Clay Morrow (Character Bio)

Clarence “Clay” Morrow was a fictional character in the FX television series Sons of Anarchy. He is played by Ron Perlman. He is the former President of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, but is also something of a vigilante as he does everything in his power to ensure that drug dealers and rapists stay out of his town. However, during the fourth season, Clay involves the club with a number of drug dealings with the cartel for his own protection and greed, wavering in his allegiance, and gradually becomes an antagonist. He is 6′ 2″ and has a number of tattoos, most notably a Grim Reaper on his upper right arm and a Paratrooper tattoo on his upper left, along with the words “Death From Above” indicating that he served as a paratrooper in a military unit. He also wears a golden pin of the same symbol on his kutte. This symbol is often confused with the US Army Parachutist badge. The Paratrooper symbol that Clay wears is an unofficial symbol, and would serve to indicate service, particularly combat service, as a paratrooper, and consists of a skull, with wings coming from the bottom of the skull, and curving up to meet the top of the skull.

Biography:

Morrow, of Irish descent, was born in 1949 but is not a native of Charming, California. He is one of the original “First 9” members of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, formed in 1967, but was not a founding member. Of the first nine, he was the youngest and one of only three who were not war veterans. He did later go on to serve in the military, however, joining the US Army as an Airborne qualified Infantryman in 1969 and was deployed to Vietnam until 1972 (commemorated by a tattoo on his left arm and the paratrooper pin on his vest). When he returned from service, he remained a member of the club and opened the Teller-Morrow Automotive Repair shop with John Teller, the club President and his best friend. Whilst serving as the Vice President during the early 1990s, he was responsible for a number of murders during the SAMCRO-Mayan War, including that of Lowell Harland, Sr., a mechanic at the auto shop who became an ATF informant.

In 1993, he became the President of the club’s Mother Charter, based in Charming (which also means that he was National President), after the death of John Teller. He went on to marry John Teller’s widow Gemma Teller Morrow in the mid-1990s and made their son, Jax Teller, Vice-President. It is implied that under Morrow, SAMCRO has become more of a criminal enterprise than before, much to Jax’s disillusionment.

On his colors he wears patches reading “First 9” and “President”. He suffers from osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) in his hands, which is slowly worsening as the series progresses. He makes several attempts to hide it from his brothers to protect his position as President, as a rule among members of the Sons of Anarchy prevents members from leading if they can’t hold the grip of their motorcycle and ride effectively.

Clay in his younger days with Tig

 

Occupations:

Soldier (1967-1972)

Co-owner of Teller-Morrow Automotive repair (1972-2013)

Spouses: Gemma Teller

Children: Jax Teller (Step Son)

Clay was a member of the First Nine and former President after John Teller’s death, he became excommunicated from the club and At the conclusion of the show Clay is killed; he was shot in the neck and chest by Jax Teller. Clay appeared in 75 episodes of the series.

Clay’s Gun

Motorcycle:

Clay’s motorcycle is a 2008 Harley Davidson Dyna Super Glide with a forward facing canon air filter, taped thunder header exhaust and a 96 cubic inch twin cam motor. On his fuel tank is the reaper and both the top and bottom rockers of his charter. Clay’s reaper design is similar to the one on Jax’s bike. Clay has custom T-Bars and high risers for his handlebars. Like most of the SAMCRO motorbikes he has the drag fairing on the front.

Murders Committed:

• Lowell Harland, Sr. – (“Old Bones”)
• Unnamed Mayan – Shot in the throat. (“Pilot”)
• Unnamed Mayan – Shot in the back. (“Pilot”)
• Fat Clown – Castrated. (“Fun Town”)
• Unnamed IRA member – Set on fire. (“Fírinne”)
• 2 Unnamed IRA members – Shot in the chest. (“Fírinne”)
• Keith McGee – Pushed off a roof. (“Fírinne”)
• Unnamed Russian – Shot in the head. (“Out”)
• Unnamed Russian – Suffocated. (“Dorylus”)
• Piney Winston – Shot in the chest. (“Family Recipe”)
• Greg the Peg – Shot in the head. (“Toad’s Wild Ride”)
• Unnamed Aryan Brotherhood member – Stabbed in the neck. (“Poenitentia”)