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Late star Donald Sutherland has played villainous characters in many instances in his legendary career. While the current generation may know him for his role inThe Hunger Gamesfranchise, Sutherland has established himself as a prominent actor in films likeThe Dirty Dozen, MAS*H,andSpace Cowboys.
Sutherland’s sons are also part of the film industry, with Kiefer Sutherland being the most prominent one. The actor played the lead role of Jack Bauer in the espionage TV show24. While the father-son duo have worked together before, Sutherland Senior reportedly refused to play Kiefer’s father in24for one wholesome reason.
Donald Sutherland Refused To Play Dad To Son Kiefer Sutherland In24
Kiefer Sutherlandhas become a staple in pop culture for playing the role of Jack Bauer in the action spy series24. For eight seasons, a movie, and a 12-episode revival series, Sutherland played the role of the CTU agent who has to race against time to stop a major threat to the security of the country.
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In season 6, Jack Bauer is confronted by his father Phillip Bauer, who seemingly has terrorist links and becomes one of the antagonists of the season. Kiefer Sutherland has worked with his father on multiple films such asMax Dugan ReturnsandA Time to Kill, albeit never as an on-screen father-son duo.
So, when the opportunity came for casting Phillip Bauer in24, Kiefer Sutherland reportedly approached his father, the legendaryDonald Sutherlandto play the role. However, senior Sutherland reportedly refused to play the role as he did not want to play a father who tried to kill his son (viaThe Things),
I told Kiefer, ‘I’d love to play Sean Connery to your Harrison Ford (referring to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), but not a father who wants to kill you.’ We’re looking for something else we can do together.
The role was ultimately played bySuccession’s James Cromwell. Donald and Kiefer Sutherland ultimately played father and son in the negatively reviewed WesternForsaken.
James Cromwell Hated His Character In24
After Donald Sutherland refused to play a villainous father to his son Kiefer Sutherland’s character in24, the role of Philip Bauer was reportedly offered to actor James Cromwell. Cromwell was known for his roles in shows likeSix Feet Under, American Horror Story: Asylum, andSuccession.
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While Cromwell did a good job with the role, he reportedly had issues with how Phillip progressed through the episodes. He said toSpoiler TV,
They paid me a lot of money to do it. And then I’ve taken my son captive and I’m torturing him, then I was going to take my grandson captive and threaten him. So I went to the producers and I said, ‘Look, are there any redeeming qualities to this character?’ They looked at me as though I was nuts, I was asking something bizarre.
Cromwell went on to bash the writers of the show for lacking imagination and even suggested how they could have redeemed the character but they reportedly did not take his suggestions.
24is available to stream on Hulu.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2415
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
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Donald SutherlandKiefer Sutherland
