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The star of Fox's 24 narrates NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience, which opens in 68 theaters on Friday. SI: What drew you to a project involving NASCAR? Sutherland: It's a real slice of Americana. The fact that it was born out of Prohibition and guys running moonshine and outrunning the law, there is something very authentic about it. SI: You're doing this Q&A two hours before walking the red carpet for the movie's premiere. How will seeing Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson in tuxes compare with seeing Nicole Kidman and Angelina Jolie in evening gowns? Sutherland: Well, you're never gonna beat Angelina Jolie in an evening dress no matter who you are. But anytime you meet people at the top of their field, there's an excitement about that. SI: Have you had a chance to get behind the wheel of stock car? Sutherland: Absolutely not. I would if I had the chance, but I certainly wouldn't drive it at the pace those guys do. SI: What's cool about NASCAR drivers? Sutherland: There is a quality attributed to NASCAR drivers, when compared with Formula One guys, that makes them an underdog. NASCAR drivers are going into corners at 200-plus miles per hour, but there's a renegade quality to them. It's amazing to see these guys joking around and laughing with their pit crews before the race gets started. Then, somewhere between a half hour and 15 minutes before they get in the car, you can see every driver's face change. You can start to see them zoning in. It was just amazing to watch that transformation. SI: Denis Leary told SI that when it came to hockey, you and Tim Robbins were the best actors he's played with. What's your greatest celebrity game moment? Sutherland: I got two assists for Phil Esposito in a game a couple of years ago. He hadn't put on skates in like 10 years and scored three goals in the first 10 mintues. Wayne Gretzky was coaching us, and when I came off the ice after a goal he was looking at me with his mouth wide open. He said, "It's amazing. That old bastard is still in the right place at the right time." It was pretty cool. SI: What other Hollywood guy can really play? Sutherland: I had the pleasure of playing with Michael Fox a long time ago. He was a really good skater. SI: Does any pro athlete remind you of Bauer? Sutherland: That's a really interesting question. The first thing that comes to mind is somebody who is in hockey fights. Tie Domi, maybe? But Jack Bauer is a complicated guy, and I don't any of the athletes well enough to answer. SI: You're a Toronto Maple Leafs fan. If the Leafs make the Stanley Cup finals, will you be there? Sutherland: Oh, I would go to great lengths to be there. The Leafs winning the Cup would be huge. Toronto and Montreal are Canada's teams, and I think it would be great for hockey. SI: You have 24 hours to do anything as a sports fan or active participant. How do you spend it? Sutherland: I played on a Beer League team in Los Angeles for eight years. It didn't matter what anybody was working on, you just never missed a game. So I would probably spend those hours skating with them. Ninety percent of the guys were Canadians, and we would all end up going out for dinner and drinks after we played. The camaraderie we shared over that period was great; everybody was at everybody else's wedding. But the families finally got so big that the team fell apart. The bonds that are created in team sports are irreplaceable. SI: What's the best sporting event you've attended? Sutherland: Well, obviously a variety of hockey games. But the Super Bowl between Denver and Green Bay was pretty exciting. That's the first and only live football game I've been to. SI: Will we ever see a 24 movie, and will your character Jack Bauer live to see it? Sutherland: It would be a fantastic movie. You'd have to call it 140 or 145 or whatever the running time was. I hope it gets pursued, but whether Jack Bauer lives to see it is a whole other story. SI: In the 1990's you roped on the professional rodeo circuit and took first place in the '98 US Team Roping Championship. Ever think about chucking acting and pursuing rodeo full time? Sutherland: I could never have afforded it. Those horses are not cheap. But it was important to me to take a few years off and do something else. So, if given the chance, would you rather rope a paparazzo or a Hollywood producer? Sutherland:(laughs) How about Angelina Jolie in an evening dress?
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