The cast from season one of “24.” Of the older guys, I know
I’d love to play with Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and one of the really old guys, Bobby Jones. •••
What acting role are you most proud of? All of them, because they all led to the next one. But if I had to choose, I’d have to name David Palmer on “24,” and Raymond Deagan in “Far From Heaven.” •••
How often are you called Mr. President, for your role as David Palmer on “24?” Every day. Every day. It’s either that, or Jonas Blane (from the TV Show “The Unit”) or the Allstate Guy. I’m the Allstate guy defi - nitely, every bloody day. •••
If you could be the presi- dent of golf for a day, what
changes would you make? I’d eliminate long putters. ••• You had athletic scholar- ship offers in football, but chose acting instead. What made you choose acting ultimately? I decided to go with acting because it was going to be a lot less pain on my ligaments and knees and everything else. I fi gured I could play every- thing on television and in the movies. I had a few football scholarship offers in football to smaller schools. I fi gured I would play for a few years and transfer to a bigger school, because there were a lot of positions I wanted to play. I wanted to be a wide receiver/tight end or quarterback. But I was recruited to play defensive end/outside linebacker. ••• Your voice is so distinct and so recognizable. Is that something that came naturally, or did it come with training? I worked on it, but it came naturally. It’s my dad’s. But I developed it. We had a 1,200 seat theater in my high school, so I had to hit that back row. It had to come from the diaphragm. But it worked.
I play better with a gallery. Audiences don’t bother me. That’s what I live for.