Robert Carlyle talks '24: Redemption'

Robert Carlyle has spoken about his role in upcoming TV movie 24: Redemption.

The Trainspotting star plays Carl Benton, an old friend of Jack Bauer's who is working at a school in the fictional middle-eastern country of Sangala. Bauer, who is in exile, decides to help his former colleague but they soon find themselves in trouble.

"It all happens in real time over two hours and Jack's faced with a massive dilemma at the end, deciding whether to go back to that 24 world or not. It's not giving too much away to say he goes back, but how he gets back is very interesting. It's a terrific dilemma," Carlyle told TV & Satellite Week.

He added that bosses originally planned to make his character older but had eventually hired him due to his close relationship with star Kiefer Sutherland.

"They were considering making Carl his mentor in the original script and maybe using an older actor. It goes back to my relationship with Kiefer. We made a movie about eight years ago, got on really well and have always kept in touch," he said.

"Through the years he's been trying to get me to do 24. This part was perfect, though, because Jack and Carl haven't seen each other for about ten years either. That was great as an actor to play on our own relationship."

24: Redemption will be shown in the US on November 23 and on Sky1 the following day.