24′s Howard Gordon – Final Countdown

Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland, center) faces his final conflict this season on 24. Photo by Kelsey McNeal and copyright of Fox

Now in its eighth season with Kiefer Sutherland starring as the heroic Jack Bauer, the inventive and suspenseful 24 has been nominated for a total of 68 Emmy Awards – winning for Outstanding Drama Series in 2006. Over the course of seven seasons, Sutherland garnered seven Emmy nominations and a win for Outstanding Lead Actor – Drama Series. While the series gained global recognition, Sutherland’s portrayal of the legendary character penetrated the American psyche like no other dramatic television character to become part of the English lexicon. 

Premiering on November 6th, 2001, 24 employed a pioneering, split-screen, fast-paced format with complex interweaving storylines as viewers followed anti-terrorism agent Jack Bauer through pulse-pounding episodes, each covering one hour and presented in real time. On Monday, May 24th, the show’s eighth and last season will conclude with a two-hour finale airing on Fox from 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. EST/PST. Last Friday, 24 showrunner and executive producer Howard Gordon chatted with myself and other journalists about the series and his work on it. The following is an edited version of that Q & A – enjoy! 

There is a huge online and Twitter fan base for this show that has been upset about the death of Annie Wersching’s character, Renee. Was there another choice you had been pondering, or was killing the character off the idea from the beginning? 

HOWARD GORDON - Typically we come upon these things as more of improvisations, but this was one that we had come up with at the very beginning of the season and stuck with for reasons that I think everybody is seeing right now, which is obviously motivating Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) to this very final, climactic confrontation and taking him to a place he has never been before. I have to say that I’m taking peoples’ outrage as a measure of interest, and their indifference would have been far more hurtful than their outrage. But we have a history of doing that. I remember when that happened with Edgar (Louis Lombardi) we got a fair bit of angry e-mail, but, yes, this is something that we’ve thought about and thought about very carefully, and hopefully did it well. 

I was wondering if the decision that this would be 24‘s last season came early enough that you could do any adjustments in the show, or is this the way you were going to end this no matter what? 

HG - It’s a good question, and it was one that the network asked as well. To me, the show was always going to end the way it was going to end, whether there was a ninth season or a movie because the story has been told. What I think changed, though, was the context of it all. In other words, it really took on a different meaning. I’ve said this in the past that I think any number of seasons in years past – season four, season five, I think even last year – could have been a really cool series finale.  Only the fact that this was our series finale did it really have the kind of context that, wow, we’re really saying goodbye to this character. And there is a final moment that is very specific to the series finale.  It’s not so much a plot moment, but it’s a punctuation mark that I think is unique to the series finale. But the answer is really no. We told the story the way it was going to be told and would have no matter what. 

Are there any hints you can give about what people might expect in the series finale?  Also, was there an emotional place you wanted to leave Jack as you wrapped up the show? 

HG - We tried on a couple of very different endings for size and the one we came to at the end is the one that felt just right. So it was not for lack of trying a couple of different ways. But we knew it when we saw it, that this was the right way to do it. One thing we tried and didn’t work was happily ever after for Jack. Forgetting for a moment about the last eight seasons, what he does in these last few episodes, which you haven’t seen yet, leaves him once again in a very compromised place morally, ethically and emotionally. This show is a tragedy, so to give Jack a happy ending just didn’t feel authentic. We gave him a happy beginning, and I really am very pleased with the way we started and, of course, gave him something to care about with Annie Wersching (Renee Walker) and his own family. And of course, circumstances and the story dictated a kind of very complex confrontation. 

As far as what can expect in the finale has to do with the things that were aligning, which were basically Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) versus Jack versus President Taylor (Cherry Jones). We’re taking all these characters to places that we’ve never seen them before. We knew it constituted a risk and one that was frankly challenging to write and, among the actors, pretty challenging to play. But it was one really we think was worth taking and I think it pays off really well in the end. In the spirit of trying to take the series to a place where it hasn’t been before, we’ve done this thing. It’s certainly not playing it safe, but it is very emotionally climactic and, we think, we’re pretty excited by it. 

A lot of fans absolutely hated the whole Dana Walsh (Katee Sackhoff) character and sub-plot; I wanted to sort of get your defense of how that whole thing played out. 

HG - Every season there is something that people seem to fixate on. You know, I got it and I guess all I kept telling people was to please wait until the story had been told before they commented. To me, I think episode 20 answered that question. I’m really, really proud of that episode and what I liked about it, too, was that for the first time, this very complex and admittedly very confused and crazy character, this onion of a character, got peeled down to the nub and you finally really understand a little bit, anyway, who she is. Now, of course, she is a sociopath and it’s kind of an insane story. But we also saw that Dana really cared about Cole (Freddie Prinze, Jr.); that she really had done this all to get out of a situation she got herself into. 

Look, it’s crazy, the fact that  there is a girl from Rock Springs who somehow manages to get in to CTU as an analyst under an alias. And the fact that the Russians had sponsored her and put her in there made it make some sense.  I think it was a pretty wild roller coaster of a character which Katee pulled off, I think, beautifully. What I liked about it was that what felt unnatural or weird and maybe what didn’t resonate with people at the beginning was that very fact that Dana wasn’t authentic, that she was this counterfeit personality in the midst of our heroes. 

I’m happy with the way it resolved. I really haven’t gone online to see how people reacted or whether they are even more upset. But I think in the end, Dana acquitted herself pretty well and her story turned out to be very interesting. 

About a month or two ago there was some talk on the business side of whether the show might be shopped around elsewhere (another network). Was there ever really anything to that? Would that have been something you wanted to do? 

HG - You know, it wasn’t something I wanted to do. It was something that I was willing to entertain as a loyal Fox employee – to help Fox find new personnel to run the show, and maybe even recruit some of the guys who had been with me. But when we really looked at each other, Kiefer included, I think we all felt  that we were really telling our final season. We kind of knew that at the beginning of the year, and we always kept the door open. Fox may have had different conversations that didn’t share entirely the same concerns we had in terms of that fact that we had really come to the creative conclusion of the story and wanted to end as close to the top as we can. But we did have some real conversations, and I certainly was insinuated into them. However, when we really sat down and considered it, it was something that just never caught fire. 

