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Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland (born December 21, 1966) is an Emmy- and Golden Globe Award-winning Canadian actor, well known for his lead role of Jack Bauer on the television series 24. Sutherland also owns a recording studio and record label, called Ironworks. Sutherland was born in Paddington, London, England, the son of Donald Sutherland and Shirley Douglas, both of whom are successful Canadian actors. He has Scottish ancestry from both parents and is the grandson of Canadian statesman Tommy Douglas. Sutherland and his twin sister, Rachel, were born in London (in Saint Mary's Hospital, Paddington) while his parents were working there. As a result, through the jus soli and the jus sanguinis, he holds both a Canadian passport and a British passport with certificate of Right to Abode. His family moved to Los Angeles, California, shortly afterwards, but his parents eventually divorced in 1970.[1] In 1975, Sutherland moved with his mother to Toronto where he attended elementry school at Crescent Town School in Crescent Town, East York and high school at St. Andrew's College, Martingrove Collegiate Institute, Harbord Collegiate Institute and Malvern Collegiate Institute. He also spent a semester at Regina Mundi College in London, Ontario, Canada and attended Crescent Town Elementary School and St. Clair Junior High School in East York, Ontario. He speaks fluent English and French. former teen heartthrob who seemed poised for mega-stardom, thanks to breakout roles in “Stand By Me” (1986) and “The Lost Boys” (1987), actor Kiefer Sutherland suffered through a period of stagnation in the 1990s. Prior to his career’s hibernation, Sutherland was a leading man and member of the so-called Brat Pack – which included Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall and Molly Ringwald – starring in such high-profile fare as “Young Guns” (1988) and “Flatliners” (1990). But a much-publicized breakup with then-fiancé Julia Roberts mere days before their pending nuptials put a serious dent in his celebrity. Ever since, Sutherland found himself relegated to barely-seen indie films and bottom shelf studio flicks. But just as he was off the public radar, Sutherland re-emerged in heroic fashion as Jack Bauer, an agent in the U.S. Counter Terrorist Unit who goes through hell to avert all manner of national crises, on the successful TV thriller “24” (Fox, 2001- ). Not only was Sutherland’s career resurrected, he vaulted past any heights previously achieved to become a multi-Emmy and Golden Globe winner. Born on Dec. 21, 1966 in London, England to actor Donald Sutherland (“M*A*S*H,” “Kelly’s Heroes”) and actress and political activist Shirley Douglas, Sutherland saw his parents divorce when he was just four years old. Named after writer-director Warren Kiefer, who helped his father on a breakthrough role in "Castle of the Living Dead" (1964), Sutherland began acting at age nine, appearing in a Los Angeles production of "Throne of Straw.” He later moved with his mother to Toronto, where as a child actor, he honed his craft in local stage productions. Sutherland's first big break came with the title role of a conflicted teen who witnesses a murder committed by his girlfriend's father in the Canadian-made feature "The Bay Boy" (1984). American audiences had their first glimpse of him playing a radio operator on a World War II bomber in "The Mission,” an episode of Stephen Spielberg’s anthology series "Amazing Stories” (NBC, 1985-87). The actor also did fine work as an elective mute in the CBS movie "Trapped in Silence" (1986). Beginning with his memorable turn as a small-town bully in "Stand By Me,” Sutherland quickly established himself in Hollywood features. He more than held his own as a one of the gang led by a volatile Sean Penn in "At Close Range" (1986), then made audiences take notice with his charismatic performance as a teen vampire in "The Lost Boys.” Over the next decade, Sutherland alternated between showy leads and nuanced character parts. He was perfectly cast as the seductive Tad Allagash who encourages a hedonistic lifestyle for Michael J. Fox's aspiring novelist in "Bright Lights, Big City" (1988). Sutherland was the poetic one of the photogenic cowboys of "Young Guns" and a buttoned-up FBI agent sent to escort a 1960s radical (Dennis Hopper) to prison in "Flashback" (1990). A reunion with director Joel Schumacher on the ridiculous, but entertaining "Flatliners" introduced the actor to Julia Roberts. Their subsequent relationship spilled more tabloid ink than the Battle of Gettysburg spilled blood, particularly when Sutherland was spotted with another woman on the eve of their impending marriage. Roberts' decision to cancel the wedding at the eleventh hour caused a media frenzy that embarrassed both parties, and ultimately damaged Sutherland’s standing with the public. Two years later, Sutherland was back in high-profile roles, playing a quirky FBI agent in the film prequel "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me" and an overly religious Marine who may or may have been involved in murdering an enlisted man in "A Few Good Men.” The actor went on to team with real life friend Charlie Sheen and Oliver Platt as "The Three Musketeers" (1993), then partnered with Woody Harrelson as rodeo riders who head