Kim Raver On The Go, 24/7 By JOSE MARTINEZ Published: May, 2006 photo by John Russo As a member of Fox tour de force drama "24", actress Kim Raver has saved the country time and time again from terrorists and conspiring patriots. Her no-nonsense character, Audrey Raines, alongside Jack Bauer (played brilliantly by Kiefer Sutherland), doesn't fool around with our safety. Some might say the plotlines of "24" have run the gamut of the implausible as members of the CTU (counter terrorist unit) have stopped presidential assassinations and saved Los Angeles from nuclear explosion, always without hesitation to put their lives on the line. Perhaps next season super agent Jack Bauer will call it quits if he has to save U.S. ports from destruction after they've been handed over to foreign powers, but then again, that might be just too much fiction, even for television. Kim Raver, now in her second season of "24", calls working on the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning hit show "a great ride". TV fans may remember Raver as a regular on "Third Watch" before she joined "24". She's also appeared on "ER", "Spin City", "The Practice", "Law and Order" and "Central Park West", but it all started back in her native New ork City when a very young Kimmy Raver was a regular on "Sesa,e Street" from 1975-1978. A fine arts graduate of Boston University, Raver is Fluent in French and German, paid her bills early on by acting in ommercials, but her big break came with her Broadway debut in the play "Holiday" in which she co-starred with Laura Linney and Tony Goldwyn. The blonde beauty, the mother of a three-and-a-half-year-old son, also has two films in the can awaiting release: a thriller, Prisoner, and the 20th Century Fox comedy Night at the Museum in theaters this Christmas. Even though it looked for a while that her straight-arrow character was turning bad, making for a lot of action building up to the May 22 season finale, Raver refuses to give away any secrets, urging fans to tune in. As if we wouldn't! Were you a fan of "24" before you joined the cast last season? I hadn't seen a lot of it because I was in New York doing "Third Watch", but I've always been a huge fan of Kiefer but them (creator) Joel (Surnow) sent me a couple of the seasons and I don't think I slept the first couple of nights because I was one of those people saying, "I have to watch one more!" I think I stayed up until five in the morning watching an entire season. Did you know after last season that you were coming back? I did. I knew heading towards the end of the last season, which is great because I just love this character, and Kiefer and I work really well together. And when you get to be part of something like this, you really feel grateful and thankful. Not only is everyone working really hard but it's a great group of people. You've done your share of television. Did you get recognized more after being on "24"? It's huge on this show. When I was in New York on "Third Watch" it was awesome because I was completely embraced by all the firehouses. The firefighters and cops were so happy to see me, and it's nice to be taken into that group. With "24", it's just really, in the industry, so highly respected and I feel a lot more films are coming my way. As an actress, someone who works off a script and brings a character to life, how do you feel working in reality TV overdrive these last few years? I kind of watch it as a really weird character study. I don't have a lot of time but every once in a while I'll tune into "Survivor" and I think it's so amazing. And I know they edit it so that people's reactions are overdone but it's pretty amazing as an actor to watch noncensored reactions. I watch it in the same way someone would watch te National Geographic channel. But I also think while that's going on there's also some of the bst television that has ever come out. When the season started, how much of the storyline did you already know? Not much. You get one little piece of this puzzle and there's a foot on it. I approach "24" in a way that I've never approached any other job that I've had. They create a character and what I love about them is that they're so rich and multi-dimensional and there's so much going on. Do you think the writers know all 24 hours when the season starts? No way. Absolutely not, and they will admit it themselves. I think they know what their episode one will be and what their episode 24 will be, in a sense, but they definitely take off from what they experience from the actors and then decide to push the characters in a certain direction. And Kiefer has an enormous input in that as well. There's a lot going on right now with your character but did it seem like last season was a little meatier for you? How do you compare the two? For me, I find that Audrey was very reactionary, reacting off the tragedies that were happening to her last season. But I really felt coming back this year that Audrey has become a completely different person. There's no way you can go through what she did and not be changed. And that's why I came back with short hair, blonde hair and a strong suit. I wanted to make it very apparent that she has gone through something and this is the way she is going to move forward. And I feel that she has definitely taken things into her own hands. Last year was an amazing ride for me but what is great about this year is that she gets to show that really strong side to her that's reacting to what's best for the country. The characters on the show go through so much in one day. Do you think you're personally made of strong enough stock to deal with what they have to go? I don't know. Audrey has really been through the wringer. That's a hard question. I don't think you ever know what you're made of until you're tested. And what's interesting is that you think you would do one thing and then that day comes and you may do something completely different. That's why Jack's character is so heroic and that's why I love that character: the selflessness of putting himself on the line to save his country. I don't know if a lot of people would do that, it's almost similar to when I was on "Third Watch"- would I run into a burning building