Men's Vogue writer Kevin Conley learns from Kiefer Sutherland that the seventh season of 24, premiering on November 23, expects to be the best yet.
New York (PRWEB) November 20, 2008 -- Men's Vogue writer Kevin Conley learns from Kiefer Sutherland that the seventh season of 24, premiering on November 23, expects to be the best yet. Conley writes that Sutherland lives life at full tilt, much like his on-screen character, counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer, and sometimes takes a well-publicized beating for it. Sutherland spent nearly seven weeks behind bars this past winter after a DUI bust, of which Sutherland says, "It certainly wasn't intentional. I wasn't thinking, and I was being careless." Conley hears more from Sutherland, his cast mates, and his crew about the actor's time spent in a Los Angeles city jail, his drinking, and how the show has been written off as a "right-wing pro-torture fantasy vehicle."
Norman Jean Roy for Men's Vogue
Sutherland takes on the subject of his jail sentence with "surprising openness and humor": "I was told, you know, 'You'll have your own cell.' But I didn't for the first two or three weeks; I had a cell mate. He got out--but not for long. He came back in pretty quick."
Conley wonders if the 48 days sober and behind bars gave Sutherland any trouble: "My drinking was not a daily thing, so it wasn't an issue. And, oddly enough, neither was the smoking." Sutherland points out that smoking is not allowed in prison.
"...In the L.A. Municipal jails, there's no yard. There's no smoking. The lights never go out, 24/7. You can't cover anything. You can't even put your head under a blanket. All the cells have cameras in them. For me, the smoking was the thing. I was very glad to know that I could quit. And one day soon I will."
Cast mate Carlos Bernard, whose character, Tony Almeida, makes a surprise return, reflects on Sutherland's sensitivities to the show's cast and crew:
"He didn't want to put the production in jeopardy so he basically asked the judge to throw the book at him but make sure it didn't affect other people's lives or livelihoods," says Bernard.
Sutherland, who calls himself a "deep-red-diaper baby," cites certain counterweights to the show's reputation as a favorite of both Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh:
"We had the first African-American president in television history," says Sutherland. "We indicted a right-wing president and had him arrested. Explain to me how the show is right-wing."
Producer Howard Gordon, who has written for the show since the beginning, doesn't believe the criticism has been evenly distributed:
"I'm of the mind that if we're going to get blamed for Gitmo and Abu Ghraib, then I have to insist that we also get credit for Barack Obama," says Gordon. "24's been given an unfair rap. Frankly, I think the show has been used by people on both sides of the aisle to popularize and sensationalize some very real issues."
Long before extended families became the Hollywood fashion, Sutherland stuck around through two divorces, helping raise his daughter, three stepchildren and a step grandson, all of whom he calls his own:
"They're my family," says Sutherland. "We have Christmases together, my ex-wife Camelia, her boyfriend, Jeff. Look, in all fairness, when people have those problems, it's economic. It's difficult enough to go through the anguish and pain that separation will bring. But then to go from living in a house to a tiny apartment and half of your check disappears?"
The December/January issue of Men's Vogue is on newsstands nationwide November 25. For more information contact: Elissa Lumley at 212-286-2225, elissa_lumley @ condenast.com or Stefanie Adlerstein at 212-286-6518, stefanie_adlerstein @ condenast.com.
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