I guess you’re taking Jack to a place he’s never been before, but he’s been pretty far down already in the episodes. Can he get so low, though, that he can’t come back? And can he come back? 

HG - That’s a great question; that was really the question we asked ourselves and certainly the studio asked us. The answer is no. The good part about Jack’s character, and I really believe what has been a good part of the show, is that we never press reset. In other words, Jack is a character and you feel the accumulated scars of his experience and the weight of his actions for eight years. Jack has never been able to sort of snap back, even when he is happy, even when we introduced Audrey (Kim Raver) in season five.  It wasn’t like that didn’t discount all the tragedy that had preceded it.  Like in the beginning of this year, Jack allowed himself a moment of joy or possibility of human contact with his own daughter and her husband and his granddaughter, but it doesn’t discount what has happened before. 

So I don’t think Jack is ever going to recover from what has gone on. It just adds to the weight as well as the complexity and darkness of his character. Jack has never gone happily-ever-after; that’s just not in his wheel house.  The show is ultimately a tragedy and you have to really play that and you have to honor that. 

When you cast Katee Sackhoff, what exactly in her past body of work did you see as potential for the Dana character and how you wanted to develop it? 

HG - Honestly, when we cast her, all the writers were just all fans of hers from Battlestar Galactica. We met Katee, sat down with her and just liked her as a person. We knew that Dana was a character with a past and we knew that she was a really interesting actor. But in all honesty, we weren’t sure where the character was going to go and were just sort of willing to proceed in good faith that we’d find something. It really, really was a challenging part and Katee was completely game for everything we threw at her. And again, particularly in episode 20, I think that was her greatest moment.  She gave a phenomenal and nuanced performance. 

this season, what moment are you most proud of, most satisfied with?  And conversely, is there anything you wish you had done differently but just couldn’t because of time, resources or budget? 

HG - I’ll start with the first question. The moment I’m most proud of, frankly, is the very last one, which obviously you haven’t seen yet. I’d kind of been obsessing for a while about what was going to be the last image or the last second on a real-time show, and I think that maybe it has a little more weight than any other moment of any other season finale.  So for me, that was really something I was very, very happy with. Otherwise, I think we had some phenomenally exciting moments, one being when Renee took off Ziya’s thumb. I loved that moment and the way she played it. It was just a beautiful performance and one that wasn’t necessarily in the script. The way she sort of sexualized the character was a great moment. I loved Hassan’s death, too. I thought that was really moving as well as surprising and sad.  I’d say those are my two favorite moments except for the last one. 

As far as regrets, I have remarkably few regrets, or none. I’d say the only thing was that the budget was rolled back a bit this year as it was across the board for all Fox shows. Hopefully it was invisible to the audience, but we didn’t have what in years past was a real ability to re-shoot or enhance some of the production. So we had to do a little bit of belt-tightening. 

When you look back at the legacy of 24, I know that everybody is going to remember the innovative concept.  I’m just curious, are you happy with that being the legacy of the show, or would you prefer it to be something else? 

HG - I think you’re right. One of the legacies of the show, and perhaps the most important one, is the revolutionary concept. But I think the legacy of the show is also, having been here from the beginning, is the fact that we just never let go of the reins and truly never let down our guard. I’m just proud of the effort that everybody put into the show from our end creating the show. The audience stayed with us by and large, and I think that is a measure of the fact that we kept the story interesting to us to create it. Consequently, it was interesting to write it. 

The legacy of the show, too, we certainly seemed to have an interesting dance with the culture and with our society and with the world after 9/11. So I think we very much were part of the first decade of this century; we played a role in it somehow and I think that legacy is a significant one as well. But hopefully we just put on a really good TV show that people will continue to watch on DVD and in reruns. 

What have you enjoyed most, would you say, about your 24 experience and what has been perhaps the most creatively fulfilling for you, working on the show? 

HG - Getting to work with such talented people is a privilege, and you have to have been doing it for long enough and be of a certain age to really appreciate it. First of all, starting with my colleagues, my fellow writers were just brilliant.  I got to work with, I think, some of the best writers and producers in the business. The entire crew, because of the culture we created, everybody really was a stakeholder in the show so whether it was hair and make-up or wardrobe or props, people all were involved. And our editors, our editors are some of the best storytellers I’ve ever met.  Not that it was a democracy, but it certainly was a collective effort. It was a team, and a lot of these people have been on this team now for nine years, so getting to work with people – I’ll never have the chance to work with this many talented people ever again. I can’t really describe any great moment, but it was just a great nine years and an amazing privilege. 

As noted above, photo by Kelsey McNeal and copyright of Fox Television, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

24: Day Eight Will Be The Award-Winning Series’ Swan Song

Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) saving the day once again this season on 24. Photo by Kelsey McNeal and copyright of Fox Television

IN a joint decision made by 24‘s star and executive producer Kiefer Sutherland, executive producer and showrunner Howard Gordon, Twentieth Century Fox Television, Imagine Entertainment and Fox Broadcasting Company, it was determined that the acclaimed series will end its remarkable eight-season run. Jack Bauer’s last day on Fox will conclude when the final two hours of “Day Eight” air Monday, May 24th from 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. EST/PST. As the countdown to the series’ climactic conclusion races on, the final 11 hours will air uninterrupted Mondays @ 9:00 p.m. EST/PST on Fox.  

Multiple award-winning series star Kiefer Sutherland reflected on the show’s run, “This has been the role of a lifetime, and I will never be able to fully express my appreciation to everyone who made it possible. While the end of the series is bittersweet, we always wanted 24 to finish on a high note, so the decision to make the eighth season our last was one we all agreed upon. This feels like the culmination of all our efforts from the writers to the actors to our fantastic crew and everyone at Fox. Looking ahead to the future, Howard Gordon and I are excited about the opportunity to create the feature film version of 24. But when all is said and done, it is the loyal worldwide fan base that made it possible for me to have the experience of playing the role of Jack Bauer, and for that I am eternally grateful.”  

