Freddie Prinze Jr. Almost Quit Acting Because Of A 24 Co-Star

Freddie Prinze Jr. may have parlayed his '90s teen movie stardom into an impressively multifaceted showbusiness career, but he almost quit acting entirely following his experience working on the set of "24" in 2010.

The actor didn't have the best of times working on the long-running cop drama, in which each season took place over the course of a single day. Prinze took on the role of Cole Ortiz, the director of field operations at CTU New York, who was partnered up with Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer. While Bauer was the series' protagonist, Ortiz only appeared in the show's eighth season, and it sounds like even that was more time than Prinze wanted to spend working with the show's star.

Speaking to ABC News, Prinze revealed the unflattering truth of his experience on "24." Prinze alleged Sutherland was not an easy actor to work with, saying, "I did '24,' and it was terrible. I hated every moment of it. Kiefer was the most unprofessional dude in the world. That's not me talking trash. I'd say it to his face. I think everyone that's worked with him has said that."

After "24," Prinze took some time away from acting. "I just wanted to quit the business after that," he said. "So, I just sort of stopped." But despite Prinze's strong reaction to working with Sutherland, his "24" co-star apparently did not feel the same way.

"Kiefer worked with Freddie Prinze Jr. more than five years ago, and this is the first he has heard of Freddie's grievances," Sutherland's representatives said in response to Prinze's remarks via a statement released to The Hollywood Reporter. "Kiefer enjoyed working with Freddie and wishes him the best." Following his time on "24," Prinze spent a period working for Vince McMahon as a writer for WWE. He eventually returned to acting, and over the years, he's appeared in numerous projects including Peacock's short-lived "Punky Brewster" revival and "Robot Chicken." He also did a guest stint on "Bones."