KIEFER SUTHERLAND - SUTHERLAND SHOCKED BY SUCCESS OF 24

24 star KIEFER SUTHERLAND is shocked the cult TV series has become such a phenomenon - because no one was ever meant to see it.

LOST BOYS star Kiefer's career floundered in the late 1990s, and he was forced to accept roles he was unsure about in order to stay financially stable.

And the blonde hunk admits he only agreed to take the lead role in the 24 pilot - which he doubted would be a success - in order to get a guaranteed pay packet.

Kiefer laughs, "We all thought that we were going to get paid to do an hour-long show that would never be seen by anybody.

"We were shocked when the show got such a wonderful reaction. It's a second shot for me, work-wise."