We’ve got a short interview with 24: Redemption star Robert Carlyle in the next issue of TV & Satellite Week, but there wasn’t nearly enough room in one page for everything he told us, so we’re putting the full transcript here for your enjoyment. Robert gives us a few hints about 24: Redemption, tells us about his old pal Kiefer, and also updates us on the other projects he’s got in the pipeline. Top geezer.

What’s the story of Redemption?
Redemption is a two-hour stand-alone piece that bridges the gap between Season 6 and Season 7 of 24. It tells you where Jack has been - he is an exile and he’s been wandering the world, through Afghanistan and several countries in the Middle-East. He ends up in the fictional country of Sangala to bed down with his old friend, Carl Benton.

Carl trained with Jack in the Special Services and turned his back on that world a long, long time ago. He explains why he turned his back on it all and you begin to think that Jack might find the same peace in his life and that his life might follow the same route. Carl is teaching in a school, trying to stop young kids being rounded up into tin-pot dictator armies so they can be used as cannon fodder.

Jack joins Carl in this mission but, in typical 24 style, the peace is pretty quickly disturbed. It all happens in real time over two hours and Jack’s faced with a massive dilemma at the end, deciding whether to go back to that 24 world or not. It’s not giving too much away to say he goes back, but how he gets back is very interesting. It’s a terrific dilemma.

So Carl Benton’s Jack’s buddy rather than his mentor?
They were considering making Carl his mentor in the original script and maybe using an older actor. It goes back to my relationship with Kiefer. We made a movie about eight years ago, got on really well and have always kept in touch. In fact, he was actually reading the very first 24 script when we did that film together. Through the years he’s been trying to get me to do 24. Last year I was going to join the show but I already had a couple of other things going on. This part was perfect though because Jack and Carl haven’t seen each other for about 10 years either. That was great as an actor to play on our own relationship.

Kiefer was technically your boss in this too, of course. How did you find that?
In a way, I guess he was my boss, but he wouldn’t have got away with anything like that with me, believe me! I know him too well. It sounds like a cliché but Kiefer’s an absolute gentleman. He’s a lovely, lovely guy. Anybody who’s met him will tell you the same thing. He’s a terrific guy.

So does Jack know Carl Benton from the States?
Carl’s an Irishman. They trained on an international level. I think Kiefer, the director John Cassar and the principal writer Howard Gordon wanted to suggest that there were half a dozen or a dozen Jack Bauers dotted throughout the world. The idea might have come from the film Enemy of the State where there’s a scene with a bar full of mercenaries from all over the world. Kiefer really liked that and thought it was interesting that there might be more guys like Jack all over the place who have maybe turned their back on the life or are lying dormant. That’s the deal so I wouldn’t be surprised to see other Carl Benton-like figures cropping up.

So Carl is Jack Bauer’s equal?
Absolutely. They’ve done exactly the same job.

And is Carl definitely good or is it more ambiguous?
He’s pretty much what you see is what you get. He doesn’t tell any lies. He tells us why he doesn’t do what he used to any more. He’s found some sort of contentment and can live with himself now that he’s helping to save lives rather than destroy them. This touches Jack and you do think Jack might go that way. Jack’s his own man and Carl could never convince him to join him, but you do see a whole new side to Jack. In the first part of the film, you see him help to build a school. It’s lovely just to realise he actually has a friend. And Carl’s quite something. These guys don’t have many friends!

How does Carl Benton link in with Jon Voigt’s character?
I can’t really tell you that or Jack Bauer would pay you and me a visit. I’m bound to silence under pain of death. How Jon Voigt’s character fits in should definitely be a surprise.

Is it giving away too much to say if you’ll be in the seventh series?
Again, same reply. I love this. This is the best press I’ve ever done for any job because I can’t tell you anything about it!

What was filming in South Africa like? Is it a big show over there?
It’s big everywhere, that’s the remarkable thing. The director John Cassar never ceases to be amazed by it. This is the first time they’ve stepped outside the States. The South Africans didn’t know Kiefer as Kiefer Sutherland, but they knew he was Jack Bauer. It’s lovely to work there. It’s a very beautiful country, but also difficult because there’s such a disparity of wealth. That’s right in front of your face, certainly in the large townships that surround Cape Town.

But I shot a movie there three years ago and there’s a large been a change in those years. Prices have gone up and you would hope that would be reflected in the standard of living for the local people. The World Cup is also going there in 2010 and they were building a stadium just outside the hotel where I was staying. Again, you hope that boosts their economy. There’s a long way to go but they’re certainly going in the right direction when you compare them to Zimbabwe across the border.

Were you a fan of the show yourself?
Yes, because I knew Kiefer. I don’t get a lot of time to watch a lot of TV, especially these long serials like 24. It’s very good and it makes you want to watch the next hour and the next one. It’s the perfect DVD set to give as a gift. I watched the first two series and lost touch with it after that, tuning in every now and then. I’ve had a mainly telephone relationship with Kiefer, asking him about the show and obviously his Emmys and the other awards – I’m absolutely delighted for him. 24 is the thriller genre spread over 24 hours, which is why it’s so genius. It’s real time and that keeps you watching.

Do you think 24 has revolutionised TV and that we should do that sort of drama more over here?
Without a doubt. If you look at the standard of American TV now, it’s gone through the roof. You would never have thought even 10 years ago that you could have a conversation about the quality of American TV as opposed the lack of quality we have, with the exception of maybe Spooks and Life on Mars. I think Kudos is a terrific company. You can list at least a dozen good quality American TV shows at the moment.

You’ve done a lot of action-packed parts recently, with this and also The Flood. Is that something you look for in a part?
I like the metronome approach. If I’ve done something with action I’ll try to swing to the other side. I’ll always find myself back at the place I really love, doing the kitchen sink stuff, for want of a better expression. I love real stories about real people and real lives. I’ve just made a film called Summer, which will be released in November. It just premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival and done very well. It’s about two men in their forties who realise they’ve fucked up their whole lives. That has got more depth than any action thriller because it’s about real things that mean something to people.

Which side of the metronome is Carl Benton? Is he more of a sensitive soul or still very much a fighter?
Carl’s an interesting one because he’s been one way and now he’s the other. He’s had a journey and hopefully the performance will reflect that. He’s been in a dark place and still not found what he’s looking for. But he’s halfway towards it.

Without giving too much away, does he get to kick some ass a bit like Jack?
Yeah, there’s a little bit of that. It’s always fun to shoot down a helicopter!

Is there anything else coming up for you?
I did a lot of stuff coming out that I filmed last year, which I’m doing a lot of press for. I’ve also got another film coming out called I Know You Know by Justin Kerrigan. I’ve also got another film coming out called The Tournament, which is about a dozen assassins descending on a town to try to kill each other for a lot of money.

Would you like to do more TV over here?
Certainly, yes. It’s not been a problem for me choosing between film and television. At drama school in the early 80s, they used to say if you do film, you can’t do television too. Why not? Now, especially in America, the quality is so good on television you can’t separate film from television. The line is completely blurred. You can switch on your TV now and see Hollywood stars every night of the week. Anybody you want is there at your fingertips. Jon Voigt is in this of course, and Keifer himself of course. Glenn Close has done a show called Damages as well. No-one cares about the distinction between film and TV actors any more.

And a quick last question. Is Redemption part of the seventh series or separate?
It definitely all fits in. You have to get Jack back, so if you don’t have Redemption, you don’t have Season 7.

Do they take place on the same day?
That would be giving it away!