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PASADENA, Calif. -- A scruffy summer beard couldn't disguise Kiefer Sutherland. The Canadian actor was mobbed by reporters at Sunday night's Fox dinner reception for the stars of 24.
Sutherland and the rest of the cast were riding a wave of great reviews and Emmy nominations, including one for Sutherland's portrayal of special agent Jack Bauer, the man who barely survived the worst 24 hours of his life.
They'll do it all again next season when Bauer will pick up the pieces after the murder of his wife (played by Leslie Hope) by his partner and ex-girlfriend (Sarah Clark).
The cast started shooting season two yesterday.
The story picks up nearly a year later, as now President Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) hires Bauer for protection after the burnt-out agent quits the force.
Sarah Wynter joins the cast as Kate Warner, a potential love interest for Bauer.
Palmer's scheming wife, played by Penny Johnson Jerald, will be back to add more menace.
Sutherland says working on the series was "the most important year of my 15-year career." He's constantly approached by fans who tell him they love the show. "It's better than when they used to say, 'I can't believe you did that film. It sucked!' "
Sutherland agreed that the ending shocked a lot of people, "but I'm glad the show stayed true to what it promised." He's also pleased that Fox is sticking with the real-time format.
Was he tempted to flee back to films after one sensational season? "I'd be in a court room for the next six years if I had that feeling," he said.
While Sutherland has made his share of hits (Lost Boys, Stand By Me), he admitted he had been in a bit of a film rut, stuck playing mostly villains (Eye For An Eye). He's grateful to television for helping him bust out as a good guy.
He did find time to squeeze in another film over a five-week writing break last Christmas: Phone Booth, directed by Joel Schumacher.
'REAL CHALLENGE'
Co-star and fellow Canadian Elisha Cuthbert, who played Bauer's kidnap-prone daughter Kim, says she hopes she gets more than one "crazy tank top" to wear next season. "I would watch Sex And The City and say, 'I hate you women!' " she joked.
Kim will start the season estranged from her father, who she blames for the death of her mother. Eventually, Cuthbert hopes Kim will take after the old man and kick some bad guy butt. "By the end of the year I was glad that she was no longer this wimp who was clinging to her mother. I'd love to see the Kim turn into Dark Angel."
The producers were being coy about other details for next year. Both Sutherland and Cuthbert say they've seen the first two scripts and they're fabulous. "There's a real challenge to make this year even better," Sutherland said.
The series will return Oct. 29 without commercial interruption (at least on Fox) thanks to a sponsorship deal with Ford
Sutherland and the rest of the cast were riding a wave of great reviews and Emmy nominations, including one for Sutherland's portrayal of special agent Jack Bauer, the man who barely survived the worst 24 hours of his life.
They'll do it all again next season when Bauer will pick up the pieces after the murder of his wife (played by Leslie Hope) by his partner and ex-girlfriend (Sarah Clark).
The cast started shooting season two yesterday.
The story picks up nearly a year later, as now President Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) hires Bauer for protection after the burnt-out agent quits the force.
Sarah Wynter joins the cast as Kate Warner, a potential love interest for Bauer.
Palmer's scheming wife, played by Penny Johnson Jerald, will be back to add more menace.
Sutherland says working on the series was "the most important year of my 15-year career." He's constantly approached by fans who tell him they love the show. "It's better than when they used to say, 'I can't believe you did that film. It sucked!' "
Sutherland agreed that the ending shocked a lot of people, "but I'm glad the show stayed true to what it promised." He's also pleased that Fox is sticking with the real-time format.
Was he tempted to flee back to films after one sensational season? "I'd be in a court room for the next six years if I had that feeling," he said.
While Sutherland has made his share of hits (Lost Boys, Stand By Me), he admitted he had been in a bit of a film rut, stuck playing mostly villains (Eye For An Eye). He's grateful to television for helping him bust out as a good guy.
He did find time to squeeze in another film over a five-week writing break last Christmas: Phone Booth, directed by Joel Schumacher.
'REAL CHALLENGE'
Co-star and fellow Canadian Elisha Cuthbert, who played Bauer's kidnap-prone daughter Kim, says she hopes she gets more than one "crazy tank top" to wear next season. "I would watch Sex And The City and say, 'I hate you women!' " she joked.
Kim will start the season estranged from her father, who she blames for the death of her mother. Eventually, Cuthbert hopes Kim will take after the old man and kick some bad guy butt. "By the end of the year I was glad that she was no longer this wimp who was clinging to her mother. I'd love to see the Kim turn into Dark Angel."
The producers were being coy about other details for next year. Both Sutherland and Cuthbert say they've seen the first two scripts and they're fabulous. "There's a real challenge to make this year even better," Sutherland said.
The series will return Oct. 29 without commercial interruption (at least on Fox) thanks to a sponsorship deal with Ford
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