24 – Season 8 Casting, Press Release and Premiere Date

KATEE SACKHOFF, FREDDIE PRINZE JR., MYKELTI WILLIAMSON, JOHN BOYD, CHRIS DIAMANTOPOULOS AND JENNIFER WESTFELDT JOIN THE CAST OF “24” FOR SEASON EIGHT

Series Returns with Two-Hour Premiere Event Sunday, January 17, on FOX

Katee Sackhoff, Freddie Prinze Jr., Mykelti Williamson, John Boyd, Jennifer Westfeldt and Chris Diamantopoulos have joined the cast of 24 for the series’ eighth season. The Emmy Award-winning drama starring Kiefer Sutherland returns for its next astonishing day with a two-night, four-hour premiere beginning Sunday, Jan. 17 (9:00-11:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

Season Eight will unfold in New York City amidst the shadows of the Statue of Liberty and the United Nations. In this new day, CTU has been upgraded and is run by MBA-schooled and razor-sharp head honcho BRIAN HASTINGS (Williamson, “Forrest Gump”). COLE ORTIZ (Prinze Jr.), an ex-Marine who wants to follow in JACK BAUER’s (Sutherland) footsteps, runs the division’s Field Operations. Expert data analyst DANA WALSH (Sackhoff, “Battlestar Galactica”) collaborates with systems analyst ARLO GLASS (Boyd, “The Notorious Bettie Page”) inside CTU. ROB WEISS (Diamantopoulos, “The Starter Wife”) serves as PRESIDENT ALLISON TAYLOR’s (Cherry Jones) new chief of staff, and MEREDITH REED (Westfeldt, “Grey’s Anatomy“) is an ambitious journalist with ties to the unfolding situation.

As previously announced, Sutherland, Jones, Mary Lynn Rajskub and Annie Wersching also return. In addition, Bollywood icon Anil Kapoor (”Slumdog Millionaire”) makes his American TV debut as OMAR HASSAN, a Middle Eastern leader who comes to the U.S. on a peacemaking mission.

24, created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, is a production of 20th Century Fox Television and Imagine Television in association with Teakwood Lane Productions. Howard Gordon, Evan Katz, David Fury, Manny Coto, Brannon Braga, Brad Turner, Alex Gansa, Kiefer Sutherland and Brian Grazer are executive producers while Chip Johannessen and Patrick Harbinson serve as co-executive producers.

24 – Big Casting News

Suddenly, I find myself counting the minutes until 24’s new season. Perhaps this is why: Katee Sackhoff is joining the cast!

Sources confirm to me exclusively that the Battlestar Galactica heroine has been tapped to play the series regular role of Dayna Pakkala, a highly respected and down-to-earth data analyst at the new and improved New York branch of CTU.

Translation: Chloe-Starbuck catfight alert!

This fraktastic casting coup hit a road block last week when Sackhoff abruptly took herself out of running, prompting me to post this blind item. But late Friday, word surfaced that the BSG badass was once again in the mix.

Here’s more scoop on Sackhoff’s character…

She’s in a relationship with fellow agent Davis Cole (played by the just-cast Freddie Prinze. Jr.), and she apparently has a skeleton in her closet she’s trying desperately to keep hidden.

As I previously reported, 24’s eighth season — which premieres Jan. 17, 2010 — will be set in the Big Apple and center on an assassination plot against a visiting foreign leader (Slumdog Millionaire’s Anil Kapoor). In addition to Sackhoff, Prinze, and Williamson, new Day 8 blood includes Kissing Jessica Stein’s Jennifer Westfeldt (as a journalist with ties to Kapoor’s diplomat) and The Starter Wife’s Chris Diamantopoulos (as President Taylor’s Chief of Staff).

24 – Two New Cast Members

Jennifer Westfeldt and John Boyd have joined the cast of Fox’s “24.”

On the upcoming eighth season of the real-time drama, to be set in New York, “Kissing Jessica Stein” star Westfeldt will play the recurring role of Meredith Reed, an ambitious journalist with ties to Arman Hashemi (Anil Kapoor), a Middle East leader who comes to the U.S. on a peacemaking mission.