Executive producer and showrunner Howard Gordon said, “Kiefer and I have loved ever minute of making 24, but we al believe that now is the right time to call it a day. I echo his sentiments of gratitude towards the show’s amazing creative team, as well as the studio and network who have always believed in us and shown us unbelievable support.”  

“24 is so much more than just a TV show – it has redefined the drama genre and created one of the most admired action icons in television history,” said Peter Rice, Chairman, Entertainment, Fox Networks Group. Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company added, “We are extremely proud of this groundbreaking series and will be forever thankful to Kiefer, the producers, the cast and crew for everything they’ve put into 24 over the years. It’s truly been an amazing and unforgettable eight days.”  

Commented Gary Newman and Dana Walden, Chairman, Twentieth Century Fox Television, “We are so grateful to Kiefer and Howard, who have really poured their hearts and souls into making this show over the past eight seasons. To everyone who contributed to this iconic series over its amazing run, we want to extend our heartfelt appreciation for your incredible work.”  

Added Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer, “I’m so proud to have been a part of 24, which has become such a cultural phenomenon. And to Kiefer and Howard and everyone who has worked on the show, many thanks.”  

Now in its eighth season with Kiefer Sutherland starred as the heroic Jack Bauer, the inventive and suspenseful 24 has been nominated for a total of 68 Emmy Awards, winning for Outstanding Drama Series in 2006. Over the course of seven seasons, Sutherland garnered seven Emmy nominations and one win for Outstanding Lead Actor – Drama Series. While the series gained global recognition, Sutherland’s portrayal of the legendary character penetrated the American psyche like no other dramatic television character to become part of the English lexicon.  

Premiering November 6th, 2001, 24 employed a pioneering split-screen, fast-paced format with complex interweaving storylines as viewers followed anti-terrorism agent Jack Bauer through 24 pulse-pounding episodes, each covering one hour and presented in real time. Subsequent seasons combined the show’s unique and trend-setting format while delivering compelling new elements and attracting talented actors and guest-stars including the Emmy Award-winning Cherry Jones (President Allison Taylor). The series also currently stars Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe O’Brian), Anil Kapoor (Omar Hassan), Annie Wersching (Renee Walker), Katee Sackhoff (Dana Walsh), Mykelti Williamson (Brian Hastings), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Cole Ortiz), Chris Diamantopoulos (Rob Weiss) and John Boyd (Arlo Glass).  

The first six seasons were set in Los Angeles, and following the strike-induced delay of season seven, 24; Redemption, a two-hour film bridging seasons six and seven, was set in Africa. The nation’s capital, Washington D.C. was the setting for season seven, and the final year of 24 finds Jack Bauer thwarting a terrorist attack in New York. At the conclusion of season eight, 24 will have produced a total of 194 episodes (including 24: Redemption), making it one of the longest-running action television shows in history.  

Tune in Monday, March 29th @ 9:00 p.m. EST/PST for the next all-new installment of 24 and Monday, April 5th @ 9:00 p.m. EST/PST for a special two-hour episode. 

Created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, 24 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 and executive producers, while Chip Johannessen and Patrick Harbinson serve as co-executive producers. Brad Turner will direct the series finale. 

As noted above, photo by Kelsey McNeal and copyright of Fox Television, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

24′s Anil Kapoor – Bollywood’s Finest

Anil Kapoor as Omar Hassan on 24. Photo by Kelsey McNeal and copyright of Fox

This season of 24 is set in New York, where Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is unwillingly drawn back into action just as President Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones) negotiates international security with Omar Hassan (Anil Kapoor), a determined Middle Eastern leader visiting the U.S. on a peace-keeping mission. As the new day unfolds, an upgraded CTU operates under the command of M.B.A.-schooled, razor-sharp head-honcho Brian Hastings (Mykelti Williamson), who supervises quirky Chloe O’Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub), expert data analyst Dana Walsh (Katee Sackhoff) and systems analyst Arlo Glass (John Boyd). 

One of the most versatile and successful actors in India, Anil Kapoor has been entertaining audiences for more than 25 years. His talent, charm and professionalism have set the benchmark for a new generation of Indian actors. He has appeared in close to 100 Hindi movies and won numerous awards over the years, including four Filmfare Awards (the Indian equivalent of the Oscars) and much coveted National Award. 

A native of Mumbai, Kapoor recently starred in the Academy Award-winning hit Slumdog Millionaire. The film was the actor’s first feature released outside of India and a favorite of both critics and audiences. It was awarded a multitude of prizes, including the Academy Award for Best Picture, as well as BAFTAs, National Board of Review and Golden Globes. His additional credits include Race, Black and White, Welcome, Naksha, Chocolate, My Wife’s Murder, Bewafaa, Arman, Rishtey, Lajia, Taal, Yuvvraaj and Salaam-E-Ishq. 

Kapoor is married with three children. He has two daughters, one is a successful model and the other is a film student in New York, as well as a son who is a film student in Los Angeles. The actor divides his time between India and Los Angeles. 

On January 14th, Mr. Kapoor graciously spoke with journalists, including myself, about his work as Omar Hassan on 24 and career in general. The following is an edited version of our conversation! Enjoy! 

In the early episodes of 24,  Hassan is a very standup guy. Over the course of the storyline will we get to see what the problem is with his marriage and why he’s having an affair? 

Anil Kapoor - Actually it is not an affair, but kind of a relationship, which he feels is more like a minor relationship and, intellectually, he believes it’s more of a friendship. While there is a possibility that it might develop later on into a relationship, it doesn’t.  And, yes, you will see the details of his marriage when the other episodes progress and develop after the fourth episode. 

So you think that his relationships with these women is a big part of the character? 

AK - Absolutely, because he is a normal person who has his gray areas, which makes him very human and very real. So yes, of course, he has these relationships and he has his problems with the relationship with his wife and he has a relationship with this journalist. 

Can you talk a bit about what it’s like to work with Kiefer Sutherland and Freddie Prinze, Jr (Cole Ortiz)? 

