Actors Shiela Vand, Charlie Hofheimer, Miranda Otto, Jimmy Smits, and Gerald McRaney talk “24: Legacy.”
Shiela Vand, Charlie Hofheimer, Miranda Otto, Jimmy Smits, and Gerald McRaney are just a few of the actors from the all-star cast coming up in the new reiteration “24” with “24: Legacy,” premiering Super Bowl Sunday on Fox!
The Knockturnal was at the premiere in New York City and talked to the stars of the show.
Both Shield Vand and Charlier Hofheimer have a lot to say regarding the take-aways of what “24: Legacy” can teach viewers about today’s political situation, stereotypes, and biases. Not only did Hofheimer have a difficult time getting into the character of military personnel, but he also stood in solidarity of those facing challenges because of the Trump administration’s recently imposed ban on citizens of some countries from the Middle East and Africa. Hofheimer wore a ‘No Ban’ protest sticker and told us a lot about the ban meant to him. Both he and Vand spoke about what the show can also teach viewers about Muslim stereotypes.
Smits, Otto, and McRaney shared their thoughts on the show and what fans can expect to see this season. McRaney even gave us an inside scoop of what it’s like working with Milo Ventimiglia on his other primetime show, “This Is Us.”
SHEILA VAND:
Can you describe your character and tell us what you’re most excited about when you watch 24?
Sheila Vand: Oh, I’m nocturnal let’s start with that! [Laughs] Yeah, the show—so I play a campaign manager. I play Jimmy Smits’ campaign manager. He’s a senator who’s running for president. I play a Muslim-American person who works in politics, so it’s particularly special considering the context of the world right now to portray “Nilaa”, her name is Nilaa Mizrani and you know, true to “24” things get crazy and we end up having to politically navigate the situation.
What kind of personality does Nilaa have?
Sheila Vand: She’s very strong and very sassy, but not sassy as like it diminishes her, she’s really intelligent and really hardworking, she’s basically been working for this senator for the last decade and she worked her way up from like an intern to a campaign manager, so she’s fierce but at the same time she’s starts dealing with the political world as a Muslim-American and the racial profiling that is attached to that. So she’s sensitive too and she’s human, and hoping she’ll be an example of what it looks like when you see a Muslim, also just being a human and also just being an American.
Were you a big fan of “24” before?
Shield Vand: To be honest with you, I’ve only seen a few episodes of it because of being involved. But my brother and my father saw every single season, they’re huge fans, yeah!
So when you read the script did you know right away that you wanted to be involved in this project?
Shield Vand: Nilaa was kind of revealed in the first episode, in the pilot and then things get crazy for her. For me I had no idea what this character was going to be … she’s in like one or two little scenes in the pilot but the show runner Evan Katz called me before I auditioned and let me know, here’s the plan for this character and I was excited by the arch we had.
From what you were saying before, it seemed like some of the themes are resonating with you, can you reflect about that? It just sounds really relevant now from what you describe.
Sheila Vand: Yeah, it does sound relevant. It’s hard because I don’t want to give away what happens with my character, but I do feel like it does touch on the common perceptions of a Muslim-American versus what a Muslim-American actually looks like and so that’s why it’s kind of cool for me to play a character like that because I’m like okay, I can represent that, because I an Iranian-American, so I’m like I can be a different version of this on television.
And what does it mean to you to do that?
Sheila Vand: It’s so like complex to be honest with you like we should like sit down for a drink and talk about it [laughs] … But it’s like … gently changing stereotypes and following the footsteps of other minorities who’ve been doing it long before us as Middle Easterners. You know it’s like sometimes when I get frustrated and I want to complain, I’m like Latin-Americans have been doing this for so much longer [laughs], so you know just keep going, just keep sharing your beliefs and fighting for your values.
Any other film projects you want to share?
Sheila Vand: Yeah, I mean I have something coming out at Tribeca called “Aardvark”. It’s an independent film that Jon Hamm is in and Jenny Slate, Zachary Quinto. And I have another film at SXSW called “68 Kill”, which is like a exploitation genre movie where I play like a punk-rock goth girl, and both of them are parts that you don’t normally get to see me in.
CHARLIE HOFHEIMER:
Okay, so can you describe your character and what can fans expect this season, and were you a fan before?
Charlie Hofheimer: Yes, three very different questions, I’ll take the last one first. I was totally a fan before. You know I ate up the previous seasons like popcorn, and when I found out that I’d be apart of this new reiteration, it was very humbling and a great honor. You know the—to answer your second question what can people expect—you know this show carries its famous format that was somewhat genre defining for the first time around. You get the live moment-to-moment real-time exhilaration of the show. You still get incredible fulfilling drama and action. But at the same time the show opens up the universe of “24” to encompass a whole new set of characters and you know once again, the show is incredibly timely, incredibly topical and it’s going to hold a mirror up.
I see you wearing a “No Ban” protest sticker. What does it mean to you?
Charlie Hofheimer: Well I hope and I believe this show, in addition to holding a mirror up to what some have lived through in this country and recent history and currently; it also will go on to challenge your preconceived notion and challenge your less conscious biases. And I think that the responsibility of art is to put the audience in an ethical bind. And if you’re not doing that you’re not doing anything. And I’m quite honored that this show will. And so I’m sensitive to the fact that because it’s so topical and related to current events that that’s going to hit close to home for some people and I respect that. I personally chose to wear this “No Ban” sticker today out of supporting a positive message that we are stronger together. Just like our cast is extremely diverse and includes first, second. third generation immigrants, as does America include first, second, third, fourth generation Americans. And we’re a nation of immigrants. We’re stronger together. And I wanted in some small way to be apart of that message.
