Freddie Prinze Jr. on His '24' Days: 'Kiefer was the Most Unprofessional Dude in the World'

The Hollywood Reporter ^ | 7/28/2014 | Hilary Lewis

[EdnaMode]

Freddie Prinze Jr. had such an awful experience acting opposite Kiefer Sutherland in 24 that he "wanted to quit the business," he said.

The actor explained to ABC News that working with Sutherland was "terrible."

"I did 24, and it was terrible. I hated every moment of it," Prinze said. "Kiefer was the most unprofessional dude in the world. That's not me talking trash. I'd say it to his face. I think everyone that's worked with him has said that."

[MaxMax]

That does it for me. I'm never going to work with short people ever again!

Sorry Sutherland, we coulda had something. LOL< Who am I kidding. You Rock bud!!

That Prinzess punk needs a new profession, maybe a WWE Fluffer??

[Hot Tabasco]

Prinze also said that even working for the WWE wasn't like working with Sutherland.

Stick with the WWE Freddy, ya got more street cred with the knuckleheads who watch that crap than the fans of "24" who don't even remember seeing you in the series..........

[MD Expat in PA]

IMO, criticizing and making disparaging remarks in a very public forum about a former co-worker, even if there is some or even a lot of truth to it, but 5 years after the fact by the way, is never good form no matter what profession you’re in. I tend to follow in both my personal and professional life the old motto, “If you can’t say something nice about someone; it’s best to not say anything at all”.

I’ve had occasion as a middle management type to be used as a job reference for both former subordinates and peer co-workers. If they ask me first to be a personal/professional reference and I can’t in good conscience write a recommendation letter or give them a glowing recommendation, I will tell them so and why. Otherwise I will only confirm that they worked at “ABC Company” that I was their manager and that they held “XYZ” position and their hire and leaving dates and salary level at the time they left and nothing more. And legally, it is not a good thing to divulge very negative information about a former employee lest you want to get sued.

And you never know who you might be working with at your next job.

I had a co-worker a few jobs ago who was a real biotch – very difficult to work with. I didn’t like her very much on both a personal and professional level and we severely butted heads more than once. But I always kept it professional, at least on my part, even if she IMO didn’t always act in kind.

But then I applied for a position at new company where, unbeknownst to me at the time where she also worked. The HR director, when she reviewed my resume, saw that I had worked at the very same company at the same time as Ms. Biotch, as I learned later on after I was hired, and the HR director spoke to her to get an “unofficial” reference. Much to my surprise given our, IMO very difficult working relationship, she spoke about me in absolutely glowing terms to the HR Director, told her what an asset I would be and very much recommended that I be hired. And while working with her at the new company, she acted much differently than she did at our previous employer and I actually came to like and respect her. Best never to burn bridges.

And if I quit my profession or job every time I worked with some a-hole co-worker, I’d be jobless and homeless by now. And FWIW the really bad co-workers typically didn’t last long anyway. So one bad experience with one actor makes you want to quit acting? Seriously?

"I went and worked for Vince McMahon at the WWE for Christ's sake, and it was a crazier job than working with Kiefer," Prinze told ABC News. "But at least he was cool and tall. I didn't have to take my shoes off to do scenes with him, which they made me do. Just put the guy on an apple box or don't hire me next time. You know I'm six feet and he's five four."

That’s nothing new in Hollywood both in film and on TV. There are a number of leading men actors who have been or are very short in stature but the role, the character they are playing demands that they be made to appear taller and it is often done with camera angles and yes, sometimes making the taller actors stand at a lower incline. And what sort of shoes does Prinze wear that by just taking off his shoes would make him, a 6’ tall man appear the same height as someone who is 5’4”….

Freddie Prinze Jr has been struggling to find decent acting roles during the past 4 years. This seems like a publicity stunt.

It would seem that most of Prinze’s jobs in recent years has been in cartoon voice overwork, and a stint working for the WWF. I would agree that this seems more like a publicity stunt, although I would suggest, an ill advised one.

[Hot Tabasco]

They made him work barefoot because Sutherland is 8 inches shorter than he is.

John Rhys Davies is over 6 ft. tall and yet he played a dwarf in the Lord of the Rings series...........it's all in the cameras....

[Blue Collar Christian]

Inside any profession, you don’t poop where you eat.

[Vermont Lt]

That was his father, who died years ago. Many years ago.

[Squantos]

Yessir indeed ...... !

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

Why do you think he waited until Jack Bauer was once again in a Chinese prison?

[silent_jonny]

.

lol, somebody wants attention.

