Stunts in 24 - Radio Times, January 2005

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Stunts in 24 - Radio Times, January 2005

Prior to the UK fourth series premiere of real-time thriller 24, Fiona Morrow got the lowdown on the team's approach to stunts.

Creating a credible car explosion

"When you blow up a car, you take the car apart - take all the doors off, and if the roof is supposed to blow off, pre-cut it and flatten it back down and paint it. Everything is tied by steel wire back to the frame, so it doesn't just fly off and hurt someone.

"In the case of [Secretary of Defense] Heller's car [in the fourth series], the limo had a catapult underneath it driven by compressed air that forced the car up. It took probably three or four different settings of flash powder and some gasoline, all mixed and co-ordinated in rather an orchestral manner to create the simulation of a big explosion."
RODNEY CHARTERS, director of photography

Allowing the star to take risks

"I don't do any special training or anything, I'm just like any other actor who has gone out of their way to safely do anything the script requires. When you're part of a thriller, you want to make the jeopardy feel authentic, and one of the main ways is to be able to see the actor's face in one of those physical moments."
KIEFER SUTHERLAND, actor

"We keep [Kiefer Sutherland] away from doing dangerous things. If you don't say no, he will do pretty well anything."
RODNEY CHARTERS, director of photography

"It's like learning a dance. When there's two cars exploding and a train colliding, the camera operators have to know exactly where everything will happen, so my timing sets off everyone else's. You only really have one shot and you certainly don't want to be the reason it doesn't work."
KIEFER SUTHERLAND, actor

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