AK - I’d heard so much about 24 and Keifer, and it never felt to me as if he had done eight seasons of this show. It felt like he was working as if it was his first year, and his commitment and excitement was as if he had just started shooting 24. I was really impressed by his commitment and professionalism. It was wonderful to work with him and every line he speaks, every performance he gives, it looks as if he’s Jack Bauer and not Kiefer Sutherland. He’s completely into the skin of Jack Bauer; he’s become more Jack Bauer than Kiefer Sutherland now when he’s on-set. And working with Freddie Prinze, I could see that he was very eager and curious, as well as extremely hardworking, very sincere and a very good-looking guy. He fits the role and I think  24 is going to gain a great deal from his addition to and participation in the show. 

How was Kiefer welcoming to you, and did he offer any advice? 

AK - The first time we met he said he had seen Slumdog Millionaire and loved my work in the film, so those words of encouragement from Kiefer eased my mind and gave me a lot of confidence. When two actors meet and there is a mutual respect for each other’s work, it makes the job much, much easier. This is only my second stint as a performer in the United States of America, but Kiefer never made me feel like an outsider, and that was really great. 

Did you have any concerns about going on 24? To be honest, most Indian or minority actors on the show play terrorists, whereas your character is a much more positive and very standup guy. What did you think of all that when taking on the part? 

AK - When I first heard about the role I became really inspired because it was not just your [typical] bad man, and I felt that here was someone who stands up for his own convictions and what he believes in. It’s a very strong character and there all these layers and this complexity involved. Being from India, I was very fortunate to be given the opportunity to play this role of Omar Hassan and that it was on 24. I’ve read a lot of scripts in India as well as internationally, but the writing on 24 is very special. 

After 24 do you have any plans to keep trying to get work in the U.S. whether in TV or movies or would you be interested in spending more time focusing on your film career in India? 

AK - As an actor, especially the way the world is today where the communication is so easy, I don’t think it’s very difficult to juggle both worlds. And I think wherever it is in the world, I’m going to go where the material is exciting, especially if it’s from the West because for me, it’s much more challenging. I’m performing in a different language, and mostly I’ve been doing films in my local language, which is Hindi, and now here I get an opportunity to speak in English, which is my first language in India. Sometimes I would have difficulty working in films over there because I would think in English, but now I’m finding it much more exciting and easier  to work in films made in the West. So this is an exciting phase in my career, and this second TV experience [on 24] has been wonderful and absolutely terrific. 

Could you tell us how you first became involved in 24 and getting this particular role? 

AK - I feel it’s thanks to Slumdog Millionaire, because they [the 24 producers] saw that the movie was such a huge success, critically as well as commercially. It swept all the awards and everyone was talking about it. I got rave reviews and I never really expected this kind of appreciation for my role. I’m sure people on 24 had seen and liked my work and that’s the reason I was given this offer and I grabbed it. 

If Slumdog Millionaire didn’t happen, would you have tried out for a part like this? 

AK - I don’t think this would have really happened if Slumdog Millionaire never happened. Again, I think it’s thanks to Slumdog Millionaire that I’m in 24 and it couldn’t have been a better follow-up. On 24 I play something which is completely opposite to what I did in Slumdog Millionaire, and that’s always exciting for an actor when you do something completely different and opposite in terms of a role. I’ve done over 100 feature films in India but I’ve never done TV there, so for me, this second time doing U.S. TV was something new, fresh, exciting, educational and I really loved every moment of it. 

Was there anything in particular that you did to prepare for this role? 

AK - Yes, I did. As a matter of fact, the most exciting part of all this was the preparation for the role, which I really loved. I play the leader or president of a fictitious country, which is supposed to be a Middle Eastern country, so I looked at a lot of world leaders, past and present, and researched their speeches, their body language and how to speak. I read a number of books as well on the United Nations as well as peace treaties, nuclear disarmament, etc. So all that really helped me. Also, even though I speak English, I had a dialogue coach. I had long sessions with him during the entire filming of 24, and he was of great help to me as far as figuring out how my character would speak. Because Hassan is British, or was educated in Britain, we gave him a bit of a British accent. So in 24 you’ll find a complete change in the way I look, the way I walk, the way I talk and in my voice quality as compared to what I’ve done before. 

Can you tell us a little bit about any other projects that you may have in the works? 

AK - At the moment I am working on two movies in India, one is a comedy called No Problem, which is a mainstream Indian film and I play a cop, and then there’s I Shall, which is based on Jane Austen’s Emma. Both these films are almost in post-production and they’ll be released this year. As soon as I return to India I’ll be doing a play, which is going to tour all over the world.  

What has made a career in this industry rewarding for you so far? 

AK - I’ve been very fortunate from the first time I faced the camera, and it’s always been in terms of satisfaction as well as financial stability, education and meeting people all over the world. I’m not a very academically educated person, but I think being educated is through people and people I work with and the work I’ve done in films, etc. So it’s been very, very rewarding for me. 

As noted above, photo by Kelsey McNeal and copyright of Fox, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

24′s Kiefer Sutherland Visits David Letterman

Kiefer Sutherland shows off his fashion sense on the Late Show with David Letterman. Photo copyright of CBS TV

LAST night, 24‘s Jack Bauer, a.k.a. Kiefer Sutherland, gave David Letterman a surprise when he came out on the stage of the Ed Sullivan Theater wearing a dress on The Late Show with David Letterman. 

A laughing Letterman, taken aback by Sutherland’s attire of a blue-green print sleeveless wrap dress with a long-sleeved undershirt and combat boots, joked, “It’s, uh, you’re doing a remake of The Beverly Hillbillies? You’re Granny? You’re – what’s happening here?” Sutherland explained, “Far worse than that. I lost a bet. Over the weekend I was so sure New England [referring to the New England Patriots football team] was gonna win that I told a guy who used to be my friend that if New England lost, I would wear a dress on Letterman.” The actor then stood up and modeled his outfit to audience laughter and applause. 