to New York to find a missing pal in "The Cowboy Way" (1994). For some actors, playing villains was always more of a challenge, and Sutherland proved the sentiment with a chilling turn as a member of the Ku Klux Klan in his third film for Joel Schumacher, "A Time to Kill" (1996), which also featured his father as an alcoholic lawyer. He was next seen as a low-key psycho in "Freeway" (1996), a modern-day spin on the "Little Red Riding Hood" story, before the actor went on to impress as a deceptive doctor in "Dark City" (1998) and as the heroin-addicted Beat poet William S. Burroughs in the Sundance-screened "Beat" (2000). In 1993, Sutherland began a promising secondary career as a filmmaker with the hard-hitting made-for-cable prison drama "Last Light" (Showtime) about the unlikely relationship between an inmate (Sutherland) and a guard (Forest Whitaker). He again did double duty as director and star of "Love and Blood,” a 1995 entry in Showtime's film noir series "Fallen Angels,” about a down-on-his-luck boxer who is framed for murder by his ex-lover. Moving to the big screen, Sutherland helmed "Truth or Consequences, N.M." (1997), an uneven but stylishly enjoyable hostage drama that was more than enlivened by Sutherland's turn as a devilish psychopath. His follow-up – the festival-bound "Woman Wanted" (1999) – though intriguing, was half-baked at best. Indeed, Sutherland removed his name from the credits over an editing dispute for its theatrical release (substituting Alan Smithee), though the press kit made known his contribution. In a surprising move, especially to himself, Sutherland sought work in series television. He stepped into Kevin Spacey's shoes as Jack Vincennes, the Southern Californian cop who served as an advisor to a TV show, in the pilot for a show based on "L.A. Confidential.” But no network was willing to commit to it – in hindsight, something that worked to his advantage. Instead, he accepted the role of government agent Jack Bauer in the heart-thumping series “24,” which followed the Counter Terrorism Unit agent over the course of a 24-period which lasted an entire season – or 24 episodes. In the first season, Bauer uncovers a plot to assassinate a presidential candidate and has all of one day to stop it. As if that is not enough, Bauer also discovers his teenage daughter has disappeared. The novel premise of "24" was that each of the series' episodes played out in real-time and covered one hour in Bauer's attempts to locate both the assassin and his missing child. Critics praised the series – with some including it on their top picks for the year – and its star, citing the actor’s stalwart performance for anchoring the drama. Over the course of the next seven seasons, Sutherland earned four consecutive Emmy and Golden Globe nominations and a 2006 Screen Actors Guild Award as Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series for his performance. With the momentum of his television success on his side, Sutherland signed a production deal with 20th Century Fox Television in early 2006 to develop and executive produce series programming through his newly created production banner. The deal also called for Kiefer to be named co-executive producer of "24;" not just its star. Meanwhile, Sutherland earned yet another Emmy award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2007, despite an otherwise lackluster sixth season. In addition to "24," Sutherland's menacing voice was also prominently featured in Joel Schumacher's "Phone Booth" (2003), a thriller starring Colin Farrell set entirely around the confines of a New York City phone booth; and he had a role in the sub par erotic thriller "Taking Lives" (2004) opposite Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke. He also had roles in “The Wild,” “The Sentinel” and “I Trust You to Kill Me” (all 2006). Before the premiere of the seventh season of “24,” Sutherland made news of a different kind – being arrested for drunk driving over the state’s legal limit of .08 – after the actor failed a field sobriety test following making an illegal U-turn in West Los Angeles shortly after 1 AM in September 2007. This came on the heels of still being on probation from a similar 2004 conviction. He was charged later that week with misdemeanor driving under the influence in a case the city attorney’s office said could put him in jail for more than a year. During the first DUI arrest in 2004, he pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count and was sentenced to five years’ probation, 50 hours of community service and was ordered to attend an alcohol treatment program. City officials said he had completed the community service and treatment program but was still on probation. Thus the extreme circumstances of his 2007 arrest. As of 2008, Sutherland has appeared in over seventy films, most notably The Lost Boys, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, A Few Good Men, Flatliners, Young Guns, The Vanishing, The Three Musketeers, Stand by Me, Dark City, and A Time To Kill as well as The Sentinel. Since 2001, Sutherland is most widely associated with the role of Jack Bauer, on the critically acclaimed television series 24. After being nominated four times for the "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" Primetime Emmy Award, Sutherland won the award in 2006 for his role in 24's