Boyd (”The Notorious Bettie Page”) will be a regular on the 20th TV/Imagine series, playing CTU systems analyst Jonah Schwartz.

Westfeldt and Boyd join previously cast Kapoor and Chris Diamantopoulos as the “24″ producers are filling nine major new roles for Season 8, slated to begin production today.

Westfeldt recently recurred on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” and launched a production company with “Mad Men” star Jon Hamm.

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24: Headbutt Controversy Almost Cost Kiefer Sutherland A Movie Role

Kiefer Sutherland and Jack McCollough may have patched up after the headbutting incident between the two early this month, but apparently there was more at stake for the 24 star. All that coverage about who did what and why–all those finger-pointing, in other words–allegedly almost cost the actor a role in an upcoming movie.

A source told New York Daily News that the cast and crew of the upcoming Twelve were monitoring the progress of Sutherland’s case very closely. The film’s director, Joel Schumacher, wasn’t happy with all the negative press coverage surrounding the actor. “For the entire week following [the incident], Kiefer’s drama was the white elephant in the room,” the source said. “Joel did not want to talk about it and instructed his cast not to mention anything around him or to the press.”

However, the apology between both parties over the weekend–done days after the 24 star surrendered to authorities and set himself up for a court appearance next month–has cooled everybody down, and decided to keep the actor in his role. “Kiefer’s role in the film isn’t huge anyway,” the source said. “He’s mostly narrating and wouldn’t have been working with very many cast or crew members, which everyone on-set is pretty relieved about. Twelve is in post-production right now, and it wouldn’t make sense to cut Kiefer at this stage of the game.”

The apology came through a joint statement released by both Sutherland and fashion designer McCollough, who was hurt after an altercation in a party in New York City. The agreement sets up the possibility of the assault charges against the actor being dropped.

While there’s no word yet on whether the case will officially be dropped, another source says Sutherland’s relieved after all this–that he’s keeping his job, and that he’s staying out of trouble, for now. “Kiefer is very glad to have settled this so quickly and relatively quietly,” the source said. “He knows the ramifications his actions in New York would have had on his [other legal troubles] … He’s looking forward to just staying out of harm’s way and is content to focus on his work for now. But he hasn’t stopped drinking.”

Kiefer Visits “The Late Show with David Letterman”

Kiefer Sutherland visited “The Late Show with David Letterman” Monday night (April 27). Others on the show included Matthew Fox (LOST) and the All American Rejects.



I have no idea if the show has aired with his appearance because I didn’t watch (Leno fan here) and I can’t find any video clips either. So, if you saw it, feel free to chime in here and let us know how it was. Until then, I’ll just keep trying to hunt down the clips.

For now, enjoy these pictures of Kiefer Sutherland below. +2…

Kiefer Sutherland on Access Hollywood

The “24″ star sat down with Access Hollywood to talk about “Monsters vs Aliens”. Kiefer taked about his character General W.R. Monger and what it was like to do an animated film. He also said that during the press tour in Europe, he was able to snatch a few of the Monsters vs Aliens toys. It’s funny to hear him talk about it!

Kiefer said, “We start back up in May. And we’re starting early this year because of the strike and Fox’s programming issues. 24 started late but we had extra time and we realized how valuable that was. So, normally we wouldn’t start until August, but we’re starting in May.”

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24 – Michael Rodrick Interview

Given everything that has happened on 24 this season, it’s hard to believe the action’s just getting started. Now that megalomaniac Jonas Hodges (played by Jon Voight) is back in the picture, it’s time to “make some holy hell for Jack Bauer,” series newcomer Michael Rodrick tells TVGuide.com. The actor, who plays Hodges’ cohort, Stokes, gave us a preview of the bloody mess to come.

TVGuide.com: I’ve been trying to read up on Stokes and there’s nothing besides “deadly military operative.” So who is he and how do we meet him?
Michael Rodrick: [Laughs] Well, you know how it is. Basically Jon Voight is just going to start to unleash a lot of bedlam and I’m one of the henchmen there to get things rolling. It’s going to be a lot of psychological warfare. Then it’s gonna escalate and be a lot of physical warfare — aka torture — to get what we want.

