KIEFER SUTHERLAND - SUTHERLAND AMAZED BY SECRET SERVICE TRAINING

Actor KIEFER SUTHERLAND was amazed by the intricate Secret Service training he had to endure for his new movie THE SENTINEL, especially when it came to opening limousine doors. The star thought consultants were joking when they offered to teach him how to open a bullet-proof door - but he has since realised it isn't as easy as he thought it would be. He explains, "(The agents) were amazing - they're pretty serious cats. They focus on very specific, tiny details you take for granted. "We had a whole day where we had to learn how to open the door for the presidential limo and I thought, 'Well, this is going to be a waste of a day.' "I didn't realise that the door for the presidential limo is 180 pounds (82 kilograms). There's a very specific way they handle that. "Every law enforcement agent in the country is trained to draw their weapon pick a target and then release the safety. "Secret Service draws their weapon and releases the safety (catch) at the same time. If they draw their weapon, they don't ask you to freeze, they start shooting. "They have five seconds to discern whether someone is a threat or not. That's a heavy weight. My respect for these men and women is amazing."