Mary Lynn Rajskub as Chloe O’Brian on “24.”
Fox Home EntertainmentUntil its clock ran out in May, the Fox thriller “24″ told the real-time, minute-by-minute story of one person from a shadowy government agency doing whatever it takes to keep the nation safe from evildoers and sinister global conspiracies. And that person was Chloe O’Brian, the dour, dry-witted computer expert played by Mary Lynn Rajskub, who each week provided invaluable support to Jack Bauer, the Counter-Terrorism Unit (C.T.U.) field agent played by Kiefer Sutherland. (Your perspective on the series and its heroes and sidekicks may vary, of course.)
If the somewhat abrupt decision that the eighth season of “24″ would be its last did not allow you to grieve properly for the series, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is giving you another chance: on Tuesday, it is releasing “24: The Complete Series,” a whopping 57-disc DVD package containing all eight of Jack Bauer’s daylong adventures, the made-for-television movie “24: Redemption,” and much more.
To mark the occasion, ArtsBeat spoke recently to Ms. Rajskub, the comedian and actress (“Punch-Drunk Love,” “Mr. Show With Bob and David”) who spent six unlikely years on one of television’s grittiest dramas. These are excerpts from that conversation.
Q.
So they’re finally putting out the entire show in one convenient package.
A.
What else have we got in there? Are they putting a knife in the package? A gun? See, humor!
Q.
I just threw out Seasons 1 and 2 because you weren’t in them.
A.
Oh my God. You really know what to say to a lady. I don’t even know why they included them.
Q.
Did you find it surprising that you were even considered for “24″ given that you came from a comedy background?
A.
Yeah, I was really surprised. I tried not to go on the audition, because I had just had a bad “CSI” audition, and I never got sent out on dramas. A lot of my comedy is like Chloe – it’s things you take way too seriously and they end up being funny. I was like, I don’t want to do this today. I don’t want to get in my car and drive. It’s hot. I’m just going to pass on this one. And my agent said, “I really think you want to go.” My mom is actually pretty savvy about TV, and she said, “It’s the best show, you have to go.”
Q.
So we basically have your mom to thank for your being on “24.”
A.
I can also credit Paul Thomas Anderson, because Joel Surnow ended up seeing me in “Punch-Drunk Love” and was like, “I want to write a part for you.” And I thought, I’m glad I came. This is such a huge compliment, but I didn’t think it would ever happen. Then he wrote the part, and it just kept growing and growing.
Q.
You were only booked for a handful of episodes at first?
A.
They signed me on for four, and I had Fox executives giving me backhanded compliments, like, “We didn’t know you could do drama.” Thanks? I think it got interesting, because I went from being this character who people were like, “You’re weird, you’re annoying,” to, “Oh, but you’re really loyal, and you’re helping Jack. We like you now.” It wasn’t until I got hired for six episodes of a comedy sketch show that shot in London — I went to London for nine weeks and when I came back they offered me a contract on “24.”
Q.
Was that a coincidence or because you finally had some bargaining clout?
A.
Oh, I’ve never had leverage to use against them. Please.
Q.
Now that it’s all said and done, did you have a favorite Chloe moment?
A.
My favorites have always gone along with what the fans’ are. I really loved this last season, getting to become the head of C.T.U., and grow up a little bit. For as much as there are things that were somewhat repetitive — I’m going to be directing Jack down a hallway, directing him to dismantle stuff, I’m going to be sitting in front of a computer – there was always new stuff. Yes, I was ready to move on, but I never got tired of that character up until the end. It was like, “Oh, cool, now we get to see her confronting Jack and having this level of responsibility.” That aspect could have continued.
Q.
By the same token, were there moments over the course of the series where even you had to admit to yourself, this is totally preposterous?
A.
Oh, there were tons of those. There were a lot of eye-rolls, honestly. There were some times where I would come to work and be like, “I’m going to say that?” And then once you get into the world of it, sometimes things would surprise me. The only thing that’s fresh in my memory is Season 8. I love Katee Sackhoff, I loved her character, I love her acting. But I was like: “O.K., really? She’s a double agent, now she’s a triple agent. No one detected that before?” I thought she did an amazing job, as an actor, dealing with that. It’s a puzzle they’re putting together, and sometimes certain pieces of the puzzle – maybe the dog chewed on them a little bit.
Q.
There was a question mark hanging over Season 8 for a long time, as to whether it would be the last year of the show. When the decision was made, do you feel you were given sufficient warning to make your peace with it?
A.
Yes and no. We all kind of knew, we all felt it coming. We felt it the year before it happened. And the only thing that I can complain about is they waited and waited and waited to let the crew and everybody know. It was just that feeling of, O.K., come on, just tell us. Because it was really down to the wire. On the other hand, from the little that I heard on the business side of it, I think it was something they were grappling with down to the wire. It’s a strange thing. In some ways, you’re like, why couldn’t they make this work? This show could go on forever. But then, on the other hand, it’s like, we’ve had our time and why push it further? Let’s make the ending work the best that it can.
Q.
Kiefer Sutherland always struck me as an enigmatic guy. Do you feel like you got to see a side of him that the home audience never did?
A.
Oh, Kiefer totally has a warm side, and I don’t even properly know how to use the word enigmatic, although I like the way it sounds. I think it was a very safe environment. But at the same time, for me, I was on edge working with Kiefer because he definitely would be in a certain mind frame to be Jack Bauer. I learned from him what a person can do in that position. The pacing on the show – you would say things faster than you thought, and I learned that from him. You could see him going, “Let’s not waste time with this stuff – let’s get to where it’s at.” He was making it as exciting as possible, making the stakes as high as they could be, and riding that line between ridiculous and believable. He’s a serious guy, but he has a sense of humor — I realize that this aspect of it is ridiculous, and this other aspect I’m going to play with my heart and soul.
Q.
Similarly, Joel Surnow seems like someone who comes across much differently in person than his reputation and his conservative politics would lead you to believe.
A.
He’s a funny guy, because he’s outspoken about his politics. But he’s so creative, he’s so sharp. He cares and he’s driven. The combination of a guy like him and a guy like Kiefer, I know they didn’t see eye-to-eye all the time, but it was a great combination of making it work, and ultimately everybody caring about what it was. That’s the enigmatic thing.
Q.
Was it a surreal experience for you when the show got invited to the Heritage Foundation and you got to meet people like Clarence Thomas and Michael Chertoff?
A.
I didn’t think about it when I was asked – I was like, yeah, of course. And then I got there and was like, Whaaat? Where? Who am I? I’m an actor. And then when I got home, I was like, Oh, that was kind of weird. There’s something very cool about not thinking about the politics of it. I know saying that sounds a little bit naïve, maybe, but I’m not going to say, “No, I’m not going because of my politics.” I wish everybody could have that opportunity, to spend an evening, a lunch, with people in these positions. But the little I was around them, you’re not going to be debating issues, but that is what they live, think and breathe anyway. And none of them to me were over-the-top Republican in a gross way. It was cool to be around people of that stature.
Q.
Does it feel strange that you’re now probably better known to the public as Chloe from “24″ than as a comedy performer?
A.
Oh, for sure. I just did a guest spot on “Modern Family,” and Steve Levitan, he’s like, “Can you believe you were on this show for six years?” I was like, I know! He knew me before, when I was all about comedy, and I just assumed I would end up on a sitcom. He’s like, “Can you believe that happened?” No, I can’t.
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