Carlos Bernard appeared on Good Day LA today to discuss his return to 24 along with a clip from the upcoming episode of Tony starting an interrogation that’s not quite government approved.
“I’m brought in because it’s a character that’s not bound by the rules and regulations of a government agency and can do as he pleases.”
“I remember we were shooting the first series of the show, it hadn’t premiered yet when 9/11 happened. That’s how long ago we started the show. When it happened, it was like that’s it for this show, we’re done. We all figured we were just going to wrap it up. But it was the other way around. Just strange timing.”
49 Comments
Comments ClosedJustin Urciuoli
March 10, 2017 at 4:43 pmKevin
March 10, 2017 at 7:16 pmDaniel
March 10, 2017 at 8:02 pmMidsomer
March 11, 2017 at 12:11 amTJ
March 11, 2017 at 4:25 pmInstead, they gambled on a non-charismatic, unrealistic choice for the lead in an action series (regardless of all the ex-military window dressing the writers hyped on the character) and fizzled out of the gates as a result.
For all of the changes in cast that occurred in the original series, the core actors remained and were ones fans believed in, cared about and wanted to follow. The ‘Legacy’ cast has no one that falls into that category IMO.
XAM
March 11, 2017 at 7:38 amWouldntYouLikeToKnow
March 11, 2017 at 9:22 amLet’s face it, Tony has been dead since the moment that car blew up that morning and he will never truly live again. This guy’s life is pure suffering, matched only by Jack Bauer himself.
BAUER POWER
March 11, 2017 at 10:07 amLily
March 12, 2017 at 12:58 am24marathonman
March 11, 2017 at 9:07 amIt would be real embarrassing for the producers if Tony’s return did really boost the ratings up to renewal level. Then their reasoning for bringing back the show in this form is shot to pieces.
andy
March 11, 2017 at 10:18 amTJ
March 11, 2017 at 4:29 pmNow, as to how much screen time he actually has in each, that remains to be seen. It wouldn’t surprise me if the writers use him as bait to keep viewers on the hook even if he only has 3-4 scenes per episode.
JD
March 11, 2017 at 5:40 pmCarlos: “Well…”
“He looks menacing right there.”
Carlos: “It’s a kinder, gentler Tony Almeida.”
Something about his reaction to them calling him menacing and the way he corrected them with the “It’s a kinder, gentler Tony Almeida” bit leads me to believe that Carlos was concerned about them getting the wrong idea about his character this time around.
Perhaps they truly ARE heading the redemption route. Just look at his character in those scenes–he’s acting much like how he was in Solitary: tired, remorseful and different. The fact that Otto’s character hugs him like that and that fact that CTU would work with him at ALL tells me that Tony’s head is on straight this time. He strikes me as a something of an underground vigilante but no longer murderous. If anything–he’s like the old Tony again. He even LOOKS more like the old Tony again.
Looks are everything. In season 7, he looks like a gangster. His face was constantly shrouded in shadows in Season 7 and he appeared quite shady…because he was. Here? Well…look at him. He looks tired, really. I’m thinking that whomever broke Tony out is either a part of the government or a part of an underground group who fights terrorism outside the confines of the law. Clearly, he must have earned his reputation as a reformed man if Otto’s character would be so open to not only work with him but hug him like an old friend and colleague.
Now we just have to hope that the writers don’t do something stupid like reveal him to be bad yet AGAIN. Somehow, I don’t see them going this route this time. Many fans were PO’d at Almeida’s Season 7 treachery. No–this time I’m thinking Tony is on the light side again–no more murdering of innocent people and terror attacks. Question is–will he die as the final peg of his redemption?
Brad
March 11, 2017 at 7:25 pmJD
March 11, 2017 at 8:18 pmBy the way–is there any indication how many years post “Solitary” this season takes place? I’m just wondering how long Tony has been out and about.
Joel
March 12, 2017 at 1:11 amJD
March 11, 2017 at 8:28 pmOne thing is for sure: Tony’s character has one unwavering trait no matter how good or “evil” he’s ever been: His love for Michelle. If he said in Solitary that he wants to ‘be the man my wife loved again’ he meant it. Tony never invokes Michelle’s name in vain. He killed innocents in her name and he very well may be looking for redemption in her name. I guess Jack’s words (“You aren’t honoring Michelle’s life–you are reveling in her death and she would DESPISE you for this!”) really struck Tony to his core because Tony basically reiterated those same words in Solitary: “I know now that Michelle never would have approved of the man I’d become. She’d have hated that person just as I hate that person now.”
Having said that, I hope this season ends with Tony rescuing Jack from Russia and, if not, at least end it with some sort of indication that Tony plans to help Jack escape. What a cliffhanger that would be!
