Kiefer Sutherland on ‘The Contractor,' the American Dream, and Missing Harvey's
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For Kiefer Sutherland, a good story gets his attention more than the role itself. The British-Canadian actor and musician became a household name when he took on the role of Jack Bauer in the Fox drama series 24, for which he won an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Satellite Awards.
The actor once again returns to the mystery-thriller genre by playing a private contractor in the new Prime Video film The Contractor alongside Chris Pine. The film stars Pine as former soldier James Harper, who is cut loose by the military and in order to pay the bills, gets employed by Sutherland’s private contractor Rusty Jennings.
Sutherland was incredibly moved by the story of The Contractor and how it explores the vulnerability of soldiers—especially the PTSD that follows after their experience. While the father-son bond is an overarching theme in the film, Sutherland says he preferred to think of his co-stars as band members.
Ahead of the film’s release on Prime Video today, we sat down with Sutherland to discuss his role in the film, the the American Dream, and his next visit to Toronto.
Congratulations on the film! Of all the scripts that come your way, what were you looking for that made you pick this one?
It’s a combination of factors. It’s going to sound really simple, but I’m just really looking for something that just moves me. So with regards to this script, I was just very moved with the idea that someone in the Special Forces… a million dollars was spent on training these people to give them the skill set that they have. And when they serve their purpose in the military, they’re kind of just discarded to the side, and I find that very relatable. I think in our society, older people feel devalued and disposed of and so I found it to be a very moving journey that Chris Pine’s character took me on. So the combination of that and kind of what sacrifices are you prepared to make for your family to just try and survive. I think that’s incredibly relatable. So I was moved by that character’s experience. And then also, Chris Pine and Ben Foster worked together on a movie called Hell or High Water. That was one of my favourite movies of the decade. I think when they work together, they have kind of an energy that reminds me of Robert Redford and Paul Newman when they would work together. And so yeah, it was just the combination of a script that moved me and those two actors, I really wanted to be a part of it.
Your character Rusty, he’s the tribal leader and a warrior and he’s the total opposite of what an army guy is. What was it about this character that spoke to you right away?
I don’t want to give too much away but certainly, there’s a fatherly quality that that character has and for those people that feel disenfranchised from the military, and still have the kind of skill set that those guys have. You know, certainly in the beginning, he provided a very nice safe haven for them to do what they were trained to do. So I like the fatherly aspect of the character. But again, when I’m looking at a film or even a television show, I’m not looking at the character as much as I am the overall story. If there’s a story that I really like, at that point, I would be willing to play any character to help tell that story. So for me, again, it was the overall story of The Contractor that really appealed to me more than any single thing.
I believe Tarik said that you came in prepared and you understood the character Rusty right away. What did the preparation look like for you on your end?
I’ll tell you what, when a script is really well written, it makes preparing a lot easier. And I think J.P. wrote a beautiful, beautiful script. The scenes that I got to do with Chris I thought were beautifully developed. So it’s just a question of really, really knowing the material. Certainly 10 years of 24, where we were shooting so much every day that you kind of train yourself to really understand the material backwards and forwards. And then being open to kind of what Tarik wants out of you and being open to Chris, and whatever ideas he has and just go have some fun and which is exactly what we did.
“I think on a larger level, we need to refocus on understanding the value of everybody in our society.”
Yeah, I believe they said they wanted a guy who looked like a rock and roll star and was cool. So I thought of course they chose Kiefer for that!
That’s very, very sweet. I’m sure I’m gonna have to send Tariq $10 for that.
And you got to keep your tattoos.
Yeah, he liked he liked the tattoos. They worked for this guy. But it’s just such a moving story. And obviously, it’s a thriller, and it’s an action movie and it’s got all of those qualities. But to also make it kind of thoughtful and emotional I just think it’s such an added bonus. And I think it’s what really makes it a very special film. I think those guys just did an amazing job.
I was curious about how the film’s larger themes about the American Dream, the patriotism and the moral corruption of the soul. How did that speak to you, especially with what’s going on right now?
Well, you know, at the root of my character, and again, I don’t want us to spoil it, but when Chris Pine’s character kind of enters the film, and this speaks to so many soldiers coming back, whether it was from Vietnam, or Iraq, with PTSD and so many other kinds of mental health issues. Most people are incredibly vulnerable and it’s very easy to take advantage of them. I think that the film explores that in a very significant way. Again, not wanting to kind of spoil it, but I think it’s something that we as a society need to watch, and I think as a society, we need to be aware that we’re not creating a situation where people are this disposable. So this looks at a very specific idea of that. But I think on a larger level, we need to refocus on understanding the value of everybody in our society.
“I miss Harvey’s. I miss the city.”
Chris was drawn to the themes of fatherhood with the script as it presents so many different ideas of the father son relationship. Can you talk a bit about how those themes resonated with you, if at all?
Well, I mean, my character has got a very fatherly quality to Chris Pine’s character, and would have at some point with Ben Foster’s character as well. You know, that can be positive and that could also be negative as a question of how it’s manipulated. And how that trust is either reinforced or, again, manipulated news. So it’s those are all things that the moviegoer is going to experience. And if I talk about my character too much, I’m going to give away the whole thing but what is really special about the movie is that it’s going to be incredibly exciting to watch. It’s a dynamic thriller; it is a dynamic action film. But it’s also thought provoking, and emotional. And those, all of those things don’t normally come together in a package.
The first image in the movie is of the father reading a magazine with his son while he’s getting tattooed. And then Chris’s approach as a father is also very different. Did you reflect at all on your own approach as a father and as a son?
No, I kind of… my personal life very rarely would ever enter into what I’m thinking about a character and I often think of all the different characters in the context of a film or a television show, or in the effort to tell the story. I think of them as like band members. So Chris Pine would have been the lead singer, and Ben Foster would have been the lead guitar player. And I would be glad to play bass and kind of step back a bit. So I think you just try and figure out for me, at least, as an actor, what my character’s responsibility is in telling this story, and how do I fit with all of the other actors? And so, it’s not something that I’m drawing off of my personal experience, but I’m actually trying to service the storyline and the through lines in the script.
I hear you love Canada and Toronto. So when are you coming back? Is there anything you miss about the city?
Well, my sister lives there. I miss her. I have a brother that lives there. I miss him. And I miss Harvey’s. I miss the city. We shot Designated Survivor in Toronto for three seasons. I’m going to start a new television show called The Rabbit Hole and we start shooting that in Toronto in May.
That’s awesome. Looking forward to having you back here! It’s been lovely talking to you.
I look forward to coming home. Thank you so much; it’s an absolute pleasure. Have a great rest of your day.
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