when everyone is running out? I don't know. I know if my kid was in that building absolutely, no question about it. For my family, I would do anything and everything and more than Audrey has done. "Third Watch" did some really wonderful episodes after 9/11. I have to say, without sounding corny, they really are heroes. They really are. You talk to these people, and especially after 9/11, and they don't want to be heroes. They just want to be people, but I was definitely in awe of them and what they are willing to endure. Especially being in the business that we're om where it can be a vain business, seeing what they do puts a lot things in perspective. Getting as far as possibly from "24", you started on "Sesame Street". What do you remember most about those days? It was basically paid pre-school. My mom was a single mom raising two kids in New York and it was great. I was surrounded by these incredible Muppets learning how to count and read. Did you know you were working? Oh no, I was having the time of my life. I don't consider myself a child actress at all. But you knew what was real and what was make believe? When they ripped the Velcro noses off of Bert and Ernie I knew that wasn't good. That's a puppet! I never thought about this, but maybe that's why I love acting. Kids are so amazing because you can see it's a world of make-bellieve, and yet you can be engaged in a world of make believe. How did you get discovered? They found me at a department store. It's not like they did a huge casting call. And "Sesame Street" is so great because it's so multi-racial and multi-cultural. That's one of my favorite things about Venice, that it's such a mix of people. I feel that it's like New York. One of the things I miss the most about New York is jumping on the subway and seeing so many cross cultures. You took a long break after "sesame Street", didn't you? Well, I was in a professional theater company when I was 13, and that was major discipline. If you were a minute late they would kick you out. That was 13 to 16 and then I went away to boarding school. That was the generation of the infamous child actors. You know, my mom just wanted me to be grounded and be a normal kid, but also have a really strong education. For a while I was thinking of going to the performing arts school but I also wanted to have a childhood. And I'm so glad that I did because I am who I am because I got to experience school and other kids and all the stuff that goes with that. Do you remember the moment you decided acting is what you wanted to do? Absolutely. I went to this theater company and watched this performance and this guy named Joseph just lit up the stage when he was performing. It was literally the pure joy for him to get up on that stage and perform. It was so illuminating. I wanted to do what he was doing. And on the way out I signed up to audition and I got in. Did you grow up watching a lot of movies? A lot of live theater, not a lot of movies. My mom brought me to a lot of theater. Spring discount flash development service from top company! Whom do you count among your favorite actors? I admire Julianne Moore. I think she is extraordinary. She has such amazing qualities; she's a woman and a mother and makes fantastic choices, from indepenent films to big blockbuster films. I think Susan Sarandon is so great. She's not afraid to speak out. And I really embrace George Clooney for that, too. And Tim Robbins. Being in such great dramas like "Third Watch" and "24", do you learn something about yourself? I think you learn everyday, not only when you're doing those kinds of roles but in how you approach the stress of that day. But O also learn about myself just being with my kid. I learn who I am. Cool converter: converter online Watch on-line. Would you encourage your son to get into acting? I'd never force him but I would never stop him. I would definitely make sure he has his eyes open because it's not an easy business. I don't know if people sometimes understand the amount of rejection and the competitiveness there is. A lot of people see it as glamorous, and at times it definitely is, but there are a lot of elements to it. But as long as my son is passionate and loving what he does, and he's safe, then I want him to do what he wants to do. what can you say about Prisoner? It was great doing it. I did it while I was doing "24". It starts Julian McMahon ("Nip/Tuck") and Elias Koteas. I play Julian's mother in flashbacks when he was five, so it was great because we were shotting what whole late 70's period. It's a drama, very scary and thrilling and well written. Download free wallpapers What is Night at the Museum about? It's a huge comedy with Ben Stiller who is one of the funniest people that I've ever met. I didn't know if I could get through the takes because he's so funny. It was perfect because all of April on "24" was insanely intense, so to actually do a big budget comedy while I was doing those, was so much fun. What can we expect with these last episodes of "24"? It's a wild ride. That's what's so great about "24"- just when you think you've had as much as you can take, they give you even more. Now you mentioned earlier that you're working on a pilot, so what does that mean about you on "24"? See, that's just to confuse you. Because there have been people who have done two shows at once. so what you think might be happening may not be happening, even though I'm doing a pilot. But it is in the realm of possibility that I can do two shows at once. Ok. Can you talk about the pilot? It's a very cool pilot. It's by Hank Steinberg (creator of "Without a Trace") and his sister K.J. Steinberg ("Beautiful People" and "Judging Amy") with Tim Daly and Scott Wolf and Chi McBride. It's a big ensemble about nine people held hostage for 52 hours after a botched robbery. Do you ever think about where you want to be in 10 or 15 years? Oh yeah, definitely. I think it's important. I have certain goals that I want to accomplish but you have to try not to get tied to them. It's just an outline. I never expected my first major gig to be Broadway. And I think being a mother has taught me so much.* 7 Effects of resin cement on the colour of ceramic veneers. AZALI, J.