Jon Voight’s role villainous in ‘24’

The "Coming Home” Oscar winner has done the occasional television project ("Return to Lonesome Dove,” "The Five People You Meet in Heaven”), but he’s a series regular for the first time as Jonas Hodges, the rogue security-force bigwig now giving counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) a tough time on Fox’s Monday suspense drama.

And for those awaiting Hodges and Bauer meeting face to face, it happens in tonight’s episode.

"People are telling me they don’t want this character to have his demise, and I don’t know what to say to them,” says the soft-spoken Voight, who knows anything can happen to anyone at any time on "24.” "I had seen a couple of episodes in its first season, and I was very impressed with it — and with Kiefer’s work in it.

"I had occasion to meet him then at a charity event. I didn’t know him real well, but I went up to him and said, ‘This is going to be a wonderful thing for you, and I wish you the best with it.’ Then, when they asked if I would do this, I thought, ‘That’s interesting. That almost brings it full circle.’ The first day I started work on it, Kiefer showed up at my camper to welcome me, even though he wasn’t working that day. It was such a nice thing.”

"Nice” does not apply to Voight’s "24” alter ego, since Hodges masterminded a temporary takeover of the White House, steered biological weapons into the U.S. and turned murderous.

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The fictional organization Hodges heads, Starkwood, has clear parallels to the controversial Blackwater security operation. "There are corrupt guys in every aspect of life,” Voight says, "and especially when you get into a situation that involves power, there’s always the opportunity for people to turn. I think that’s what makes ‘24’ interesting; you never know who’s the good guy and who’s the bad guy.”

The father of actress Angelina Jolie, Voight has stayed active in a career marked by such big-screen classics as "Midnight Cowboy” and "Deliverance.” More-recent credits include "Transformers,” "Four Christmases” and "National Treasure,” and Voight is grateful to continue work that began with series guest shots ("Gunsmoke,” "Naked City”) and New York stage jobs in the 1960s.

"Listen, I’m very happy to be working at this time and to still have that sort of celebrity,” he said. "It helps me a lot if I’m doing charity work. I just like to be in touch with the public.”