TMDb/Designated Survivor Celebrity Kiefer Sutherland's iconic thrillers: From 24's Jack Bauer to Designated Survivor's President Kirkman. Explore his defining TV roles. March 12, 2026 AceShowbiz - In the early 2000s, Kiefer Sutherland became a defining face of political and espionage thrillers with the groundbreaking series 24. This 2001 show featured Sutherland as Jack Bauer, a CTU agent working against the clock to prevent national disasters, told in real time with each episode covering one hour of a single day.