---
name: "Sonny Barger"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/sonny-barger"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "8 October 1938"
died: "29 June 2022"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
updated: "2026-09-17T04:47:20.029745+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Sonny Barger

Actor. Born 8 October 1938 in Modesto, California. Died 29 June 2022.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 8 October 1938, Modesto, California
- **Died:** 29 June 2022
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q584155, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0054554/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1435

## Streaming the US now

- **The Criterion Channel:** [*Gimme Shelter*](https://film.one/film/gimme-shelter.md) (78)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Sonny Barger was an American actor and founding member of the Oakland chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. He was born Ralph Hubert Barger Jr on 8 October 1938 in Modesto, California, and died on 29 June 2022 in Oakland, California.

Barger appeared as himself in the 1970 documentary *Gimme Shelter*, which captured the Rolling Stones' Altamont concert. He had further screen credits including *Hells Angels on Wheels* (1967), *Hell's Angels '69* (1969) and a recurring role as Lenny 'The Pimp' Janowitz in the television series *Sons of Anarchy* (2010–2012). He also worked as a producer and technical advisor on several projects.

*Sources: imdb.com, metacritic.com, britannica.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Gimme Shelter* (1970), Fi1m 78, as Self — [page](https://film.one/film/gimme-shelter.md)

## Also known for

- *Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson* (2008), Self
- *Hells Angels on Wheels* (1967), President of H.A.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/sonny-barger