New characters in 24

Ah, finally, after nearly two years, thanks to the writers' strike and one mediocre TV movie event, 24 is back. One of the joys of 24, past welcoming Jack Bauer again into our lives, is the introduction of new characters played by actors from all over the film, television and theater world (and of course eventually trying to figure out which of them are evil)

Let's take a look at a few.

Rhys Coiro as FBI Special Agent Sean Hillinger


Entourage fans of course know Coiro best as mad man egotistical and suit-hating director Billy Walsh, the man behind huge indie success Queens Boulevard and giant hollywood flop Medellin. In 24, Hillinger seems so far to be an ornery, irritating and unfriendly agent, similar to Walsh except clean shaven and dress in a way Walsh would find utterly unacceptable.

Janeane Garofalo as FBI Special Agent Janis Gold


It's kind of hard to believe Garofalo as an FBI agent. Of course Garofalo is a staple of fine films and television shows, appearing in the Ben Stiller Show and the last two seasons of the Larry Sanders Show, a brief SNL spurt, The Truth About Cats and Dogs, Reality Bites, Wet Hot American Summer and Clay Pigeons (and the above-shown Matchmaker). Apparently she was offered the lead role in Jerry Maguire if she could lose weight - by the time she did Renee Zellweger had stolen the role from her. Also she starred in two failed TV pilots, one based on the life of Annie Duke, called "All In" and another called "Slice of Life" featuring her as a reported consigned to human interest stories.

In 24, so far, Garofalo seems a kind of FBI version of Chloe, pretty much exactly - perhaps they'll square off to the death later in the show?

Colm Feore as First Gentelmen Henry Taylor


Feore, an Irish-Canadian actor has appeared in many Shakespeare productions, but is best known by me for his performance as Andre Linoge, the mysterious stranger in the 1999 television production of Stephen King's "Storm of the Century" and his portrayal of former Colonial President Richard Adar in the new Battlestar Galactica. Feore is best known in Canada for his role as Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and as the English-speaking cop in the amazing sounding "Bon Cop, Bad Cop," in which, in order to solve a murder in which the body was found on the border of Ontario and Quebec, a by-the-book English-speaking cop must team up with a renegade French-speaking cop.

Henry Taylor is so far singlemindedly bent on figuring out who murdered his son. While others try to assure him it was a suicide, it obviously isn't, or we wouldn't be wasting our time on this plot.

Bob Gunton as White House Chief of Staff Ethan Kanin


Of course Gunton is best known for one role in particuar - his portrayal of Warden Samuel Norton in the Shawshank Redemption. Interestingly, Gunton also played Richard Nixon in a recreation of the Watergate Tapes incident for Nightlight. Perhaps because of these two roles, his character in 24 immediately seems evil, particularly as so far we know there is a conspiracy deep within the heart of the new administration to hold of the administration's planned invasion of Songala, and we know Gunton has been pressuring President Taylor to back off.

Cherry Jones as President Allison Taylor


Jones is best known as a theater actress, having twice won Tonys - for her roles in The Heiress and Doubt (now a major motion picture!). She appeared as Matt Damon's mom in Ocean's Twelve, and had roles in The Village and Signs. She also dates Sarah Paulson, who appeared in the short-lived Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and will appear in the likely equally short-lived remake of failed Jeremy Piven/Paula Marshall show Cupid.

Taylor is the 6th president featured in the 24 universe (not counting whoever is president while David Palmer is running in the first season). She appears to be interventionist, and not yet evil - it will remain to see how she handles the challenges of having her whole entire administration be corrupt, as will probably happen.