Letterman later joked, “You ride the subway, I’ll give you a thousand dollars. You get on the subway like that…downtown,” prompting audience applause and laughter from Sutherland. “I have to say,” Sutherland said, “riding the subway would be easier than what I’m going through right now. This I think may be the most humiliating moment of my life, and I’ve had a couple to choose from.” 

As noted above, photo copyright of CBS TV, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Gregory Itzin Returns In Season Eight of 24

Blast from the past - 24/Day 6 - Former President Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin) and Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland). Photo copyright of Fox

THE anticipation for Season Eight of 24 continues to surge with Gregory Itzin reprising his acclaimed role as Charles Logan. The Emmy award-winning drama starring Kiefer Sutherland returns for its next astonishing day with a two-night, four-hour premiere event Sunday, January 17th, 2010 (9 p.m. – 11 p.m. EST/PST) and Monday, January 18th, 2010 (8 p.m. - 10 p.m. EST/PST).

The disgraced former President Logan was last seen after being shockingly stabbed by First Lady Martha Logan (Jean Smart) in Season Six. Itzin’s return to 24 will bring together the series’ two Emmy-nominated “presidents” for the first time when sitting President Allison Taylor (Emmy award-winner Cherry Jones) reluctantly enlists Logan to assist with an escalating international diplomatic crisis.

When asked about this onscreen pairing, 24 executive producer Howard Gordan said, “The opportunity for these two remarkable actors to share the stage was simply too compelling to pass up.”

Season Eight resets in New York City where a retired Jack Bauer (Sutherland) is unwillingly drawn back into the intense action after learning of a plot to assassinate Middle Eastern peace-keeping leader Omar Hassan (Anil Kapoor). Meanwhile, Renee Walker (Annie Wersching) and Chloe O’Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub) return alongside CTU newcomer Dana Walsh (Katee Sackhoff), Brian Hastings (Mykelti Williamson) and Cole Ortiz (Freddie Prinze Jr.).

As noted above, photo is copyright of Fox Television, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Defying Gravity’s Eyal Podell – Physician Heal Thy Self

Defying Gravity's Dr. Evram Mintz (Eyal Podell). Photo by Kharen Hill and copyright of Fox Studios and ABC.

On the surface, Dr. Evram Mintz appears ready to take his first step into the unknown. As a member of the International Space Organization (ISO), he participated in a five-year program in preparation for six-year mission onboard the spaceship Antares to explore the other planets in our solar system. However, like his fellow shipmates, Evram brings with him some emotional and psychological baggage that could compromise his ability to care for the physical and mental well-being of those around him. Facing his inner demons is not easy for Evram, but for the actor who plays him on Defying Gravity, Eyal Podell, it is part of discovering just who his character is.

“Evram is the Antares crew physician, psychiatrist, resident drunk and in many ways voice of reality,” says Podell, who is dressed in his character’s flight suit and waiting in his trailer to be called to set. “The greatest [acting] challenge with him came, I think, when my conception of the character changed. Once all the roles were cast and everyone came together, we realized that between Zahf [Paroo], who plays Ajay Sharma, Florentine [Lahme], who plays Nadia, and Peter Howitt [who plays Trevor Williams], we already had three or four different accents on the show.

“So [executive producers] Jim Parriott and Michael Edelstein said, ‘Let’s strip the accent away from your character.’ That immediately sent me right back to ground zero because I felt in many ways that one of Evram’s defining characteristics was his foreign personality [Israeli] and point of view. So having to kind of start from the ground up again was a bit of a challenge, and then in the first few scripts there wasn’t much character revelation or backstory with Evram. However, as episodes four, five, six, seven and eight came along, more and more of Evram’s history began coming through,” enthuses the actor, “so that allowed me to piece him together.

“In general, astronauts have to be terribly brave, visionary and optimistic people, and part of my challenge was figuring out what the hell was Evram doing here. That meant talking with Jim and Michael about exactly why he wanted to be part of this mission, other than the grandeur of being one of the first humans to travel to these other planets. There must have been something else behind it, and answering that question helped me form a clearer picture of my character. Evram has a dim view of humanity and he’s experienced the trauma of war. He has been involved in some of the big Middle Eastern conflicts that have taken place in the future, and those experiences obviously shaped his outlook on life as well as humankind.

Evram ponders what situation might unfold next onboard the Antares. Photo by Sergei Bachlakov and copyright of Fox Studios and ABC

“Maybe it was a subconscious choice of Evram’s to get on a spaceship and get as far away as possible from his own flaws, including his issues with alcohol and war. If he’s billions of miles away, he doesn’t have to be drafted, or read on the Internet or watch on the news the non-stop footage of bombings, killings and murders – the atrocities that man commits against man.”

Was it destiny that led Podell to his role on Defying Gravity? Ironically, when he was in 10th grade, the actor wrote a term paper about being a doctor. “Then, though, I realized I didn’t have the stomach to go to medical school and spend however long it would take with internships, residencies and all that other stuff,” he recalls.

“However, my parents raised me with the idea that an education is your ticket in life. One of the really important things they did for me was make sure I went to a good college [Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire] so that I would have the proper foundation and tools to pursue whatever [career] I wanted. So I actually came into this business thinking, ‘OK, I’ll try this for a little while and see what happens,’ but I soon found that it was almost like a drug. You get a little bit of the joy early on and become hooked. From there, I chipped away at it [acting] and built a resume role-by-role. Just a few years ago I booked my first regular job on a soap opera [The Young and the Restless] and landing Defying Gravity is my first big break.”

The pilot episode of Defying Gravity establishes that the story is told in present day (2052) and in space with the Antares crew – four men and four women – as well as in flashbacks where the astronauts first meet and start their mission training. Audiences also see that despite Evram Mintz’s rather dark and grim view of the human race, he has not scared away someone who truly cares about him.

