Kiefer Sutherland always has "a cigarette and whisky" after his shows to relax.
The former ’24’ actor and county musician – who played Glastonbury in 2017 – used to suffer from severe anxiety performing on stage, so much so that the crowd would notice his hands "banging on the pickup" on his guitar and "laugh", which "p****d" him off.
Appearing on ‘The Chris Evans Breakfast Radio Show’ on Virgin with Sky on Friday morning (12.04.19), he said: "I fell in love with touring and played 400 shows over the last five years.
"My hand kept banging on the pickup because I was so nervous. People started laughing it was so bad and it p****d me off so I booked a show the following night to get over it."
Kiefer soon got over his fears and now he always make sure to indulge in his post-gig ritual, he said: "After a gig. I go straight for a cigarette and a whisky."
The ‘Lost Boys’ star also admitted he had preferred to keep his private life out of the spotlight, but telling tales on stage has become a "comfortable" thing for him to do and he no longer gets "defensive" when asked about personal things.
He said: "We played a show in Michigan and it was the first that wasn’t in a dirty bar, the audience was seated like a theatre, and so I felt comfortable telling the stories behind the songs.
"Once that dialogue started the show completely changed.
"Here I was telling stories about my own life, something I protected over 30 years. Now I’ve given up on being defensive.
"Any bridges you can build to make people realise they have a lot in common, that’s a successful night."
The 52-year-old star was joined on the radio show by ‘Game of Thrones’ star Lena Headey – who plays Cersei Lannister on the popular HBO fantasy series, which will end after eight seasons this year – and both agreed how "emotional" it is when a long-running show comes to an end.
Kiefer – who played Counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer on ’24’ for 13 years, between 2001 and 2014 – admitted: "I was so excited when ’24’ was done, the relief of knowing you’re going to get a break.
"But then the last day, the last hour of that show I got really emotional thinking, ‘I’m not going to see these people every morning.’
"I couldn’t look the camera operator in the eye because I was going to start crying."
Kiefer Sutherland has post-gig cigarette and whisky ritual
