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Hail to the new chief of 24
Ebony, May, 2007
Just as TV viewers of the popular series 24 became accustomed to a forceful and charismat ic Black president C Dennis Havsbert). in a shocking turn of events, he was assassinated. And at the beginning of this season, he had been replaced by another Black man, his TV brother, who's played by D.B. Woodside.
"I'm under no illusion. I came into a very successful show," says Woodside, whose character also faced an assassination attempt. "Dennis had a lot of fans. His character had a lot of fans, in particular, the critics. So, for me, I'm just trying to come in here and continue co-piloting this ship they call 24 for as long as they will let me. Hopefully, those fans who were fans of Dennis, who were fans of David, will allow me to do my thing."
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One big, big fan of Woodside's is his 24 co-star Regina King, who is cast as his sister Sandra Palmer. "Originally, my scenes with D.B. were just phone conversations," she recalls. "I asked the producer, 'When are we going to get to actually work side by side? I finally got my wish! But with an actor like D.B., you still want more [time to act with him]. You're not satisfied with just a couple of scenes."
Penny Johnson Jerald, who in previous seasons played his diabolical and duplicitous sister-in-law Sherry Palmer, agrees. "When I first met D.B., I immediately sensed that I was sharing the stage with a class-act talent. He was confident, full of grace and willing to step out of his comfort zone. My only regret is not having more time to play opposite such a fine actor."
Those kinds of accolades buoy Woodside as he takes the helm in a very public spot. So does his academic pedigree. Woodside, a New Yorker who attended the prestigious Yale School of Drama, says he is not personally intimidated by having to step out of the shadows. However, he says his character is another story. "I don't think D.B .Woodside the actor is nervous, but I definitely think Wayne Palmer is nervous about stepping out of David Palmer's shadow and being president. I'm what 1 call 'cautiously optimistic.' I'm confident in my abilities."
Those abilities have been evident to the millions of fay, who've followed Woodside from performances in the hit 1989 miniseries The Temptations and from Buffy the Vampire Slaver to roles in C.S.I., Murder One, The Division and The Practice "I loved The Temptations story. That miniseries is something that I'm probably proudest of simply because I feel like when I'm 80 years old, I'm going to be able to show my grandchildren sonde thing that their granddad did. It was something all families could watch and the cast and crew were incredible. I had a crush on Vanessa [Bell Calloway]. Boy! All the boys had a crush on her"
While that crush may not have been reciprocated, Bell Calloway was very much impressed with his skills and potential "He was very convincing vocally as Melvin [Franklin], and w remember how impressed I was with his professionalism and his kind heart. He has managed to take that opportunity and run with it, furthering his career."
Acting is not even close to the career Woodside envisioned while he was growing up in suburban New York City. He had his eyes on the gridiron, with hopes of becoming a star. He was an athlete in high school and played football at the State University of New York at Albany with dreams of taking it to another level.
But fate and nature intervened, he says. He was injured and ended up on the sidelines. To pass the time while he convalesced, he and another injured teammate started taking acting classes, which was a great opportunity, he says, to meet women. "If I'm being totally honest, it was the love of women that motivated me to take up acting."
Hormones raged, but eventually, Woodside says, the realization slowly set in that he was meant for the world of acting. He chose acting while his older brother became a financial planner and his younger sister became what he calls a "savage" lawyer in the San Francisco area.
At 6-foot-3, Woodside says he is sometimes mistaken for fellow actors Morris Chestnut and Don Cheadle. And he acknowledges that his appearance prompts some people to view him as a scary Black man. Laughing out loud, he says: "I guess I do fit that stereotype of the classic evil Black man--tall, dark, shaved head and a goatee."
But he doesn't give those concerns too much energy. When not focused on 24, he hops onto his mountain bike and heads into the hills and mountains of Los Angeles. "When I'm thinking or analyzing too much," he says, "I go up there and lose myself."
On the personal side, Woodside is a bachelor in his mid-30s who says he spent his 20s running from "this woman to that woman." But in retrospect, he says, "Let's just say that thankfully I've matured."
Now, as he points his arm straight toward the California mountains, he describes himself as a "geeky nerd" who is totally focused on the work.
