TVSquad

Joel Surnow made the right call. Bringing on Jennifer Aniston or Ben Stiller would have been a shark jumping move. Thank God Joel is smart enough to recognize that.

I don't think I could have watched 24 if either of those names appeared in the show.

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More like I don't see her fitting in playing a crucial role on 24. Ben either unfortunately, although I'd give him a bit more credit. I just don't find Jennifer that appealing of an actress and I really don't want her splashing about on my favorite show, just because she wants to remain relevant and known for more than being that girl from Friends with the hair that Brad Pitt left.

Sounds mean, but what's she really going to bring to the show that a better actress couldn't?

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I agree with the producer's decision. A large part of the appeal of 24 is that they use so many fantastic character actors. Jack Bauer's character is so large that he's the only leading man the show requires. The casting is one of the features of the show that I enjoy the most.

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Well, it would have been great if they hired the entire cast of Friends to play a terror cell that just sits around at a coffee shop and talks about Allah, relationship problems, Jihad, Rachel's hair, and terror plots. Then Bauer comes in an takes them all out! That would have been hilarious.

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Remember in the first season they did have Dennis Hopper, but he fit in quite well being a stinking Serbian with a bad accent.

I think he made the right call too. It would've been a joke to have Ben Stiller on 24, as much as I like him and his movies, he's not 24 material.

He was a perfect guest star on Arrested Development as Tony Wonder. I mean who would he play on 24? A quirky terrorist.

Also, good thing they said no to Jennifer too. What I want to see is Mia Kirshner come back :)

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Note to TVSquad: Contactmusic.com is in no way a reliable source.

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I just wonder what is this "reality" that he's talking about. 24 hasn't been a bit realistic over the past few seasons.

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Ditto @6. This blog certainly likes to talk up crap sometimes. Big time.

Next:

"Do you think that having a former Friend and a popular movie star would take viewers out of the story, or do you think that viewers are smart enough to just consider them a character in the show?"

If you have to ask such an assinine question you shouldn't be posting such drivel.

Sure, it feeds the blog traffic. But sooner or later we'll get it because we ARE smart enough. And appearantly smarter than YOU.

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We had Dennis Hopper, we have KEIFER SUTHERLAND, we had the villian from "The Mummy" movies, we've had a John McCain cameo, Ricky Gervais filed a cameo for the DVD set, we've had Robocop, we had that actress-turned-CNN-anchor-turned-actress person in the third season, and the creators are worried that these actors might pull the show away "from reality"? (Please. In the Season of Marwan, reality did not exist. Marwan existed. And his 50 "Plan B's".)

Given the right roles, they could have been fine. Jennifer Aniston has a fairly diverse acting portfolio, even without "Friends". She could have been a CTU techie, who, being a CTU techie, dies within a few hours. And Ben Stiller could have been a hapless house owner.

Listen, I don't feel gyped that we won't see these people on "24" or anything, that's fine. BUT... If you give an actor the right role, they can completely change public perception about them.

Plus, can you IMAGINE the numbers for an episode of "24" that had Jennifer Aniston guest-starring in it? It would be incredible, simply incredible.

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"Do you think that having a former Friend and a popular movie star would take viewers out of the story, or do you think that viewers are smart enough to just consider them a character in the show?"

It seems you think that either the viewers aren't smart or they would be good on the show.

Yes, I think viewers are smart enough to consider them as characters in the show; but I also think that both of them would be poor casting choices.

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Big stars could work, just let them play some big-shot superagents coming in to rescue CTU. And then kill them off really really fast. Like in the same episode fast.

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Well, if the plot involves Hollywood superstars and then they could bring in these too "recognized" stars to play themselves. Hum, actors turn terrorists trying to blow up hollywood studios.

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I'd like to comment, but #4 Chris' comment had me laughing so hard I can't think straight. Consider it stolen!

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I don't think it's the "celebrity factor" of Aniston or Stiller that would destroy the suspension of disbelief, but more the fact that we're generally not used to seeing these particular actors in what we would consider "serious" roles. I had no problem and actually rather enjoyed Sean Astin's performance last season, and he's just as recognizable and "big-name" an actor nowadays as the two who were rejected. But I'm used to seeing Astin play a much wider range of roles (contrast his character in "50 First Dates" with roles like Rudy or Sam Gamgee) than the typical quirky comedic type that I associate with both Aniston and Stiller.

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Maybe in a few years...when the ratings start to tank. I can see Anniston as Jack's love interest. She'd do well. She has that whole "I'm beautiful and tormented--and funny is a quirky/thinky sorta way" going on. It'd work.

Talk about your typecasted(?) actors, I never once thought of Roseanne when Sarah Gilbert was on there. She was great. Jennifer would do equally well.

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Note to #6: The same exact story is in this week's TV Guide.

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I actually think Stiller playing against type somehow would be kind of awesome; furthermore, I think he could do it. But it would work only if Fox didn't use him in the promos, and I'm sure that they would.

Aniston? Just my personal opinion, but I don't think she's a good actress at all.

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How about the casting of Samwise/Rudy? He was just playing another character. That is what actors do. Anyway, the day Kim went from barely graduating High School to becoming an integral techie at CTU, the show lost all sense of reality for me. If you want to watch something more closely related to reality, watch Sleeper Cell.

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That would be crazy casting.

Hell if you want to make Stiller and Aniston CT partners you might as well make David Schwimmer and Owen Wilson the terrorists!

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I agree with you Joel as to not bring this jennifer on your show. can you just see her next to Keifer, and her trying to hog all the lines and scenes away from Keifer and everyone else. yes, thats just the way she is, and you would be making a major mistake in putting her on your show, and then your 24 would get cancelled. jennifer is not a good actress at all, and she doesn't fit in at all on your type of show. so please don't bring this bad actress on your show at all, or you sure as heck will lose me as one big fan of your show. and, finally, everyone knows that she will always be a rachel greene because thats all she knows how to be and act in anything that she does. THIS IS WHY SHE SUCKS AS AN ACTRESS, plus she's too old now and she should be playing more parts as a mother figure; she's almost 40, and thats pretty old for a woman trying to be some kind of a terrorist. i'd laugh my *** off!

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