Can you describe your character’s personality?
Charlie Hofheimer: I can, yes. Ben Grimes, you may not recognize him here clean shaven, but Grimes is a little rough around the edges. You know another great honor in playing Ben Grimes is like so many of our American veterans, he’s wounded. He’s got PTSD. He isn’t wounded in a way you can see, with a missing hand and a missing arm, he is wounded in a way that so many of our veterans are. More soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have died killing themselves coming home from war than died in combat. And it’s a great honor to get to represent on those characters. Ben was a brother in arms with Corey’s character, Eric Carter, Ben Grimes, and Corey “Eric Carter” were on this fateful raid that took place in Yemen, that was similar to the Osama Bin Laden raid, where one of our antagonist Abraham bin Khalid died. And in the present day, on this fateful day American soldiers are being killed on American soil. And Ben Grimes sort of sounds the alarm.
How did you prepare for this role? I mean did you have to talk to soldiers, veterans, to kind of get into the character?
Charlie Hofheimer: Absolutely, yes. I’m actually very fortunate to have a friend who is a former Seal Team Six and for his privacy I won’t go into detail but I also spoke with two marines and I also spent many hours, most of them attempting to get someone on the phone at the VA, to develop a personal sense of empathy and personal sense of responsibility to the people I’m here to represent.
Did you find it really difficult to kind of get into their head and deal with the PSTD?
Charlie Hofheimer: It isn’t a happy place to live. It isn’t a happy head space to live in but you know at the end of every long day is the reassuring thought that you know, we have the power to help people change and help the way they think to change.
MIRANDA OTTO:
First off you look absolutely stunning! Do you know who you are wearing today?
Miranda Otto: J. Mendel.
Ah, J. Mendel. Okay.
Miranda Otto: Pretty, huh?
Yes, beautiful. Can you describe a little about your character and what are you most excited about this season?
Miranda Otto: I’m Rebecca Ingram, she is the former head of the counter-terrorism unit. She is meant to be leaving because her husband John Donovan, who Jimmy Smits is playing, is running for president and she promises that because he supported her in the past when she’s had certain things that she really needed to do that at this stage she will leave and help him, but on this particular day a mission that she was involved with, something goes wrong with that and she’s called back in and she’s unable to leave and so she’s going to be letting down people with whatever she does really.
Can you describe her personality?
Miranda Otto: I think she’s strong headed and I think you know she’s somebody who is trying to juggle two really important things in her life, which is her relationship and everything that that means to her and belief in her husband, because she really believes that he would make a great president. And then there is this other part of her that is so committed to trying to keep America safe and you know she’s a careerist in that way so it’s a hard thing for Becca to work to out, whether John comes first or America comes first.
What do you hope that viewers can take away from the show.
Miranda Otto: I hope that it poses interesting questions for them. I hope that they find it really entertaining because I think the show is super entertaining. There’s so many cliffhangers and surprises and all those great “24” moments that you remember. There’s all of that. I think that they’re in for a roller coaster and an addictive session of watching television. But I think you know we’re also looking at some interesting issues and posing some interesting questions.
JIMMY SMITS
Can you describe your character.
Jimmy Smits: The character’s name is Senator John Donovan. He plays a senator who’s aspiring to higher office and on this particular “24” day, on this day a lot of things go wrong for him and his wife, played by Miranda Otto. And there’s this counter-terrorism plot that happens, people are getting sucked back into their old jobs, their new jobs, and there’s a lot of actions, and fast-paced adventure.
How have you prepared for your role?
Jimmy Smits: Well, I’ve actually played politicians in previous, in other shows before so I had a little bit to draw on but this show travels in a different kind of lane—you know the action-adventure genre.
GERALD McRANEY
Congratulations! I know you’re on the ‘This Is Us’ and now you have another great show ’24’ coming out. What does it mean to you to be apart of this new series?
Gerald McRaney: It’s very, very exciting. I’ve been looking forward it. I haven’t been on the show all that long but I had to a lot of work in a hurry, to get sort of caught up to things. But I especially like working with Jimmy, who plays my son in the show. He’s a delight to work with and I’ve admired his work for so long.
What can you tell us about your character and Jimmy’s as well from your standpoint.
Gerald McRaney: I could tell you everything about it but then I would have to kill you [laughs] and that wouldn’t be worth it.
Oh no! [Laughs]
Gerald McRaney: No, I don’t want to give away anything specific. I will tell you that everybody knows, I think, that Jimmy is playing a senator who’s a presidential candidate. I play his father who is an extremely ambitious man for his son and will do anything to see to it that his son succeeds in life.
What do you hope that fans will take away from this series?
Gerald McRaney: Just a sense of excitement. I think that’s ultimately what the producers want to have here—is that the fans are excited about it, they get their adrenaline rush out of it and at the end of the time, they’re a little bit worn out for having watched it, but glad that they did.
Well I know you’re also on “This Is Us”, I love the show. I cry every episode [laughs]. What can we expect to see coming up on “This Is Us” as well?
Gerald McRaney: Do you know I never know until I read the script! I have no idea what’s coming up so I can’t help you there.
How has it been to work with Milo?
Gerald McRaney: Oh, it’s just a delight! Both of those kids—well they’re not kids but to me they’re kids—they’re just wonderful, wonderful people. And I especially like working with Milo. He’s a delight. Good man. Good man!
