This "24" Co-Star "Hated Every Moment" of Working With Kiefer Sutherland
Emily Baldwin
Updated on February 22, 2026
In the long history of Hollywood, there have been countless rumors of on-set feuds between co-stars who didn't get along. But, often, these rumblings remain rumors, with the people in question refusing to comment on the drama. That's not the case with this feud from one of the biggest shows of the '00s. In 2010, Freddie Prinze Jr. joined Kiefer Sutherland's action series 24, and when he gave an interview about his time on the show a few years later, he didn't have anything positive to say about the star. He even said that the whole experience made him want to give up acting completely.
Read on to see what Prinze exactly Prinze disliked so much about being on set with Sutherland and how the other actor responded to the criticism.
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Prinze called Sutherland "unprofessional."
In a 2014 interview with ABC News, Prinze, best known for movies including I Know What You Did Last Summer and She's All That, said that he "hated" working on 24 with Sutherland.
"I did 24, it was terrible," Prinze said. "I hated every moment of it. Kiefer was the most unprofessional dude in the world. That's not me talking trash, I'd say it to his face, I think everyone that's worked with him has said that."
In the show, Prinze played a Counter Terrorist Unit operative named Cole Ortiz.
The experience made him want to walk away from acting.
"I just wanted to quit the business after that. So, I just sort of stopped," Prinze continued in the interview.
And if you check out his resume, you can see that his on-screen acting career did slow down following that gig, as Prinze took on more voice roles in both video games and animated series. As he explained in the ABC News interview, he also tried out something completely different around the same time.
"I went and worked for Vince McMahon at the WWE for Christ's sake, and it was a crazier job than working with Kiefer," Prinze shared. (He played the founder's doctor in a dream sequence.) "But, at least he was cool and tall. I didn't have to take my shoes off to do scenes with him, which they made me do. Just put the guy on an apple box or don't hire me next time. You know I'm six feet, and he's 5'4." (Sutherland is actually listed online as 5'9".)
Sutherland responded to Prinze's claims through his rep.
Sutherland responded to Prinze's harsh words through a statement from his representative. "Kiefer worked with Freddie Prinze Jr. more than five years ago, and this is the first he has heard of Freddie's grievances," his rep told The Hollywood Reporter soon after Prinze's interview came out. "Kiefer enjoyed working with Freddie and wishes him the best."
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A co-star spoke out in Sutherland's defense.
Louis Lombardi, who also appeared on 24, defended Sutherland in an interview with Us Weekly. "My experience with Kiefer was absolutely the opposite. He was one of the most professional actors I've ever worked with," Lombardi said. "He wanted the best out of everybody. I have nothing but great experiences with him. He's a gentleman." He added, "Maybe [Prinze] was jealous, maybe Kiefer did something to him—who knows? … I'm baffled about [that] kid's comments and baffled why he would say this years later! I'm all for Kiefer."
Prinze had praised Sutherland in the past.
While Prinze was still on the show, he had much nicer things to say about Sutherland.
"We never worked together before but it's pretty great," he told Us Weekly of Sutherland in 2010. "And I say that because as much as you're willing to learn, that's how much he's willing to give. I don't bring my ego to work with me. He knows more about this character than I do, because he's been doing this for eight years. So I ask questions. And I know that's not the cool thing to say because every actor's supposed to have it worked out, but they don't, they just don't. But I enjoy the experience and I really like working with him."
RELATED: William Shatner & This Star Trek Co-Star Have Been Feuding For 50 Years.
Lia Beck Lia Beck is a writer living in Richmond, Virginia. In addition to Best Life, she has written for Refinery29, Bustle, Hello Giggles, InStyle, and more.Read moreFiled UnderCelebrities • Entertainment • NewsRead This NextKiefer Sutherland on That Julia Roberts Split
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