Hello all of you 24 fanatics It’s Joel Wood again with Issue #4 of the Official 24 Podcast Blog. This week, my plan was to dedicate a whole column to the Sentox Nerve Gas Conspiracy from Season’s 4 through 7. I still will do that Column but this week I have a special treat for all of you. James P Morrison, better known to 24 fans as Bill Buchannon, has agreed to an interview for the 24 Podcast Blog. Bill Buchanan came in at Season 4 and lasted all the way through Season 7 and was an Iconic character on the show. So without further adue, here is my interview with James Morrison.
Joel Wood: Hello 24 fans.. I am Joel Wood and I am here with Mr. James P Morrison, better known to 24 fans as Bill Buchanan. Bill Buchannon came in at Season 4, along with a returning
Michelle Dessler and stayed on through Season 7 where he sacrifices himself for the President.
Joel Wood: Now Mr. Morrison, I’m sure all 24 fans remember how you came in during Season 4 along with the returning Michelle Dessler right before the exchange of Jack Bauer for Behrooz. Explain for those of us who don’t know, what made you interested in a role on 24?
James Morrison: It was great television. I watched an episode when the audition came in and knew it would be the right thing to pursue but I turned the meeting down initially because my family and I were scheduled to fly to Hawaii for a long-awaited vacation and I decided – after some arm-twisting by my agent – to send them off without me so I could stay and audition. I joined them a couple of days late. Glad I did.
Joel Wood: How was the experience of working with 24 favorites like Kiefer Sutherland, Carlos Bernard, Reiko Aylesworth, and Mary Lynn?
James Morrison: They’re all wonderful. Mary Lynn and Kim Raver and I became especially close and have remained so since the show ended.
Joel Wood: Did you know at the time you came in that you’d last as long as you did or were you under the impression your role wasn’t permanent?
James Morrison: I had no idea where it was going or how long it was going to last. I think it’s safe to say that no one did. There were a lot of factors at play, chemistry between the characters, how the writers felt Bill fit in to the puzzle, my hair, etc. It turns out those in charge were very smart to keep me around, but we knew that, right?
Joel Wood: Of course haha.. Well, CTU had a host of Directors during its 8 seasons. The Special Agents in charge were everyone from Jack Bauer to Chloe O Brian. However you were regarded as the most stable director of CTU. Why do you think you were such a great fit for that role?
James Morrison: That’s impossible for me to answer objectively and I don’t really even want to attempt it. But I will say that perhaps it was because Bill had no agenda besides getting the bad guys and was able to maintain an even temper under stress. He was also a snazzy dresser. That counts for a lot, you know.
Joel Wood: Between Day 5 and Day 6, the storyline was that you and Karen Hayes were married. How was it like working with her and were there any ideas to kind of take your relationship in multiple directions much like Tony and Michelle?
James Morrison: I loved working with Jayne Atkinson. She’s a wonderful and generous person and actress. You always hope there will be more to relationships in a show like that and there’s no real discussion unless you press it. That’s not my style unless I’m invited to participate and I wasn’t so that was fine.
Joel Wood: Although an unpopular decision, it was ultimately decided to have you sacrifice yourself to save the president in Season 7. Did you know about that before the season and were you happy being killed off?
James Morrison: I did not know about how I would die – or that I would die the way I did – in the show until about 3 episodes before it happened. In the discussion with Howard Gordon about it I asked that it be an honorable death and he assured me it would be. I wasn’t disappointed and owe him and Joel Surnow a debt of gratitude for taking me on and keeping me around. As we’ve established, you know from the time you’re hired that you’ll die someday. Just like real life. So the best thing to do is the best you can in the time you have. I can’t imagine anyone is really happy they’re going to die. But in this case, while it would have been nice to only have been badly wounded so I could pay a visit later, it was probably best that I was invited to leave when I was. All things must pass, as the man said.
Joel Wood: 24 is being relaunched in May 2014 as 24 Live Another Day. We already know Chloe O Brian, Audrey Reigns, and James Heller will rejoin Jack Bauer in London. Will you be watching it and if so, what do you hope to see accomplished?
James Morrison: Sure I’ll watch. I hope they accomplish whatever they hope to accomplish. Nothing would please me more than to see my 24 friends be successful. I’m very proud to have been associated with the franchise and their success reflects well on all of us who have been.
Joel Wood: I know most of us, myself included, would like to see Tony Almeida return next season to give fans a proper ending to his story after the death of Michelle Dessler went largely unresolved. I’ve even tweeted David Fury and Howard Gordon multiple times about it. Not necessarily the storyline aspect but do you expect to see Tony Almeida on our tv screens next May or do you think 24 producers have done all they can with the Almeida character?
James Morrison: Tony ended up being a villain – a completely unrepentent one, as I remember – and I think it would be hard to have him come back from that believably. But you never know, fans are very forgiving and Tony was popular with them.
Joel Wood: I know you are a busy man and I appreciate you taking the time to do this interview. For all your fans and 24 fans out there, what are some of the other projects you have going on that some of us can catch you in?
James Morrison: Just finished shooting the first season of Those Who Kill for A&E with my old friend Glen Morgan (Space: Above and Beyond, the X-Files, Millenium) starring Chloë Sevigny and James D’Arcy. That should premiere in March. Also back in the web series Blue with Julia Stiles for Rodrigo Garcia. My album I Broke Free is out and available from digital outlets everywhere as well as my website www.jpmorrison.com I hope to be playing more live with my band, Son to the Boy, in the future.
Joel Wood: Well I think that’s about all the questions I have. If any of your fans wish to get in contact with you, what is the best way to connect with you?
James Morrison: You can write me at james@jpmorrison.com or follow me on Twitter @JamesPMorrison.
Joel Wood: Thank you again for taking the time to do this interview sir. I enjoyed watching you on 24 and felt you were one of the more enjoyable characters on the show. Thank you again.
James Morrison: Thanks, Joel. Much appreciated.
I would again, like to thank Mr. James P Morrison for sitting down and conducting this Interview with me. I was very enlightened by his answers and wish him well in
all of his Future endeavors. I think I speak for all 24 fans when I say we will miss you in 24 Season 9. Well, that’s all for this week. Next week I will do my piece on the
Sentox Nerve Gas Conspiracy that started in Season 4. Again, my name is Joel Wood and this has been the longest day of my life.
Twitter: GiftedMoney
Email: joelwood25@gmail.com