Kiefer Sutherland had a reputation as a really great character actor during the 80s and early 90s, playing the villain in films like Stand By Me and The Lost Boys. He was this sort of rough around the edges teen punk, and he was a tremendously capable bad guy, able to carry darker roles that most actors his age wouldn't have been able to pull off. Then in the 90s, you see him taking on more traditional drama, as a dutiful Marine in A Few Good Men and a medical student in the surreal thriller Flatliners. For the most part, he's getting roles that are of a decent quality, but you wouldn't necessarily refer to as career makers. Despite his long and respectable filmography on the big screen, when future generations talk about Kiefer Sutherland, it will because of his role as Jack Bauer on 24. Sutherland's performance as the stoic, intense anti-terrorist agent quickly became iconic, with eight seasons, one television film, and twelve upcoming episodes to be released in May 2014. In terms of cultural impact, it doesn't get much better than Jack Bauer, who served as a form of catharsis for a country recovering in a post-9/11 world.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
