Cosmo chats exclusively to Freddie Prinze, Jr., who stars as Cole Ortiz in the eighth and final season of 24.
Were you surprised to be in 24?
I've watched the show since season one, and I remember speaking with Sarah (Michelle Gellar, Prinze’s wife) and a couple of buddies of mine while we were watching the first season. I said, "Man, it would be really great to help Jack Bauer save the world." And now seven years later, I'm helping Jack Bauer save the world. So it's a pretty wild feeling, man. I've never gotten to experience something like that before.
You play a Marine. What kind of research or training did you do?
I still have family who are active in the military and active Marines, and it's something that I've always kind of had a passion to study, which was war and soldiers, even samurai! I've always kind of had a passion for it. And when I heard I got the job, I got to do a little bit of sniper school, which was definitely fun.
Do you think you could be a real Marine?
In my 20s I could have. I did the Marine run. It wasn't even as hard as the L.A. Marathon. But in my 20s - I mean, it was something - if you were in New Mexico - you've got to remember, in the '90s that was the second-poorest state in the country. They recruited heavily. But I think, you know, if I was a young man, 18 years old, and signed up, I think I probably could have done it. My whole family did it, so it wouldn't have been that hard for me to jump in. But if you're asking me now? I'm 33 years old. I wake up, things hurt. It takes me 20 minutes to get out of bed.
You’re a new dad, you must be waking up all the time!
No, you know, she sleeps well. She sleeps well.
And how do you cope with the demands of new fatherhood and being in a one-hour drama?
It's fun. The schedule isn't what everyone thinks it is, and you do get a little bit of time off here. And I make time, so it's fine.
This is quite a serious role for you. We're kind of more used to seeing you either doing comedy or, for a better way of putting it, the "hottie" roles. Has it felt like it's taken a long time to sort of get to the position where people are offering you things like this?
I wasn't offered this. I auditioned, like every other actor. So I still wouldn't know what that feels like. But it's a tricky thing, and it's kind of a long answer for the question because I never really looked at it the way everyone else did. I have a very good understanding of how this business works.
Why do you think that is?
My father was in the business. My uncle, who has been in it his entire life, managed everyone from my dad to Richard Pryor to N.W.A., the rap group. So he really educated me and prepared me well to deal with the ups and downs of this business. I just don't buy into this business. I'm a very normal guy.
How have you changed since you started in showbiz?
If you interviewed me when I was 18 years old and moved out here, I'll give you the same types of answers. I'm just a weird guy. I've never fit into this business.
How do you feel this role has affected your career?
When you didn't see my face in a magazine grinning and smiling, it's a lot easier to be taken seriously as an actor with a role like this. If I would've auditioned for 24 three years ago, no way. They wouldn't have hired me. Or I'd have been Kim's boyfriend who died. You know what I'm saying? "Oh, he's sweet. Kill him." If you see the sweet face on 24, you know that person's gone. But it's kind of the way this business works. So I auditioned. They hadn't seen me in a while, so the first thought in their head wasn't Scooby-Doo. They just said, "Oh, here's an actor. We like the choices he made. Let's give him a shot." And they gave me a shot, and I do my best to make they feel good about it.
Catch Jack’s last adrenalin fuelled packed day on BD & DVD December 1 with over 17 hours worth of content.
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