Kiefer Sutherland says action roles now need braces

Kiefer Sutherland said action roles are still central to his work, but the 60-year-old actor now relies more on braces and anti-inflammatory medicine than he did during his years on "24".

Sutherland spoke to AFP on Saturday in Venice, where his new film "Father Joe" premiered. He appears in the film with Al Pacino and plays a gun-wielding New York priest seeking justice for young people in the city.

The actor said he remembered being able to run for long stretches while making "24", the political thriller in which he played US counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer. The series ran from 2001 to 2010, with a revival and finale in 2014.

Sutherland said the new film, directed by Barthelemy Grossmann from a screenplay by Luc Besson, required him to learn a different fighting style. He told a press conference that the film was a fantasy with "good versus evil" themes, and added that he was hurt twice during the process.

Sutherland also discussed career slow periods, saying that at 60 he worries less because he has seen work return after earlier downturns. He said a break in work around age 27 had left him afraid his career was over.