TVGuide.com: What can we expect on this week’s episode?
Rodrick: We’ll be bringing a bio-weapon onto U.S. soil, as part of a plan. We have orders that we want to execute and of course [Jack] gets in the way. In the last episode, he was on his way to the containing yard. We’re going to be there — and we’re gonna make sure he doesn’t win.

TVGuide.com: We just got re-introduced to Hodges. What’s his overall motivation?
Rodrick: Yeah, what is his overall motivation? [Laughs] In terms of the overall arc, I’m not privy to that. But I think these private mercenaries for the most part are motivated by the fact that their country has let them down in some way. I think that’s what [Hodges] is all about and what I am all about. We’re a private army and we feel like how Tony Almeida feels, except Tony’s still doing the right thing and we’re not.

TVGuide.com: Are you loyal to Hodges?
Rodrick: Oh, I always have my own agenda. That’s all I’m gonna say. You’ll get to know Stokes very well. Be prepared for me to psychologically tear a lot of people apart and kidnap them. Watch me kick Bauer’s ass! [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: Do you get your ass kicked?
Rodrick: Uh… I’m pretty tough. I withstand a lot of pain. I’m like the Harrison Ford who keeps getting kicked around but keeps coming back.

TVGuide.com: The talk is that Hodges will prove to be one of 24’s best villains ever. Do you agree?
Rodrick: Defintely. I think that this corporate entity he represents will frighten people to the bone. To make that jump of disbelief is quite easy when you think of a private army gone mad. It’s gonna be fascinating. The viewers will be entranced by it and him.

TVGuide.com: Were you intimidated to work with Jon Voight?
Rodrick: We went to the same college, so I knew I had an icebreaker. But we were in a production van and I’m telling this techie who’s got twin boys about raising twins, because I’m a twin. As I’m saying this, Jon Voight’s like, “Hold on! Hold on!” It never even occurred to me that Angelina Jolie just had twins, so of course he wants to know this stuff! I think he absorbed everything that I said. He’s very proud to be a grandpa. … He’s a real guy’s guy. He smashed an ankle [in one scene] — didn’t say anything, gets an ice pack and ices it himself. What a tough guy. You look at him walk and the way he talks — it’s that whole generation. Him and Clint Eastwood, they’ve got this gait. They’re all cowboys.

TVGuide.com: What was it like working with Kiefer Sutherland?
Rodrick: Kiefer is so intense, an incredible bundle of energy. He’s landing helicopters, running around and shooting people. … And in between takes, he’s playing chess! He sets up this chessboard and everyone’s got to be really quiet. If you’re a Kiefer fan, grab a chessboard and get him to sign it.

TVGuide.com: Is there a chance we will see Stokes beyond this arc?
Rodrick: [Laughs] I cannot say, but you’ll definitely be surprised what happens to him.

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Source: TVGuide

24 – Sprague Grayden Interview

First daughter Olivia Taylor got quite an introduction last week on Fox’s 24, stubbornly balking at being pulled away from a business meeting by Secret Service agent extraordinaire Aaron Pierce. Is the president’s surviving offspring not much of a momma’s girl? Might she cause unnecessary headaches for the leader of the free world? Joan of Arcadia and Jericho alumna Sprague Grayden gave us a preview (well, what little she could!) of the story ahead.

TVGuide.com: Were you a fan of 24 before you got this role?
Sprague Grayden: Yeah, I was, so I was very excited. I’ve been blessed to do so many different shows, but I’ve never done an action show, really. On Jericho, other people got to ride horses and shoot guns, but I never did. This is a whole new genre for me.