"Kiefer was the most unprofessional dude in the world.

Like how exactly? He doesn't offer any examples.

That's not me talking trash. I'd say it to his face.

But he didn't say it to his face. He said this to some reporter that wandered by his booth at ComicCon--four years after after he was on "24".

I think everyone that's worked with him has said that."

Sutherland has been acting for over 25 years. That's a long time to make enemies. But from what I can find, Prinze is the only actor that's ever had a problem with him. Who is this "everyone" he's talking about?

Sutherland has his flaws, and of course he and the character he plays on TV are two different things, but in all the interviews I've ever seen, Sutherland has been nothing but gracious, even talking to people he might disagree with politically.

.

"I went and worked for Vince McMahon at the WWE for ******* sake, and it was a crazier job than working with Kiefer,"

Prinze fails to mention that this WWE gig began in 2008, two years before he was on "24". And looking at his movie credits, he was probably glad to get the job.

Have you ever heard of any of these movies? Scooby-Doo maybe, but I've never watched it. I'm fairly certain I've never watched a movie that had Freddie Prinze Jr. in the cast, but I did watch him on "24" and, if his performance was any indication, his acting range is very limited. He makes Stallone look like Olivier.

After his time on "24" was over, the movie and TV offers were so plentiful that he immediately ...

... returned to wrestling, where he still is today, when not lending his voice to cable cartoon shows.

Sutherland's response to all this? (From his rep) "Kiefer enjoyed working with Freddie and wishes him the best."

The only "unprofessional dude" I see here is Prinze.

[Valpal1]

So making somebody work in their socks is kind of a jerk move then, isn’t it?

[iowamark]

Just because you are a 24 fan doesn’t mean that you have to take sides or trash Mr. Prinze.

Kiefer Sutherland is an alcoholic who has been arrested several times. I can certainly believe that he was difficult to work with.

http://www.tmz.com/2014/07/28/freddie-prinze-jr-kiefer-sutherland-24-drunk/?adid=hero1

[silent_jonny]

Just because you are a 24 fan doesn’t mean that you have to take sides or trash Mr. Prinze.

I didn't trash him. He's not a very good actor, he hasn't had a very good career, and he chose to trash someone four years after they worked together. What part did I get wrong?

I can certainly believe that he was difficult to work with.

Based on what? Who's backing up Prinze's claims? What examples did Prinze give?

[Dr.Deth]

Freddie is just playing the roles American actors won’t play ;)

[bd476]

Good points, Jonny.

[CharlesWayneCT]

The woman who played the terrorist this year also said that Keifer was really hard to work with, and that he was always angry:

Shohreh Aghdashloo dishes on clashes with Kiefer:

She told Fox News her time on Kiefer Sutherland’s show ended far too soon. Aghdashloo dished that she clashed with the famed actor and she suspects he may have had a role in her character being killed off the series.

From other articles, other things related to the Keifer/Prinze thing:

Sources connected with Freddie tell TMZ ... the actor claims Kiefer would regularly show up on set drunk ... sitting in his trailer often for hours, as everyone waited. The sources say it messed with the lives of the family of cast and crew.

Also

Freddie, we're told, claims Kiefer was temperamental and got people fired he didn't like, yet "24" producers consistently cow-towed to him ... as one source put it, "All they did was keep rewarding him."

I have no opinion, as I have never met Kiefer or Prinze.

[Jane Long]

Agree. Thanks, Jonny.

[Carriage Hill]

In the Post #69 pic, Rush is listed in Wiki as 5’11”, so Kiefer looks like he’s 5’9” - 5’10”, or he’s standing on a box.

Who cares except a washed-up, has-been, nobody who whines and airs some dirty laundry. FUFPjr!

[PistolPaknMama]

Ah, I do remember that. There was a redneck ex-boyfriend they killed and had to hide his body.

[Yaelle]

Everyone I’ve heard who’s ever met kiefer says he is kind, understated and decent. Someone on our thread said she was having a smoke outside a show in Vegas and didn’t realize who she was casually chatting with until he left and it was kiefer. He lives low key. We all know he has an alcohol problem and socialist leanings and thought “it was time for a black president” but I really doubt he made the other actors play barefoot. Kiefer knows he’s small. I bet the producers are the ones who wNt to shrink the other actors.

Freddie prince, what is he successful at?

[Yaelle]

I’ve read that Sutherland is a notorious alcoholic.

---

He is but he’s a decent guy. The video of him drunk in a London hotel lobby where he accidentally knocked down their Christmas tree went viral but kiefer went and paid for everything and apologized.