Cherry Jones is Madam President on ‘24′

By Tara Bennett
As Seen On TV
Comcast.net

“24” writers have always been a progressive group when it comes to hiring the best actor for the job – even when that job is President of the United States. Way back in 2001, show creators Joel Surnow and Bob Cochran cast African American Dennis Haysbert as Senator David Palmer seeking his party’s presidential nomination. In between season one and season two, Palmer won that election and over four seasons became one of the most beloved characters in the series history. Palmer was so successful the show even created a family dynasty when they made David’s brother, Wayne Palmer (DB Woodside), President too.

Now with the start of “24’s” seventh season, showrunner Howard Gordon and his team are looking mighty forward thinking again with their casting of stage veteran Cherry Jones as President Allison Taylor. Granted, the election of Hilary Clinton would have made them look positively psychic, but there’s a good chance Cherry’s performance in the White House this season will become just as iconic as Haysbert’s.

We recently had the opportunity to chat with Ms. Jones about her foray into television this season, what fans expect from her “administration” and the challenges of working with renegade Jack Bauer!

Tara Bennett: How did you become involved with the series?

Cherry Jones: I just got a call from my agent and he said that the boys at “24″ wanted to meet me. I had never seen the show, so I watched a couple of episodes and fell madly in love with Jack Bauer. And I’m not big on violence and torture and that sort of thing, so I wasn’t sure how I was going to take to it. But I loved it and thought it was so well-done.

Were you surprised when they called you and asked you to be the President?

Cherry Jones: Well, no, because there actually have been several women Presidents now on American television. And certainly on “24″ they have done two African American males and a handful of white guys. So to stay on the cutting edge they had to have a woman, they had no choice. (Laughs)

Did you especially pay attention to Hillary Clinton?

Cherry Jones: No. I’ve always loved politics and political biographies, particularly of the Roosevelt’s. I’m a big fan of Franklin and Eleanor. But I didn’t really do a lot of research. I think my whole life I have done a lot of research on American Presidents. But I jokingly said I pattern my President on Eleanor Roosevelt, Golda Meir and John Wayne. And I didn’t grow up a John Wayne fan, but I do notice that occasionally under certain circumstances you get a bit of a swagger.

Can you give us any kind of preview as to what is going to be going on in Day 7?

Cherry Jones: Well, Allison Taylor has a great deal of idealism. And they think she is concerned not only about the safety and health of the nation, she’s also concerned about the soul of the nation. And she makes a policy decision right out of the gate that has a lot of dire ramifications for the country and thus engages Mr. Bauer.

Jack starts the season in Washington and has a Senate deposition getting into hot water for his previous actions. Does she step in?

Cherry Jones: Well, my President is adamantly against torture. So as our play begins there is no love loss between President Taylor and Jack Bauer nor do they really know each other. They just know – she obviously knows of him, because she’s campaigned…

To get him back?

Cherry Jones: To disassemble CTU.

Did you have scenes together?

Cherry Jones: I think I can say that we have. We do actually get to work together, which is unusual in the show because the Presidents in the past don’t get to meet Jack much.

What’s been the most challenging aspect of working on “24”?

Cherry Jones: I certainly didn’t see a few of the plot twists coming for my character. And at first when they occurred I wasn’t sure I bought them, but given the stress of the day, I do now. And the writers have used the President and the wife and the mother all in this day. She is not merely the President or merely a wife and a President, she is also a mother, a wife and the President. And I tell you as a woman the hardest thing with this extended [shooting] period has been weight issues. (Laughs) I stopped smoking and my mother had a stroke, I went home to Tennessee where food equals love, and gained a lot of weight. I am so much heavier in the prequel than I am at any other point in the whole season. And then I started losing weight. And I keep thinking people are just going to have to be very understanding because it’s just the same if you are someone who sort of likes to eat and likes to live life, you go up and down a little bit. It’s very funny to try to sustain one day over the course of 16 months.

Have you been involved in any kind of funny or memorable incidents over the course of filming this season?

Cherry Jones: Carlos [Bernard] (Tony Almeida) is a big joker, so he’s appeared at the end of a few scenes out of nowhere when we were having a very serious moment and then all of a sudden I turn around there would be Carlos.

Any talks about extending your character into another season?

Cherry Jones: No, I haven’t heard a word about that. And honestly, they just worked so hard to get to the end of this point that I don’t think any of them are. I mean maybe in their bathtubs late at night they’re thinking about Season 8. And I know that Kiefer signed on for Season 8. And, you know, honestly if they ever called and said come back, I’d say I’d love to work with these people again, but everybody dies on “24”!