TVGuide.com: Did 24 present you with any “firsts” as an actress?
Grayden: Totally. For one, I was a guest star, so you usually get a chair that says “CAST” on it. But when I get there, all of a sudden I see a chair with my name on it! I said to a producer, “That’s so nice, thank you!” He’s like, “Well, we like to treat you well here on 24, because you never know when you’re going to get a bullet in the head.” I was like, “Right on!” [Laughs] This also might be the first real adult character I’ve played. Olivia is definitely a woman. In fact, when I went to the audition, I didn’t really have that many “grown-up clothes,” so I put on this one black skirt I have and a sweater. When I got the callback, they said, “Yeah … can you try to dress a little more elegantly?” So I had to go shopping!

TVGuide.com: Is Olivia a straight arrow, or perhaps Jenna Bush-like?
Grayden: Olivia definitely has her business, and she’s going to get it done. She’s very goal-oriented.

TVGuide.com: What could her “business” be?
Grayden: You’ll have to wait and find out! [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: What’s her point of view on Mom’s presidency — is she loving it, or not so much?
Grayden: I think Olivia is clearly supportive of her family, as is every member of the family. Family is first and foremost for all of them.

TVGuide.com: The First Son who died — was he Olivia’s full-brother or a half-brother?
Grayden: Um, I don’t know if I’m allowed to answer that….

TVGuide.com: Is she going to get pulled into the mystery of his death?
Grayden: Now that is definitely something I must stay mum about.

TVGuide.com: Who have you been working with more — Cherry Jones or Colm Feore?
Grayden: Oh, that’s tricky, come on now! I can’t answer that either! [Laughs] Um … after my first couple episodes air, the answer to that will become very clear. But I will say that Olivia’s relationship with each of her parents gets explored, and they may be different sorts of relationships. (Watch related video: Cherry Jones calls First Daughter “a Daddy’s girl.”)

TVGuide.com: It’s never easy being the child of a president on 24. Should we pencil you in for a kidnapping?
Grayden: [Laughs] I think you should just leave the book open on Olivia. Anything can happen with her. She’s an interesting cookie.

TVGuide.com: Might she get a romantic interest along the way?
Grayden: Hmmm, I can’t answer that either!

TVGuide.com: Carlos Bernard has teased that Tony has an interesting romance somewhere along the way. I can see Tony maybe saving the first daughter from something or another, and then there’s a heated clinch….
Grayden: Well, he is kind of dreamy.

 

 

Source: TVGuide

Carlos Bernard Biography

Fast Facts:

Name:
Carlos Bernard Papierski

Birthdate:
October 12, 1966

Birthplace:
Evanston, Illinois

Height:
5′8″

Siblings:
Youngest of three kids.

Relationships:
Married Sharisse Barker-Bernard – actress.

Bits and Pieces:

Carlos Bernard was raised in Chicago, Illinois and was educated at New Trier High School. After graduation he moved on to Illinois State University. Next, Bernard attended the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco where he earned his Master of Fine Arts degree. He stated acting on stage and then moved to television. He had guest starring appearances in shows including “Walker, Texas Ranger” and “The Young and the Restless.” Although he has some film credits, he was relatively unknown until joining the cast of ‘24′.
Bernard is, as well as an actor, an accomplished artist. He is bilingual in Spanish, trained in Judo and is a sports fan, his favourites being golf and basketball.

-Carlos is quite the practical joker, always pulling pranks during filming and with the other actors. He apparently had Kiefer Sutherland convinced at one point that he was wearing a hairpiece. Also, he got himself in trouble while filming the last few episodes of Season 4 by having the police come to the set to arrest Mia Kirshner, the actress who plays “Mandy”

Credits:
1. “24″ (2001)
2. Vegas, City of Dreams (2001)
3. Colonel’s Last Flight, The (2000)
4. Mars and Beyond (2000)
5. “Young and the Restless, The” (1973) TV Series
6. Babylon 5: A Call to Arms (1999) (TV)
7. Men In White (1998) (TV)
8. “Sunset Beach” (1997) TV Series
9. Killing Jar, The (1996)

Write To:
Carlos Bernard
C/O- “24″
20th Century Fox
10201 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90035

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Kiefer Sutherland Biography

Fast Facts:

Name:
Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland

Birthdate:
December 21, 1966

Birthplace:
St. Mary’s Hospital; Paddington; London, England

Eyes:
Two different colors, I’ve been told they are blue and green.