Dr. Evram Mintz during training for the Antares mission. Photo by Sergei Bachlakov and copyright of Fox Studios and ABC

“In the first episode we’re introduced to my character’s love interest, Dr. Claire Dereux, played by Maxine Roy, and it would appear that she and Evram have been in a relationship for a number of years,” notes Podell. “And it’s been interesting to find out through the flashback element of the show how they came to be in that relationship. It’s also a little strange because in the flashbacks we’re all just meeting as a crew, so we don’t quite know each other that well yet. However, in the present day, we’ve already been through five years of training, so what does that mean in terms of our relationships? Which of our strengths as well as weaknesses did we reveal to each other during training? What personal struggles have we seen one another experience? Have we been there for each other as shoulders to cry on? Have we picked one another up off the ground and said, ‘Come on, get back on the horse.’ Have we had fist-fights? Who knows?

“So there’s a while lot of history to be filled in. However, what we do sort of assume is that we’ve reached a point where we can look around at each other and say, ‘I trust you with my life.’ There’s a camaraderie among the crew. They’re a family, and they have to be because they’re going to be together for a very long time. That being said, even with your brothers and sisters, you feel like ‘killing them’ sometimes, which I think is a compelling aspect of our show, especially in that these people are essentially locked under one roof.”

Acting-wise, has it been difficult for Podell jockeying between flashbacks and present day? “It’s not so much the bouncing back and forth as to who we [the characters] are, but more how we relate to one another,” he says. “With relationships in general, you come into them being neutral. So as our characters come into the [training] program, they look at one another and think, ‘Oh, there’s a guy, and there’s a girl.’ The exceptions to that are those who have reputations, like Maddux Donner [Ron Livingston], Ted Shaw [Malik Yoba] and some of the other astronauts who have done some incredible things. However, the rest of these people look at each other and they don’t know one another from a hole in the wall, so they don’t have any preconceived notions.

“As the series begins to unfold, we see our characters in the flashbacks start to uncover pieces about each other. They then gather all this ‘evidence’ up and we sort of see how that affects their perception of one another. So the flashback elements are fascinating in that our characters are still trying to pull things out of each other and fill in the gaps. It’s a strange dynamic, and in some ways I feel like those scenes are much more fun to play when it comes to character development.”

Evram on-duty in the Antares' sickbay. Photo by Sergei Bachlakov and copyright of Fox Studios and ABC

As far as a favorite Defying Gravity episode, one immediately comes to the actor’s mind. “Part of our characters’ training involves having to back each other up job-wise if necessary,” explains Podell. “So as a physician, Evram has to teach the other astronaut candidates something about medicine. So that was a fun episode where I really got to play doctor and ‘perform’ surgeries and things of that nature. As an actor, I’d never had to do scenes like that before involving medical jargon, special effects, blood and guts and cool equipment like you see on TV. Evram also gets to share some of his backstory with the other characters, which I was pleased about.

“Funnily enough, my wife went in for surgery not too long ago to have her appendix removed. I wanted to make her feel at ease, so I was trying to make light of the moment and asked the surgeons, ‘Do you want me to scrub up? I’ve had some experience.’ I started throwing words around that I’d used in the show and the doctors were looking at me as if to say, ‘Hey, you know your stuff.’ I had a photo taken on my cell phone of me on-set, which I showed to the surgeon and said, ‘See, I’ve been there.’ Meanwhile, my wife is rolling her eyes and saying, ‘He just plays a doctor on TV. Don’t let him near me,’” chuckles the actor.

While Sci-Fi drama is nothing new to TV, Podell is hoping that audiences look deeper into Defying Gravity and discover what makes it different. “Michael Edelstein and Jim Parriott refer to this as Science Fact, and I think that’s very interesting given that we’re right on the cusp of these [real world] advancements with the European Space Agency as well as China and a whole new space race that’s being launched,” muses the actor. “All these things are relevant because our show looks at what’s going to happen with the space program 30 or 40 years from now. Although the series is set in the future, it’s not so far ahead that you can’t comprehend it. I think audiences will be curious to see what our technology might be capable of and where humanity might be headed as far as working together to explore the universe.

“There is also the fact that the stakes with space travel are quite high from a very real perspective because our characters don’t have transporters or any of the typical Sci-Fi devices. For example, they’re still vulnerable to the affects of exposure to space on the human body. I think it’s in the pilot where Donner says something like, ‘When exposed to the vacuum of space, humans are like pinatas. We just explode, burst, freeze, die, etc.’ So it’s a fine line between life and death, which is always intriguing. And then there is the mystery element to our story, in that what are we going to find when we get out there in the universe.

Evram Mintz standing in one of the Antares corridors. Photo by Sergei Bachlakov and copyright of Fox Studios and ABC

“Jim and Michael have some really cool stuff planned when it comes to planting things along the way and piquing the audience’s interest to make people wonder what’s going to happen next.”

In addition to Defying Gravity, the actor’s other TV credits include CSI: NY, ER, The West Wing, House and Without A Trace as well as recurring roles on 24 and The Game. On the big screen, Podell made his debut playing Al Pacino’s son in The Insider, and has since appeared in such movies as Unconditional Love, Blowing Smoke and the independent feature Hard Scrambled. His fans perhaps best know him for his two-year stint on the aforementioned The Young and the Restless, as well as his multiple episode arc as Ryan Burnett in season seven of 24.

“24 was a lot of fun,” says Podell. “It was great to be back on-set with Kurtwood Smith, who played my boss [Senator Blaine Mayer] in the show. He also played my boss in a little independent film we both worked on. Kurtwood tortured me in that, and here I was getting tortured by Kiefer Sutherland [Jack Bauer] in 24,” jokes the actor. “It was awesome getting to watch Kiefer at work. I’m always looking to learn from people who have been in this business longer than I have and have endured. Kiefer gave 150% of himself. he was the hardest working guy on-set and totally dedicated and committed to making the best product possible. Not one ounce of him was phoning it in, and I thought that was amazing.

“The response I received from people about my being in the show was terrific. The second they saw me on it, they started saying, ‘You’re going to die, right? He’s going to kill you. That’s what happens. If you’re with Jack Bauer, you’re dead.’ So that was tough having to keep my mouth shut about it for a few months. Of course, my character got tortured and then had his throat slit. I don’t know why, but I tend to get killed a lot on TV. Hopefully that won’t happen here,” he says laughing.

