
Kiefer Sutherland has much to be grateful for these days. His TV show 24, a critics' darling from the get-go, earned the ratings Fox wanted to keep it around for a second season. Best of all, Sutherland's character, counter-terrorism agent Jack Bauer, survived for at least another 24 hours in a show where it might have gone either way.
Looking somewhat disheveled with a beard covering his good looks and his hair a good deal longer than Agent Bauer would feel comfortable with, Sutherland says he'd like to thank the press for his good fortune with the series. In a world where most stars blame the media for their downfalls, Sutherland attributes the success of his show to the glowing coverage it's received.
"We would have never been able to have the incredible year we had last year if not from the incredible support that we got not only from the critics, but from the media as well," says the 35-year-old actor. "It motivated Fox to get behind us and everyone else. It was a kind of energy that I went to work with that I've never experienced before."