Kiefer Sutherland disappeared after the successful 7 season run of the popular 24 series on FOX, in 2010. Well, he was busy on Broadway in 2011 opposite Brian Cox, Jim Gaffigan in the Broadway revival of That Championship Season. The Emmy award winning actor was also occupied working on his new project, Touch for the FOX network.

On the series, Kiefer plays Martin Bohm, the father of an autistic boy, Jake who does not like to be touched and communicates future events through numbers and mathematics. “I identified with him out of the gate,” Kiefer shared.

“Jake is taking Martin on a journey to put the pieces back together,” the 24 actor shared. Martin’s son Jake was misdiagnosed with severe autism. While trying to connect, martin discovered that Jake has unbelievable skills that allowed him to interpret numbers and symbols in a away that explains the past and to some the degree predicts the future.

After Kiefer’s Broadway run, he was not looking to get back into television. However a combination of things prompted his return which includes his relationship with FOX, the script and his experience filming 24. “It was something that I knew I had to do. This was something that I could not say no to,” he says in our interview. “I know I would be remiss if I didn’t take the opportunity that Touch was.”

In many ways Kiefer can relate to his character martin that perseveres to have a connection with his emotionally challenged son and is clouded by fear as well. “As a parent, the sense of responsibility combined with not knowing what to do all the time–every parent feels that,” he says.

During his wife’s pregnancy with his daughter Sara, he had fantasies of how he was going to be the greatest dad on the planet. However, when the child was born, he felt fear. “I was confronted with the fact that I really didn’t know what I was doing. And it was something that I was going to have to figure out as I went,” Kiefer shared.

With roles in more than 70 films, including The Three Musketeers and The Sentinel, Kiefer has learned to focus on little and small changes. One of those changes is the progression of touch. It has a great deal of suspense within the context of the show, a far different show and pace than 24. “Even though we are not blowing things up, I think there is enough excitement around the drama of the show. People will not be thrown by it that enjoyed 24.”

Because of the father son dynamic that exists on touch, kiefer is open to the possibility of working with his dad on the show. A script is not yet developed to include him but something Kiefer would definitely welcome. “I would be honored to do something with my dad,” he says.

By: Daedrian McNaughton | Premier Guide Media