Smallscreen Features

'24' rings out final ring tone - Mary Lynn Rajskub interview

By Ian Cullen May 21, 2010, 21:58 GMT

01/14/2010 - Mary Lynn Rajskub, Kiefer Sutherland and Katee Sackhoff - © Sylvain Gaboury / PR Photos

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

An odd way to start an editorial, but fans will likely recognised it immediately as the countdown clock, which starts Fox Networks hit series ‘24’ each week or should that be hour?

‘24’ has given its fans a roller-coaster ride of high tech action and adventure, and has helped redefine the television landscape of recent years with its style flare and sheer fact that it allowed us to believe that one man aided by a sole computer analyst could make a difference, and do so when all his supposed allies in CTU, which stands for Counter Terrorist Unit and friends in the US Government were against him.

I was lucky enough recently to attend a media phone conference with Mary Lynn Rajskub who plays the role of Jack's right hand, computer Analyst Chloe O'Brian.

The eighth and final season saw some of the most dramatic changes in Chloe’s life that the producers have thrown at the character. So it comes as no surprise that Rajskub who made her name as a comedian before doing 24 is sad to be saying goodbye to the character, and was more than happy to talk to a mix of journalists including Monsters and Critics about her role in the show.

Among the topics up for discussion was the finale of the show, which airs on Monday night on Fox, and one question dealt with a touching speech, which Jack Bauer played by Kiefer Sutherland makes toward the end of the show. He validates Chloe’s importance as both a professional colleague and a friend, which holds an interesting parallel given that Chloe has outlived many of the characters that have come and gone over the years.

A fact, which has surprised Rajskub over the years, who has just taken things a day at a time.

“It kind of mirrors real life in that way because when he says that speech to me that was exactly how I felt about this whole job.  I had no idea when I started, and I think that’s kind of truthful to what the character has been and what this job has been for me, starting out with four episodes and then six episodes and thinking I was going to be fired.  I was just the geeky computer tech weird kind of by-the-book girl when I first started, but people were really annoyed. So it was somewhat of a surprise that Chloe would go on and be Jacks most loyal helper as well as confidant and friend. It’s pretty amazing and unexpected for sure.”

When it comes to the big question of why ’24’ has lasted as long as it has, and meant so much to so many, despite low expectations. Rajskub feels that the shows low expectations were what ultimately paved the way for it to become such a hit.

“I think that’s exactly what the producers have talked about in the different press panels and things that I’ve read.  They didn’t think it was going to go, and I think that’s exactly the reason why it did go because it was original.  It was different.  It was well done.  It was a passionate project, and if you were around at every level from the producers and the writers to the camera crew to Kiefer, those are all key players that set the tone and the passion to make this concept work! Even though it sounded like a terrible idea.  

“It could have really fallen apart, but instead turned into this wonderful thing that, okay, two years, three years, five years in it’s like, okay, we’ve got to do this 24-hour concept again and make it fresh.  I think that’s part of it. Viewers can feel that, that it’s challenging them, and it has the familiarity with all the plot lines that they burn through and all the characters that died.  That’s the thing that holds it is this concept that you know it’s on this time clock and how are they going to make it work and how are they going to make this fresh again.  I think that’s kept it exciting all this time.”

As fans will know work will start soon on the much ballyhooed ’24’ movie, which will likely cram 24 hours into the microcosm of 2 hours. When asked if we can expect to see Chloe in the movie Rajskub revealed that she isn’t in the loop with regards to the movie, but would be more than willing and able if there was room for Chloe in the film.

“Well, I hope so. For gosh sake.  I’ve not heard much, but I am very much hoping that I will be involved.  I think it could be very interesting to see how that happens.

“How are they going to make it into a film?  I have no idea, and I’ve not talked to anybody about that.  I know that Kiefer’s really excited.  I did an interview for Extra TV yesterday, and he told me that Kiefer told him that there were three movies.  They’re planning on three, and so I always kind of get my news from what has already been said in the press.  

“In that regard I’m sure you guys know more than me, so please let me know if you hear that I’m in the movie.  Please call me at home any time day or night.  Yes, I’m kind of out of the loop, but I think it could be interesting and a creative challenge to see how they would handle that.”

When asked what her favorite moment of the series was. Rajskub found it extremely difficult to choose, but had a damn good stab at it.

“I’ve been getting a lot of those kinds of questions lately, and I have more fun kind of coming up with a moment that’s in my memory.  I’ve twittered that, and then I get back like 12 moments that the fans remember that I didn’t even remember.  Certainly, having the gun and having to be on the run and on location was great.  Edgar’s death is something that people remember, and that was a very much a turning point I think for my character, watching him die was hard.  

“I’ve just liked it better and better, and it’s all kind of a big mush in my head, but this year it’s been a whole new set of things which is amazing that there’s so much left to explore in having those extra responsibilities and weighty questions to deal with.  That was a whole new set of cool moments.”

The much anticipated series finale of ’24’ will premier this Monday at 9PM EST. You can learn more about the series, and find out what difference a day can make at: www.fox.com/24

Monsters and Critics' contributing writer Ian Cullen is a former actor and community artist, and a lifetime fan of Science Fiction and television. He runs www.scifipulse.net - a site, which follows the trends of science fiction television and movies.  He lives in Manchester, England.