Kiefer Sutherland almost made this WWE commentator quit Hollywood altogether

Actor Freddie Prinze Jr. says a difficult experience working alongside Kiefer Sutherland on the Fox drama 24 nearly pushed him out of Hollywood entirely—before he eventually shifted his focus toward a surprising chapter in the world of WWE.

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Prinze joined the eighth season of 24 in 2010, portraying CTU agent Cole Ortiz opposite Sutherland’s iconic counterterrorism operative Jack Bauer. The season-long storyline paired the two characters as they navigated high-stakes national security threats in the show’s real-time narrative format. However, years later, Prinze revealed that the behind-the-scenes experience left him seriously reconsidering his acting career.

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The actor, who rose to prominence in the late 1990s with films like She’s All That and I Know What You Did Last Summer, later built a wide-ranging career that includes writing and commentary work connected to WWE. Prinze eventually worked for the company under chairman Vince McMahon as a writer and has remained connected to professional wrestling through podcasting and commentary projects.

Speaking in a 2014 interview with ABC News, Prinze described the atmosphere on the set of 24 as deeply unpleasant. “I did 24 and it was terrible. I hated every moment of it,” he said. Prinze also criticized Kiefer Sutherland’s conduct during production, stating, “Kiefer was the most unprofessional dude in the world. That’s not me talking trash—I’d say it to his face.”

Prinze explained that the experience affected his outlook on the entertainment industry. “I just wanted to quit the business after that,” he said, adding that he stepped away from on-camera acting for a period and focused on other projects, including voice acting and writing work. During that time, he contributed creatively to WWE programming, highlighting a lesser-known phase of his career outside traditional Hollywood roles.

Representatives for Sutherland later responded to Prinze’s remarks, saying the actor was unaware of any dissatisfaction during production. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, they said, “Kiefer worked with Freddie Prinze Jr. more than five years ago, and this is the first he has heard of Freddie’s grievances. Kiefer enjoyed working with Freddie and wishes him the best.”

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Prinze ultimately returned to acting in later years, appearing in projects such as the Punky Brewster revival and voicing characters in animated series. Still, the story continues to circulate as an example of how one challenging project—alongside a star like Kiefer Sutherland—nearly changed the course of a performer’s career before WWE became an unexpected part of the journey.