Height:
5′11″

Mother:
Shirley Douglas (actress)

Father:
Donald Sutherland (actor)

Siblings:
Twin Sister Rachel, 3 half-brothers, Roeg, Rousif and Angus Redford

Relationships:
Married to Kelly Winn June 28, 1996, filed for divorce March 13, 2000 but not officially divorced. Re-filed May 2004
          Married Camelia Kath in 1988, divorced February 1990
          Dated dancer Amanda Rice in 1991
      Engaged to Julia Roberts whom he met in 1990, scheduled to marry June 14, 1991

Children:
Sarah Jude born 1988 to Camelina Kath
          Timothy – Step Son born 1993 to Kelly Winn
          Julian – Step Son born 1990 to Kelly Winn
Michelle Kath – Step daughter born to Camelina Kath

Bits and Pieces:

Kiefer’s Parents divorced when he was 4 years old and he moved with his mother to Canada from LA.  He didn’t see too much of his dad and didn’t really know how big of a star Donald was until he was a bit older.  At age 9, young Kiefer started doing acting workshops while he was in school.  He was a track star at school and ended up being one of the top runners in Ontario.  He was soon taken by acting, dropping out of St. Andrew’s College, a prestigious boy’s school in Aurora, Ontario at age 15.  His early credits include a walk-on that Donald got him in Max Dougan Returns and the lead role in the Canadian film The Bay Boy.  Kiefer won his first acting award from this role, a Genie.  After this Kiefer quit his job as a waiter and left for the big time in New York City with some friends.  They rented a less than desirable apartment and within 2 days Kiefer was offered a gig on a soap opera for over $100,000 a year.  This wasn’t his taste, though, he wanted to do movies.  He went to an agent and said that he would turn down that offer if the agent took him on as a client.  The agent agreed but then Kiefer went unemployed for an entire year.  During this year he put his friends through theater school but at the end he took some advice from a friend, got in his ‘69 Mustang (called Lucy) and went to LA.  There he lived on a beach for three months in his car because he was broke, but the advantage was they had public showers.  In that time he picked up 3 deals, one in the Steven Spielberg TV series, Amazing Stories for one episode, another in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me and the last and biggest, a role in Stand By Me, where he played ‘Ace’.

- His twin sister is a post-production supervisor in Toronto
- He was called ‘Reefer’ by classmates in high school
- Engagement to Julia Roberts possibly broke off due to her leaving for Europe with his friend from Lost Boys Jason Patric
- Kiefer’s Grandad was Tommy Douglas, the leader of the first elected socialist government in North America.  He was premier of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1961 and is known as father of Canada’s Government funded medical system. Douglas was recently voted “The Greatest Canadian”.
- While taking breaks from acting, Keifer won rodeos in Phoenix and Albirquerque in the late 1990s
- Plays hockey for a celeb team.
- Is involved in the (Denis) Leary Firefighters Fund so support NY Fire Fighters.
- Kiefer earned 1st place in the US Team Roping Championships
- His first name came from Warren Kiefer, Pen name of Lorenze Sabatini who directed Castello dei morti vivi (1964) (or Castle of the Living Dead) in which Donald made his theatrical film debut
- founded “Still Water Productions” which Kiefer named after a river that ran through his Montatna ranch
- Co-Owns a record company called “Ironworks Music” with his friend Jude Cole. The pair help musicians that may not fit the regular music industry’s idea of a star get a contract to record music. They currently have a contract with, among others, Lifehouse.
- Wore a kilt at one of his weddings to honor families Scottish heritage and to his step-daughter (Michelle Kath’s) wedding.
- Kiefer is Canadian!
- Kiefer was named ‘GQ Man of the Year for a TV Drama’ at the 2002 GQ Men of the Year Awards on October 18, 2002
-Was so emotional about the part he played in the movie An Eye for an Eye (Robert Doob), that he became physically ill after some of the takes. How he became so convincing as that disturbing character: Imagined what the scariest person that could be on the other side of the door from his own daughter and then ‘went’ there.
-The movie Phone Booth paralleled the sniper attacks in Washington which is why the opening was postponed
- Won Golden Globe in 2002 for his work on 24
- His half brother Rousif Redford is a 2003/4 cast member on ER
- Got a tattoo on the inside of his left arm for the third season of 24
-Got a tattoo on the inside of his right arm in 2005 that reads “I Trust You To Kill Me” in Icelandic. It’s the name of Rocco DeLucca’s new album.
-Apparently enjoys goofing around on set of 24, for example: “We sometimes take scenes and try and make a musical out of them.” and “There was a moment in season four where I’m climbing up the side of the Chinese consulate, and my gun falls out of my pocket and goes off and shot me in the ass.
- Favorite beverages: Coca Cola and Scotch Whiskey
- Favorite actors: Dustin Hoffman, Sean Penn, Robert Duvall, Peter O’Toole, Gene Hackman, Michael J Fox and his dad
- Favorite cigarette: Camel Light
- Skills: Plays guitar, cooks, horseback rides, ice skates and plays pool