No matter where his career takes him, Podell will never forget something Gene Hackman said to him and a group of other actors during a break on the set of Behind Enemy Lines. “One day we were all sitting around – these young actors playing sailors and naval airmen – and nervously pretending to do something else other than stare at Gene Hackman while he was sitting there reading a book,” says the actor.

Evram monitors a situation while on-duty on the Antares flight deck. Photo by Sergei Bachlakov and copyright of Fox Studios and ABC

“Gene could sense that we were all hoping that he would say something, so he looked up and asked, ‘Do you guys still audition?’ It was a totally redundant question,which he knew, and we were all like, ‘Sure.’ And he said, ‘Man, I used to love to audition.’ At first I thought, ‘Why?’ and then it dawned on me that he got to be the success he is because there was nothing else he’d rather do than walk into a roomful of strangers and put on a ‘show’ for two minutes. It wasn’t about being in Yugoslavia and filming a multi-million dollar feature for Fox Studios. It was about the bare minimum of that moment in the audition room, and that for two minutes a day, a week, twice a week, whatever, you get to entertain people. Learning little lessons like that early on in my career is what continues to serve me well in this business.”

Steve Eramo

Defying Gravity is produced by Fox Television Studios and OmniFilmProductions, in association with the BBC, Canada’s CTV and Germany’s ProSieben. As noted above, photos by Kharen Hill or Sergei Bachlakov and copyright of Fox Studios and ABC, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

One Day At A Time

FROM outer space perils to down-to-earth turmoil, former Battlestar Galactica actress Katee Sackhoff (Captain Kara “Starbuck” Thrace) along with Freddie Prinze Jr., Mykelti Williamson, John Boyd, Jennifer Westfeldt and Chris Diamantopoulos have joined the cast of 24 for the show’s eight season. The Emmy award-winning drama starring Kiefer Sutherland returns for yet another surprising day with a two-night, four-hour premiere beginning Sunday, January 17th, 2010 from 9 p.m. – 11 p.m. EST/PST 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 being run by MBA-schooled and razor-sharp head honcho Brian Hastings (Williamson – Forrest Gump). Cole Ortiz (Prinze), 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) 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.

Sutherland, Jones, Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe O’Brian) and Annie Wersching (Renee Walker) also return. In addition, Bollywood icon Anil Kapoor of Slumdog Millionaire fame makes his American TV debut as Omar Hassan, a Middle Eastern leader who comes to the U.S. on a peacemaking mission.

Greg Ellis -Intergalactic Mechanic

Greg Ellis treks into the future as Chief Engineer Olson of the U.S.S. Enterprise in STAR TREK. Photo courtesy of and copyright of JSquared Photography

Professional jockey or attorney – those are the two careers that Greg Ellis considered pursing while growing up. Then, however, he set his sights on the entertainment industry and never looked back. Born and raised in the small town of Wigan, Lancashire, Northern England, the-then budding young actor joined a children’s drama group and, at the age of nine, made his TV debut singing for a very special individual.

“I was doing a summer season at a theater in the North of England and me and five other kids sang live on TV for Princess Diana,” recalls Ellis. “That’s my first memory of performing in front of a camera. It was around 1980 and I remember being amazed by how many cameras there were and how few people were actually in the studio. Everyone was either tucked away in some booth high up or in another room. Talk about an unforgettable experience.”

Back then, Ellis never imagined that he would one day be soaring through outer space and making his mark on an historic TV and feature film franchise. The actor portrays Yorkshire-born Chief Engineer Olson in the new Star Trek movie. Although he is one of the good guys, it almost turned out to be the exact opposite.

“I originally tried out for the part of a Romulan,” says the actor. “A couple of weeks went by and I didn’t hear anything, so I thought no more about it. At the time I was working on a TV show called The Riches, and one morning I got a call saying that J.J. Abrams [Trek director/producer] wanted to see me about the role of Chief Engineer Olson, the original engineer onboard the Enterprise. So I spoke to the director I was working with and he said it didn’t look like I was going to have a full [shooting] day and would make sure I got out on time. When I arrived at Paramount Studios I was given the pages for the scenes I was reading for and had to learn them on the spot. I auditioned and the following day found out I was up for the role.

“Not long after that I was on the Star Trek set, and what immediately struck me was how friendly everyone was. I got on really well with John Cho [Sulu] and Chris Pine [Captain James T. Kirk], who I had most of my scenes with, and Bruce Greenwood [Captain Christopher Pike]. He’s a big chess player, and my first day on-set, within an hour he had me playing a game with him. So there we were, Captain Pike and Chief Engineer Olson trying to outwit each other on the chess board,” chuckles Ellis. “It was all rather surreal. The thing is, I wasn’t a huge Star Trek fan growing up, and I’ve since become educated about as well as respectful of the massive fan base that Star Trek  has. That’s something I kept reminding myself of while we were working on the movie.”

Prior to the film’s U.S. release last Friday, Ellis had appeared, albeit briefly, in the main trailer for Star Trek, which features snippets of one of the movie’s main action sequences. “Kirk, Sulu and Olson have to go on a skydiving mission down to a Romulan orbital platform that is drilling down into the planet Vulcan, the home of Spock [Zachary Quinto],” explains the actor. “We were wearing these skydiving spacesuits with helmets, and the helmets kept steaming up, so they had to pump oxygen into them to un-steam the visors in order for us to see what we were doing.

“I had two costumes, my Enterprise uniform and the skydiving one, which was amazing, particularly the minute details. For example, the gloves we wore were personally fitted by this incredible glove maker. I’d never net a glove maker before. He measured my hands, then made a test pair of gloves, and finally added all the detail and piping to the end product. Again, the attention to detail, even down to the clip to keep our skydiving parachutes on, was so impressive. Michael Kaplan did the costumes, and I’d previously worked with him on another movie. It was as if you took [the designers] Gucci, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana, mixed them all up and then times it by 10. That’s what the spacesuits were like.”

