Kiefer Sutherland on why he was thrilled to play John Weir in ‘Rabbit Hole’

If it’s a show about spies, lies and shifting allies, chances are Kiefer Sutherland’s name is in the mix for the lead role.

Except, in the case of new Paramount Plus series “Rabbit Hole,” the British-Canadian actor wasn’t just in the conversation for the part of corporate espionage expert John Weir: the role was written for him.

He was the first and only choice for showrunners John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, as they described at last week’s South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, who pitched him on their series after they heard he was looking for a new project.

“I am grateful they said something because I got a call from two of my favourite writers on the planet,” Sutherland said in an interview, mentioning their “Bad Santa” screenplay as a particular favourite.

After he was presented with the script just six weeks after the chat, Sutherland was equally impressed that everything they pitched in the phone call had made it into the pages in front of him.

“I was so excited they asked me first because whoever they asked was going to end up doing this. They kind of had me at ‘hello.’”

“Rabbit Hole” is a thriller series in the same vein as “Three Days of the Condor,” “Marathon Man” and “The Parallax View,” all films that the actor is passionate about.

It follows Weir, described as a master of deception in the world of corporate espionage, as he tries to clear his name after being framed for murder.

It’s best described as a search for the truth, not only for the show’s lead character but also for the viewer, who can’t fully trust if Weir is in fact the hero.

Discerning what is and isn’t real is a signature of Sutherland’s best known characters, including Martin Bohm in “Touch,” Jack Bauer in “24” and Tom Kirkman in “Designated Survivor.” When asked why both he and audiences find stories about getting answers so compelling, the Emmy-winning actor was direct.

“I don’t think there is anything more painful than being lied to. It’s heartbreaking. That heartbreaking moment where someone you know has led you to believe they love you and you find out that they don’t … That’s the thing that if I need to draw on an emotion, I can go to those images of my own private life and tap into that very quickly.”

No matter what he does or where he goes, Sutherland is used to being asked about his “24” alter ego, Bauer. That’s what happens when you play the same character across nine seasons. When asked if he prefers playing the hunter or the hunted, he smiled.

“It’s an impossible question to answer because they both have their value. I likened Jack Bauer to be more of a blunt instrument. He’s got one goal in mind and he’s going to accomplish whatever that task is to thwart whatever the threat is at that given moment. John Weir is a much more nuanced character. He is a much more intellectual kind of combatant and he literally goes from hunter to hunted in the beginning of our show.”

The actor believes there are advantages to playing both characters on the run and characters running after someone.

“There’s excitement in running and hiding and being desperate, and literally running for your life. There’s also an incredible visceral kind of thing that comes over you when you’re chasing someone and you have to catch them.”

The two types of roles are examples of the versatility Sutherland is always seeking.

“One of the reasons that I think I’m a good actor is that I can get myself into a place where I’m in this, and I mean it and I want it … all the lights will be on inside me. It’s about creating a dynamic for an audience to realize how much energy is being exerted and trying to get them to feel that.”

“Rabbit Hole” is a special project for Sutherland for another reason.

It serves as another love letter to Toronto from the actor, who grew up here. The drama filmed in the GTA last year and is the second recent series Sutherland has worked on in his hometown after wrapping “Designated Survivor” in 2019.

“I’m so proud of the way it looks and sounds,” Sutherland said.

The actor, who moonlights as a successful musician, also paid tribute to the city when he titled his third album “Bloor Street” last year: a nod to the place where he had his first kiss and where he worked in the Hudson Bay Centre food court as a teenager.

Murtz Jaffer is a Toronto-based entertainment writer and a freelance contributor for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @murtzjaffer

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