Profile of Charles Gunn on Famous Like Me

Charles Gunn, or Gunn to his friends is a fictional character in the TV series Angel, played by J. August Richards.

Gunn is a die-hard member of Angel's group at Angel Investigations.

Charles Gunn was born in the badlands—an area the police wouldn’t go—of inner-city Los Angeles where he looked after his sister Alonna from a very young age. Although he had a few brushes with the law, given his long rap sheet, Gunn fights to keep the streets safe in his neighborhood like he was some kind of urban Robin Hood. In his teens, Gunn rose to the ranks as the leader of a gang of street-fighters who protect their turf from vampires using guerilla warfare tactics.

Possessing the mind of a military strategist and the strength of a back-alley brawler, life in the ghetto hardened Gunn to the extent that his life became less important than the cause, resulting in him trading his soul for a truck to a demon named Jenoff when he was only 17 because he believed he had no future.

Gunn first crossed paths with Angel in 2000 in a case of mistaken identity; he observed Angel roughing up a blackmailer and then tried unsuccessfully to dust him. Eventually, Angel won Gunn’s trust, but unfortunately not in time to save Alonna from being turned into a vampire. Gunn had no choice but to stake her, a decision that haunts him to this day. It was this loss that forced Gunn to question his own motives and become more receptive to Angel's help, realizing he can’t do everything alone.

Angel recognized Gunn's strength and often called on him if he needed back up in battle or if he needed protection for the people he cared about when he couldn't do it himself. Although Gunn initially treated his time with Angel Investigations as a "paying side-gig", he eventually became a full-time member of the gang, gaining mutual respect for those he fought side by side with whilst finding his place in the world.

His work with his new 'family' often led to conflicted loyalties with his old gang ties; never more so than the night Cordelia was accidentally sucked into the portal to Pylea whilst a member of his old street crew, Rondell, succumbed to the bite of a vampire. Gunn felt responsible for his friend's death believing that it would not have happened if he had still been around to help fight. Yet even in his grief, Gunn realized that he could not commit the same crime twice and allow Cordelia to suffer the same fate and so he joined Angel, Wes and Lorne to instigate her rescue.

When a short time after their return, demons across the city were being systematically executed without rhyme nor reason, Gunn came to the cold conclusion that it was his old gang who were responsible for the deaths. He realized then that his ties with his old life were gone and that his loyalty now lay with the vampire with a soul. In a chilling showdown with one of his lifelong friends, Gunn finally chose the mission of the Angel Investigations team.

Without realizing it, Gunn had found the future he thought he would never have. He had friends, loyalty, respect and a mission to pursue. He even found love in the arms of the AI new girl Fred Burkle yet before he knew it his past came back to haunt him. The demon Jenoff decided it was time to cash in on the deal Gunn had made years earlier by claiming Gunn's soul, but he was denied by an unlucky turn of a card and a swift hand allowing Gunn the luxury of living his life to the fullest.

Fred became the most important person in his world, reaching the same esteem he had held for his sister, and there was nothing he wouldn't do to prove his love for her. His devotion suffered the ultimate test when he killed the person responsible for deliberately sending Fred to Pylea in order to save her from having to carry the burden of doing it herself. The guilt of what he had done for her plagued Fred and instead of bringing them closer together, it began the rut that led to the end of their relationship.

Although no longer romantically linked, Gunn and Fred continued to fight side by side as part of Team Angel. When the evil lawyer firm Wolfram & Hart wanted to cut a deal to have Angel take over the L.A. branch, Gunn was led into the mysterious White Room for a role yet to be explored.

Gunn undergoes a remarkable transformation at Wolfram & Hart. He submits to a procedure at the hands of W&H medical department that enhances his mind with a comprehensive understanding of the law, making him the only member of the Angel team that can work inside the system seamlessly. The change not only makes Gunn a mental equal, he also sheds his street look for the sleek, professional suits of a legal powerhouse. He also serves as their only conduit to the Senior Partners in the White Room. While he helps finesse many a case and client at W&H, his deal with the devil eventually comes back to haunt him when his mental abilities begin to diminish. Fearful of losing his new talents and position of respect, Gunn makes a pact with the doctor who performed his implant - Gunn gets a permanent upgrade in exchange for Gunn signing to release an ancient curio stuck in customs.

The curio ends up being a sarcophagus for the Old One, known as Illyria. The God ends up infecting Fred and killing her from within. Devastated by his part in her death, Gunn willingly offers himself to take Lindsey's place in a hell dimension in order to free their former nemesis and get information on how to stop the Senior Partners. Eventually saved by the team, Gunn returns to the fold, changed and seeking redemption for his sins. In the end, Charles Gunn comes full circle, returning to his roots taking back his street clothes and reawakening his purpose as a soldier in the fight against evil. He defeats the Circle member, Senator Bruckner and is seriously injured in the process but that doesn't stop him from meeting up with Angel and the rest of the team to stage one last fight against the army of the Senior Partners.

Although initially considered to be the muscle of the Angel Investigations Team, Charles Gunn has proven that he is so much more. His loyalty goes without question and he is as smart as he is strong.

This content from Wikipedia is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Charles Gunn