Dennis Haysbert was furious when he found out that his character on "24", President David Palmer, was being assassinated and told producers he would refuse to tape the scene. The actor said he argued with writers and producers over the storyline for months because of the symbolism: he felt the murder of a US president sends out dangerous messages to viewers.
Haysbert appeared on "The View" yesterday where he explained how he left the show. "They did it as a stunt to get ratings and it worked. It started at the end of season four when I did the last six episodes. Then I thought I was done."
"I was right in the middle of the fourth episode I was doing when they called me up at lunch time to talk to me and said, 'Dennis, on the first show of next season, we're going to shoot you.'"
"I said, 'Good luck with that. What's it going to be a CNN (news) report? Because I won't shoot it.'
"So we went back and forth and back and forth and the season ended and all during the summer the fellows kept calling and then they sent their mercenary, one of my best friends on the show, the show runner Howard Gordon, whom I love, and I have to tell you before I go any further that I love the guys on 24, both in front of the camera and behind it. We have a legacy of killing our leaders in this country and I said, 'Guys, don't do it.'
"Howard basically said, 'Dennis, look I understand how you feel. I believe you, I believe in what you're saying, but we need it to start the show, because without it, we don't have a season.'"
Haysbert eventually gave in and left 24. He has sense go on to star in "The Unit", a show about a top secret United States Special Operations Force.