Quotes:

“Now I know how Charlie (Sheen) feels, I’ve lost all feeling in my lower half” on winning a Golden Globe
“The most attractive thing in a woman is a sense of humor”
“If I get nailed for something stupid, I’d better be able to laugh at it or I learned nothing while I was away”
“I’ve been in a bunch of bands and that’s what I wanted to do, but I just wasn’t good enough, so now I collect guitars.”
“It’s easy to take the most important thing in your life for granted.  It can be gone before you realize how important it was.”
“I can’t count the number of times I wished I was Harrison Ford…”
As Athos in The Three Musketeers: “You fight like a man; lets see if you can drink like one.”
Dartangon: “I’ll drink anything you put in front of me.”
Athos: “Famous last words.”
As Nelson in Flatliners “Hello. I’m nice, he’s nice, we’re both fucking lunatics.  Can I come in please?”

Credits:
Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight – 2007
The Sentinel – 2006
River Queen – 2005
The Wild (Voice) – 2005
Taking Lives – 2004
The Land Before Time X, The Great Longneck Migration (Voice)- 2003
Dead Heat – 2002
Paradise Found – 2002
Phone Booth -2002
Behind the Red Door – 2002
Desert Saints – 2002
Cowboy Up – 2001
To End All Wars – 2001
Beat – 2000
Picking Up The Pieces – 2000
The Right Temptation – 2000
LA Confidential (TV) – 2000 (Purchase DVD)
Ground Control – 1999
Woman Wanted – 1999
Watership Down (TV/Voice) – 1999
After Alice -1999
Dark City -1998
Killing Time -1998
A Soldiers Sweetheart -1998
Truth or Consequences, N.M. -1997
The Last Days of Frankie the Fly -1997
A Time To Kill -1997
Amitage III: Poly Matrix (Voice) – 1997
Eye for an Eye -1996
Duke of Groove (TV) – 1996
Freeway -1996
Hourglass -1995
The Cowboy Way -1994
Teresa’s Tattoo -1994
The Vanishing -1993
Last Light -1993
Three Musketeers -1993
Twin Peaks:Fire Walk With Me -1992
A Few Good Men -1992
Amazing Stories: Book 1 (Voice) – 1992
Article 99 -1992
Flashback -1990
Trapped in Silence -1990
Young Guns II -1990
Chicago Joe and the Showgirl -1990
Flatliners -1990
The Nutcracker Prince (Voice) – 1990
Renegades -1989
1969 -1988
Bright Lights, Big City -1988
Young Guns -1988
The Killing Tie -1987
The Lost Boys -1987
Promised Land -1987
Crazy Moon -1986
Brotherhood of Justice (TV) – 1986
Stand By Me -1986
Trapped in Silence (TV) – 1986
At Close Range – 1986
The Bay Boy -1984
Max Dugan Returns -1983

Directed:
Last Light
Truth or Consequences, NM
Woman Wanted

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