Kiefer Sutherland thinks he only got his big break because he was mistaken for someone else.

The actor played Ace Merrill in the 1986 movie Stand By Me. Although he'd appeared in other films it was the first which really caught the public's attention, and Kiefer feels lucky to have been involved.

"I believe a lot in fate. One of those moments was when I worked on the film Stand By Me. They wanted someone tall for the role and, while my dad is 6ft. 4ins. and my brothers are 6ft. plus, I'm 5ft. 10ins. on a good day. I believe someone got me confused with one of my brothers, which is how I ended up with the audition," he explained.

Kiefer is remaining quiet on when a big screening out of his hit TV show 24 will finally be released. However, he remains thankful for the impact the counter terrorism programme had on his career.

"I was very proud of the fact that 24 managed to transcend so many language and cultural barriers," he told TV & Satellite Week.

"I remember the first trips that I ever took to Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea; people recognised me and they knew 24. It was quite bizarre, but also very nice."