Greg Ellis. Photo courtesy of and copyright of JSquared Photography

While it may appear as if Engineer Olson and his crewmates are hurtling towards Vulcan at breakneck speed, the actual shooting of the skydiving scene was, in places, rather simple. “Surprisingly, there wasn’t too much green screen involved,” says Ellis. “J.J. Abrams and his crew were extremely creative insofar as filming. When it came to my character skydiving, they put mirrors on the ground, which reflected the sky. I was then lowered onto the mirrors, while J.J. and the camera operator stood on a raised platform with the camera pointed straight into my face. Imagine that and then invert the whole thing; it looks as if I’m flying through the sky, and it is the real sky, only reflected. So, again, very creative.

“Clearly J.J. Abrams is a talented guy. He has the Midas Touch when it comes to movies and TV. The thing is, there are so many people who work with him and for him, and they’re fans of his as well and go from project to project to project. They’re utterly loyal to J.J. and that’s a testament to just how wonderful he is. He’s a true collaborator who has a vision, and  it’s not only exciting but also fun to work with him every day.”

It may surprise some Trek fans to discover that Star Trek is not Ellis’ first time playing in this particular make-believe universe. Back in 1999, he guest-starred as a Cardassian named Ekoor in the two-hour Star Trek: Deep Space Nine finale What You Leave Behind.

“I went into that job looking forward to doing that particular incarnation of Star Trek but having no idea of the seriousness of doing the show’s finale,” notes the actor. “In one of the scenes I blasted two rebel Cardassians and, as I walked down some steps, said the classic line, ‘That’s Locarian City.’ At the time, I didn’t know where or what that was, and I later became quite educated in its history as well as what a Jem’Hadar, Bajoran, Romulan and, indeed, a Cardassian, was.

“I remember going through three hours of prosthetics every morning for this role, so when I did the Star Trek movie I was actually quite happy that I was playing a human being and not a Romulan. That said, wearing a ‘mask’ like that, I think, helps you get into character. It was the same when I did the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. It’s just a great ride to be involved with something so iconic.”

The X-Files, Bones, The Closer and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation are among Ellis’ other TV credits. The actor is probably best known, though, for his performance as international arms dealer Michael Armador in season three of 24. “I had a terrific time on that show,” he enthuses. “I had worked before with Kiefer Sutherland [Jack Bauer] in a movie called To End All Wars, which was about prisoners in a Japanese POW camp during World War II, and it was great to have the opportunity to work with him again.

“The challenge of 24 really comes down to the fact that the story is told in 24 hours. My first day of filming was a night scene on-location. It was a meeting with Nina Meyers [Sarah Clarke] on one side and Jack Bauer and the Mexicans on the other. My character was holding an auction for a biological weapon, and when it’s over, Jack was going to walk with the Mexicans to his car. However, we had to rethink the scene because it would have taken longer to do that than we had in real time.

The dashing Greg Ellis. Photo courtesy of and copyright of JSquared Photography

“So it’s a matter of thinking in a different mindset, which in this case is real time, and the hurdles involved with that. However, it’s good to be challenged in that way and it makes you stay on top of your storytelling because that’s what the show’s fans expect. Kiefer is very involved and very professional about the details, and it shows.

“Originally I was only supposed to be in three episodes, and when I was given the script for my fourth episode it had a scene where my character’s throat got slit. I thought, ‘That’s OK, I had a good time.’ Then I got the rewrite and I was suddenly and miraculously alive. They [the producers/writers] had decided to kill off the Nina Meyers character instead. So you never knew from script to script and rewrite to rewrite how long you’d be alive for, and I wound up sticking around for, I believe, nine or ten episodes, which I was thrilled about.”

Besides his roles in front of the camera, Ellis is also a much sought-after voice artist. His work can be heard on various video games including  SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords and Tomb Raider: Legend, as well as such cartoons as Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Ben 10: Alien Force and Phineas and Ferb. Not surprisingly, this type of work has its own unique set of challenges, some harder than others.

“A lot of times it’s tough keeping a straight face and staying quiet when someone else is talking about because it’s so much fun,” says Ellis. “Typically, you’re in a room with other like-minded, silly individuals and you all get to act like children, depending, of course, on the project, and enjoy yourselves. Things can move fast, though, and it’s a matter of keeping up. Direction and notes are thrown at you and you have to quickly digest and incorporate them into your next take.”

Does the actor have a favorite character to have voiced? “Growing up I used to read the comic Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future, and years later that was my very first animated TV project, so I was pretty excited about that. As a child I also had an Action Man figure, who was like G.I. Joe, and I got to be the voice of that character, too. I did a few episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars as well and enjoyed being a small part of the Star Wars world. I’ve also done three of the Pirates of the Caribbean video games and, having done the films, a lot of the actors are my mates, so I’ve voiced most of their characters in the games. And I’m the voice of the Jack Sparrow doll, which I think is an interesting little piece of trivia.”

Greg Ellis. Photo courtesy of and copyright of JSquared Photography

A couple of years ago, Ellis was one of the musical artists invited by Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber to perform for Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family at London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral as part of The Best of Andrew Lloyd-Webber. “I got to sing two solo songs, which was pretty neat,” he says. “First of all, singing at St.Paul’s with its acoustics, history, architecture, etc. is just incredible, and to then have the Queen and the Royal Family there to meet afterwards made for a truly unforgettable night.

“It was many years later, but my childhood TV experience of singing for Princess Diana came around full circle as well,” adds the actor. “It was, I think, the third preview of the musical Miss Saigon where I got to meet her backstage and found her to be a really lovely person.”

Currently, this verstile entertainer is keeping busy with a few new projects, including the recurring role of Simon Cochran on the TNT series Trust Me, and a guest-spot on Nip/Tuck. “I’ve been back in the prosthetics chair again for that show, but only for a couple of hours,” says Ellis. “I have a writing partner in England and we’ve written a couple of things that seem to be moving forward. So I’ve been very lucky work-wise and, touch wood, long may it continue.”

Steve Eramo

As noted above, all photos courtesy of and copyright of JSquared Photography, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any form. Thanks!