Kiefer Sutherland: Living Dangerously

by Christopher Heard

Christopher Heard's in-depth biography of Kiefer Sutherland explores this talented actor's adventurous, but troubled and often unstable life: Learn about Kiefer's unique childhood and his adult demons: his ongoing struggles with the law, alcohol, and anger managementDiscover the reality behind Kiefer's maverick bad-boy public image along with his volatile and sometimes self-destructive behaviorTelevision viewers know Kiefer Sutherland as the no-holds-barred U.S. counter-terrorist agent Jack Bauer. However, the life of this colorful Canadian actor has also been filled with action, danger, and trouble. Author Christopher Heard unearths Kiefer's dramatic story in his new biography. Once engaged to Julia Roberts, Sutherland's movie career started to slide in the 1990s. At one point, he even left Hollywood entirely. He bought a ranch in Montana and was victorious on the rodeo circuit. Chance intervened in 2001, when Kiefer accepted a project promoting a real-time TV action series. The globally-syndicated Twentieth Century Fox U.S. TV show, 24, has been greatly successful ever since. It made Kiefer an international star beyond his wildest dreams.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

267 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Anika · Rating 1 out of 5]

Writing a boring biography about Kiefer Sutherland seems like an impossible task. Christopher Heard managed to do exactly that. Kiefer deserves so much better!

But first, let me add this: This might be a somewhat better read for people who know little to nothing about Kiefer. I, however, have followed his career for quite some time now, and this book barely offered anything new.

Naming all the movies Kiefer's been in and adding a few quotes from directors, co-stars and movie reviewers makes the largest part of this biography read like a longer version of some imdb entry. As for the crazy and wild stunts in Kiefer's not-so-private private life, I've read funnier and cleverer accounts about said scenes on various gossip blogs. Very sad, but true.

The author said he writes only books about people he's met and interacted with. In Kiefer's case, this meant meeting him for an interview in 1998 and sitting at the table next to him in a restaurant eight years later. Like, wow. Just think about the people I could write biographies on then... (sure, I know this is the way to go with unofficial biographies, but here, it's *just another* example of why this just doesn't work for me).

Okay, okay, harsh, I know. But I have to, because I care. This book is such a cheap attempt, so... uninspired. And so full of mistakes. Not just of the spelling and punctuation kind, but also concerning the layout. Like, wtf happened to the page numbers in the table of content? And are the pics ordered at all?

I'm usually not that nit picky, only when I feel like something I really like or care about should be treated better. And Kiefer's most extraordinary career deserves lots better. Don't let them get you, Kiefer <3

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a huge Kiefer fan however this book annoyed me as it is littered with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors throughout. It has clearly been rushed to coincide with the final (sob! :() series of 24. However, whilst we learn nothing new from the content of the book itself, it still makes for an interesting read.

[Transit Publishing · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for all fans of the U.S. TV series 24.