fifth season. His father, Donald, was also an Emmy winner; he won an Emmy award for his role in Citizen X in 1996. In the opening skit of the 2006 Primetime Emmy Awards, Sutherland made an appearance as his 24 character, Jack Bauer. He was also nominated for Best actor in a Drama Television Series in the 2007 Golden Globe Awards for 24. Sutherland constantly emphasizes that the show is merely "entertainment." Brigadier General Patrick Finnegan visited the set of 24 in February 2007 to urge the show's makers to reduce the number of torture scenes and Sutherland accepted an invitation from the U.S. military to tell West Point cadets it is wrong to torture prisoners. In 2005, Sutherland was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto, where both of his parents have also been inducted. Sutherland was also the first Inside the Actors Studio guest to be the child of a former guest; his father, Donald, appeared on the show in 1998. Sutherland was featured on the cover of the April 2006 edition of Rolling Stone, in an article entitled "Alone in the Dark with Kiefer Sutherland". The article opened up with Sutherland revealing his interest to be killed off in 24. However, he had also stated, "Don't get me wrong. I love what I do." It also revealed that he devotes 10 months a year working on 24. He has starred in Japanese commercials for Calorie Mate, performing a parody of his Jack Bauer character. Sutherland also provides voiceovers for the current ad campaign for the Ford Motor Company of Canada. These advertisements are thematically of the comedy genre. In mid-2006, he voiced the Apple Computer advertisement announcing the inclusion of Intel chips in their Macintosh computer line. He also voices the introduction to NHL games on the Versus network in the U.S. Recently, he has starred in Argentine TV commercials for Citroën C4 sedan. Sutherland will executive produce the two-hour pilot of Phenomenon. Maggie Murphy will also be an executive producer for the show. The Sci Fi Channel ordered a script to be written. The show revolves around a mysterious young female prodigy who leads a crack team of experts in investigating odd and supernatural anomalies of nature. Sutherland is currently the top celebrity producer of The 1 Second Film. Several episodes of 24 have allegedly been rewritten to work around minor injuries Sutherland sustained when partying. In an interview with the British Daily Telegraph, Sutherland said, "I can't deny half the stuff that's been written about me has been true. I've done some stupid things. You have to take responsibility, go, 'That was embarrassing,' and move forward as best you can." During the autumn of 2001, Sutherland unintentionally interrupted the filming of the premiere episode of an online series titled The Lonely Island. In the episode "White Power", the main characters develop an addiction to teeth whitener, and eventually mug an old woman to facilitate their addiction. Sutherland, driving by at the time, believed the mugging was real and jumped out of his car to intervene. A small portion of Sutherland's appearance is displayed after the credits, though the portion is only Kiefer stopping his car and looking at them. This anecdote was recounted by Andy Samberg. True to his grandfather's legacy, Sutherland is an active member of the Canadian New Democratic Party, and has appeared from time to time in NDP advertisements. He has one daughter, Sarah Jude, born 18 February 1988, along with a stepdaughter, Michelle Kath, from his first marriage to Camelia Kath. Michelle is the daughter of Chicago guitarist/singer Terry Kath. Sutherland's marriage to Camelia lasted from September 12, 1987 - 1990. In 2006, Sutherland became a grandfather when Michelle gave birth to a son, Hamish. Michelle, born in 1976, is just ten years younger than Sutherland. On June 29, 1996, he married Kelly Winn. They divorced in 2004. He has two stepsons from this marriage, named Timothy Daily and Julian Daily. Sutherland is a well-known collector of many guitars, a majority of which are Gibson Les Pauls. Recently, the Gibson Custom shop has released a Kiefer Sutherland signature guitar, the KS-336, as part of their 'Inspired By' series. Sutherland was arrested early September 25, 2007 on misdemeanor drunk driving charges (his second time since another incident in 2004) after failing a field sobriety test. He was pulled over at around 1:10 a.m. in West Los Angeles, where he tested over the state's legal blood alcohol limit and later released on $25,000 bail. On December 5, 2007 he was sentenced to 48 days jail. On October 9, 2007 Kiefer pled no contest to the DUI charge and agreed to complete the 48 day jail sentence in a prison in December 2007, including Christmas and his 41st birthday. He had opted to spend 18 days in jail during 24's winter break in late December and early January and return to jail after production wraps up. However, production had been suspended due to the Hollywood writers' strike so he instead was in jail for 48 days consecutively. Sutherland began his jail term sentence as of December 6, 2007 and was released from the Glendale, California prison just after Midnight on January 21, 2008. He was quoted in People Magazine that he was in jail for New Year's, his birthday, and Christmas and only had one visitor. |
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