Lily
March 12, 2017 at 1:02 amBAUER POWER
March 12, 2017 at 1:17 amThe last time we saw Tony Almeida, he was planning his escape from prison, as seen in the shot called Solitary feature on the the 24: Live Another Day Blu-ray. As Bernard explained, “Solitary functioned as an out. They love the character and knew they wanted to use him again. The time constraint of the show made it hard. You can’t take time away from the main story for a prison break.”
When writers began work on a rebooted version of the show, they knew just who to reach out to. “I’m always in contact with the writers,” noted Bernard. “We’re friends, we hang out. They told me about the extra scene. They weren’t sure if there would be another season, or a spinoff. Eventually they told me about [Legacy’s] Bin Khalid and the plan. I would be the only original character to help the spinoff.”
Arguably no character in the 24 universe has changed as much as Tony has over his stint on the series. This fact is not lost on Bernard, who remarked, “[Tony]’s an evolving character. He’s never really the same person as he was before. Each time you see him he is a little different.”
It has been a long transformation from hero to villain, and now transforming again to a shade somewhere in between. As Bernard put it, “He’s a very damaged individual. That time in solitary can really mess with a person’s mind. He’s on the run, he has to live in the shadows. He can’t really have a life, except that of a mercenary. [He’s] not going to be buying a house in Toluca Lake. He’s suspicious of everyone and doesn’t trust the government.”
It was clear that Bernard is excited to play Tony again. In speaking about his character, he thinks back on the early days fondly, recalling, “[I] was a guest star in the pilot, hoping to catch on as a series regular. I was free to go do other things but I hoped. I held out for 24 because I knew it was different. I wanted to see if it was what I thought it was.”
To a 24 fan the Tony Almeida story is one of legend. You remember in Season 1 when he finally started to work with Jack. You cheered the first time you saw him every season. You were happy when you saw the wedding rings. You were heartbroken when Michelle was killed, and you wondered why there wasn’t a silent clock when he “died” in season 5. Tony is very different than Jack, and that is a good thing.
As Bernard put it, “In a lot of ways he is ruled by his emotions. He lets his emotions get in the way. He isn’t as good at compartmentalizing them as Jack Bauer. I think that’s why people still care about him because he is still so human.”
Tony Almeida returns to the 24 universe in 24: Legacy this Monday night at 9:00pm ET/PT on FOX
Link: http://uk.ign.com/articles/2017/03/11/carlos-bernard-on-bringing-tony-almeida-back-in-24-legacy?%3A+ign%2Fall+%28IGN+All%29
Joshua
March 12, 2017 at 7:27 amJay
March 12, 2017 at 9:20 amXAM
March 12, 2017 at 9:45 amBAUER POWER
March 12, 2017 at 1:47 pmXAM
March 12, 2017 at 10:06 pmAnyway, while it’s by no means a great season or an ideal way to reboot/spin-off 24, it’s still pretty good… certainly better than LAD, my visceral hatred of which made me public enemy #1 back in the day as you might recall.
BAUER POWER
March 13, 2017 at 8:15 amJay
March 12, 2017 at 11:02 pmXAM
March 13, 2017 at 1:02 amSebastian Monroe
March 13, 2017 at 1:13 pmhttp://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/24wikia/images/a/a5/DC_Times_2.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/481?cb=20101004050928
JD
March 13, 2017 at 1:36 pmSo, he either forgot about that newspaper clipping and/or that clipping simply isn’t “canon” and Fury envisions him still being alive.
XAM
March 13, 2017 at 2:24 pmandy
March 12, 2017 at 2:57 pmBAUER POWER
March 12, 2017 at 5:32 pmCJ
March 12, 2017 at 5:02 pmIf 24 somehow comes back again and Sutherland still wants out, we should just have Tony as lead. Should have happened from the start to be honest.
Marlon
March 12, 2017 at 11:25 pmMarlon
March 12, 2017 at 11:26 pmCJ
March 12, 2017 at 11:56 pmMarlon
March 13, 2017 at 3:17 amPerhaps people have also stopped watching the show because they’re over seeing the same old themes and story-lines. Perhaps it’s not as compelling (and relevant) as it used to be?
Joshua
March 13, 2017 at 12:25 amTom
March 13, 2017 at 8:56 amJD
March 13, 2017 at 1:01 pmJD
March 13, 2017 at 1:03 pmChlojack
March 13, 2017 at 3:02 pmBTW, is that the official 24 FB page or a fan page?
Tom
March 13, 2017 at 4:45 pmWhy can’t I be allowed express my disappointment at the show for retreading old ground and recycling old story-lines instead of pushing for more unpredictable groundbreaking moments like the original series did?
Marlon
March 13, 2017 at 6:18 pm24 Spoilers
March 13, 2017 at 6:36 pmThose folks never actually offer up any counter arguments either, just some lazy defense of “you’re not a true fan” and “don’t watch it if you don’t like it.”
Justin Urciuoli
March 13, 2017 at 7:59 pmBrad
March 13, 2017 at 8:05 pmJD
March 13, 2017 at 8:26 pmTed
April 18, 2017 at 1:19 am