health advocacy.
She Grew Up in Los Angeles
Katharine Payne Towne was born on July 17, 1978, in Hollywood, California, to screenwriter Robert Towne and actress Julie Payne. Her parents later went their separate ways, but Katharine spent most of her childhood in Los Angeles.
Her father owned a mansion in the Pacific Palisades for many years. He purchased it in 1987 for $2.5 million and eventually sold it in 2015 for $9.65 million.
Katharine herself lived in Studio City for several years and sold her home there for about $2.5 million in 2022.
When Did Charlie Hunnam Meet His Wife Katharine Towne? Their Wedding and Divorce
Hunnam first met his future spouse, Katharine Towne, in 1999 when they both auditioned for roles on Dawson’s Creek. Just three weeks after meeting, the two decided to marry in Las Vegas. Their marriage lasted three years before ending in divorce in 2002.
Looking back years later, Hunnam shared how quickly everything unfolded. In a 2017 interview with the Associated Press, the Undeclared star recalled the night of their impulsive wedding. “First time I was ever in Vegas I got married, which didn’t turn out that well,” he said. “I had known the girl for three weeks. We had fallen madly in love and it was the first time I had ever been in love.”
Hunnam explained that he was about to return to England when they decided to elope. “We thought, ‘What if we never see each other again? Let’s get married and then we’ll have to see each other again even if it’s just to get divorced.’” So, in the early hours of the morning, at 2 A.M., the pair exchanged vows at the Silver Bell Wedding Chapel.
The marriage, however, quickly soured. Hunnam has been candid in describing those three years as “terrible, painful, expensive.” Still, he kept a small sense of humor about it, adding, “I got the cats at the end of it, so that was good. There was a small victory.”
Over time, he has also admitted that while they remained good friends and he stayed close with her family, the two were simply “horrible partners.”
Who Is Charlie Hunnam Dating Now?
After his split from his ex-wife Katharine Towne, Charlie was linked to model Sophie Dahl, actress Stella Parker, and film producer Georgina Townsley. Since 2005, he has been in a long-term relationship with jewelry designer Morgana McNelis, and the two have kept their bond strong for nearly two decades.
Katharine, on the other hand, has kept her personal life private since the divorce.
