Shockingly, that includes 24, the show that changed his name to Jack Bauer for the rest of eternity. ABC’s show, which premieres September 21 at 10 p.m. ET, imagines what unfolds when the unthinkable happens, and examines how Kirkman grapples with suddenly becoming the president. The actor made the surprising declaration on Monday, when he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live to talk about his new show, Designated Survivor. Now the fun really starts – when he’s promoted to U.S. president in “Designated Survivor”, premiering Wednesday on ABC.
Advertisement
As the least significant member of the Cabinet, Kirkman is chosen as the “designated survivor” when the president, vice president and the rest of the Cabinet fix to Capitol Hill for the State of the Union address.
The unlikely happens, and the lame-duck HUD secretary becomes the leader of the free world.
Natascha McElhone of Showtime’s “Californication” will star alongside Sutherland as Kirkman’s wife Alex. When the Capitol is bombed, Kirkman finds himself being sworn-in as the President of the country during a crisis.
Every element of the pilot succeeds in keeping you on the edge of your seat while giving Sutherland an even better role than Jack Bauer. In fact, Kiefer Sutherland says he’s never seen an episode, and the reason, he explained, has to do with with the classic ’80s adventure drama Stand By Me.
And while Keifer Sutherland has already won an Emmy and a Golden Globe, to name a few awards, Designated Survivor looks like the kind of show that puts him in so many different states of being that he’s going to have a chance to show some real range for once in his career.
Watching the explosion from the White House, Kirkman is aghast – and so are we.
Sutherland knows just how to play the role in a scaled-down performance of minimal physical movement, self-effacement and dry wit.
Advertisement
He’s where he is because of circumstances beyond his control, but now he has to find and activate that control.
