Kiefer Sutherland wants to play his grandfather T.C. Douglas but no deal yet
TORONTO (CP) – Actor Kiefer Sutherland wants to play the lead in a planned CBC-TV movie about the life of T.C. Douglas but the film’s schedule and Sutherland’s contract with 20th Century Fox for his hit TV series 24 haven’t meshed, says his actor-mother Shirley Douglas.
Tommy Douglas is the former Saskatchewan premier and federal NDP leader and is considered the father of universal health care in Canada. And Sutherland is his grandson. CBC has announced the two-part miniseries, tentatively titled The Tommy Douglas Project, as part of its 2004-2005 prime time schedule. It is to be produced by Saskatchewan’s Mind’s Eye Entertainment and directed by John N. Smith (The Boys of St. Vincent) from a script by Bruce M. Smith (The Sleep Room).
Shirley Douglas hopes it all works out but says it’s up to Fox whether or not her son will get the time to make the biopic or if they need him for a 24 film.
“He’s on hiatus right now and he’s gone to New Zealand to do a movie,” she says. “And if he could do it, it would be a year from now.”
She says he would love to take on the part.
“Kiefer doesn’t often say that he knows he can play a role. And he feels very strongly that he can play this. Oh, I would love it.”
Slawko Klymkiw, CBC’s chief programmer, will say only that the casting is a “work in progress.”
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