James Heller

James Heller was Secretary of Defense under President John Keeler and retained this position under President Charles Logan. Heller, a widower, is the father of his senior policy analyst, Audrey Raines. His son, Richard, was an activist who frequently participated in anti-government and anti-corporate protests, much to his father's chagrin. Charles Logan later forced James Heller to submit his resignation, though it is unlikely that Heller did so in light of the revelations about Logan's terrorist connections.

Background

Family

• Wife (deceased as of Day 4): Susan Heller
• Daughter: Audrey Raines
• Son: Richard Heller

Education

• Bachelor of Arts, Political Science – Yale University

Work Experience

• Department of Defense - Secretary
• Anderson Aerospace Corporation - President & CEO
• Ballard Technology - CFO
• U.S. Ballistic Missile Threat Committee - Counsellor to the President
• U.S. Commission to Assess National Security Policy - Chairman
• The President’s Economic Stabilization Program - Director
• United States Congress, Representative
• House Armed Services Committee - Chairman
• House Appropriations Committee - Member
• Applied Aviation Company - President

Military Experience

• US Army - Air Defense Artillery Officer
• Pilot and Instructor
• Captain, Retired Reserve

Honors

• Presidential Medal of Freedom
• Aerospace Executive of the Year
• Board of Trustee, National Park Foundation
• Board of Trustee, Freedom Foundation
• NROTC Scholarship

Before Day 4

When President David Palmer decided not to run a second term, Senator John Keeler became a clear winner and became the next US president. James Heller became the Secretary of Defense and he hired Jack Bauer, a former CTU agent, to serve as a special advisor. Audrey Raines, Heller's daughter, served as a senior policy analyst with DOD. Heller's relationship with his son, Richard, was very strained as they had a differnet view in politics.

Day 4

Heller arrives at CTU

When Secretary Heller learned that his son, Richard, planned on attending a rally that opposed his political beliefs, he decided to meet with him and send advisor Jack Bauer to CTU Los Angeles to attend a budget meeting. After Heller left Richard's house with his daughter, Audrey, his security detail was attacked and he was taken hostage, along with his daughter, by a group of terrorists.

Heller and Audrey were taken to a warehouse by the Middle Eastern terrorists, who posted a live broadcast all over the internet. The terrorists tied up Heller and revealed that they would put him on trial for war crimes against humanity and if he is found guilty of these crimes, he will be executed on American soil and everybody in the country would witness it.

The terrorists, lead by a man named Omar, forced Heller to sign a document confessing to the war crimes, but he refused to sign in. When they threatened to kill Audrey, Heller saw no other choice but to cave into their demands and sign the confession. Heller then later fakes a heart attack and manages to take out one of the guards and escape from the compound. After killing a few of Omar's men, Heller and Audrey are cornered and Omar threatens to kill Audrey if any more of his men are found dead.

After realizing the embarrassment the country will face is he is executed live, Heller suggests for Audrey to kill him, which would cause the terrorist's plans to fail. Audrey refuses to do it and after they both realize both of them are dead no matter what happens, they break open a gas pipe and nearly die, but Omar's men are able to find and revive them before the gas had any permanent damage.

Omar and his men begin the broadcast, as CTU and President Keller watch. Just as the terrorists are about to execute Heller, bullets are seen flying around and President Keeler calls off the air strike on the warehouse. Jack is able to save Heller and they go after Audrey, who is taken hostage by Omar. Out of ammunition, Jack and Heller are in a blindspot, but luckily the Marines arrive and take out all of Omar's guards. Audrey manages to stab Omar in the leg, just as Jack throws a knife into his neck, leading to the marine's gunning Omar down.

Jack takes Audrey and Heller back to CTU, and Heller confronts his daughter about her relationship with Jack, realizing they are romantically involved. Heller learns that CTU has been interrogating Richard and after talking to his son, Heller is convinced that he is hiding something. Secretary Heller gives Curtis Manning the authorization to go to any methods to get information out of Richard.

Heller confronts Audrey's husband Paul Raines, telling him to give Audrey the chance to decide what their estranged marriage is headed two. Heller and the rest of CTU then learn the main terrorist behind the day's attacks, Habib Marwan, is in control of an override device that can melt down nuclear plants. Luckily Edgar Stiles is able to shot down the majority of the plants, but Marwan still holds control of six plants.

When Jack and Audrey follow up on a lead, they are attacked by men, and luckily Tony Almeida arrives to save their lives. Realizing their is a mole inside CTU, Jack contacts Heller and shares this information with him. Heller has his assistant plan false information on Jack's location to see who transmits it, and Sarah Gavin is revealed to be the mole. Special Agent in Charge Erin Driscoll interrogates her, but gets nothing. Edgar then proves that Sarah Gavin was set up and the real mole is Marianne Taylor, who attempts to escape from CTU.

When a nuclear plant begans to meltdown on San Gabriel Island, Heller contacts President Keeler with this terrible news. He is then alarmed when Audrey tells him that the radiation cloud is blowing towards the clogged evacuation route. Heller then allows Audrey to go to the local DOD office to help out, and is then astonished when he learns Paul has a connection to the terrorits. He becomes furious with Jack when he learns that Audrey met with Paul in order to prevent him from leaving town.

When Edgar is able to stop the remaining nuclear meltdowns, Heller is pleased and congrulates him and the rest of Erin's staff. Unfortunately, Erin's daughter Maya committed suicide, and Heller advises her to take a leave of absence. Realizing that Tony Almeida has helped out tremendously and knowing he ran CTU for two years in the past, Heller agrees to have him serve as director until Division's replacement, Michelle Dessler, arrives.

After Audrey has witnessed Jack's agressive behavior as a field agent, Audrey reveals to her father that her feelings for him may of changed and after Paul is seriously injured, she starts to realize that she may still have feelings for him. Realizing more attacks can come, President Keeler requests for Heller to be transfered to Division, to work with a general in laying out options for martial law.

When a connection is found between Marwan and Richard, Heller returns to CTU and decides to interrogate his son when none of Agent Manning's methods work. Richard confesses to his father that he slept with a man, whose girlfriend may of used his phone to contact Marwan. Although Richard feels his father is disappointed over his sexual orientation, Heller is disappointed over the fact Richard didn't come clean with this earlier, as it could of saved many lives and time.

Day 5

Heller is contacted by Audrey

At the start of Day 5, Heller was attending a summit in Japan. While on his private jet on the return trip, his daughter, Audrey Raines, telephoned him and told him that it was urgent that he redirect the plane to land in Los Angeles.

Jack and Audrey met him at Van Nuys Airfield to give him evidence implicating President Logan in the death of David Palmer and the Sentox VX nerve gas attacks. Bauer presented him with an audio recording proving that President Charles Logan knew about the attacks and Palmer's assassination, and asked Heller to take it to the Attorney General. Heller took the recording, but refused to take it to the Attorney General, believing it would hurt the country to have the President involved in a public trial. He had his men take Jack and Audrey into custody.

Heller refuses to shake Charles Logan's hand.

Heller confronted Logan about his involvement, asking him to resign in front of Vice President Hal Gardner. However, the tables were turned when Christopher Henderson, working for Logan, recovered the evidence. With no evidence implicating him, Logan asked Heller to submit his resignation by the morning.

As Heller was driving away, Henderson's men tracked him from a helicopter. To avoid forcing Bauer to release Henderson, Heller drove his car off of a cliff and into a lake.

It was later discovered that Heller was still alive, but in critical condition. His daughter Audrey went to go see him under supervision of a guard unit.

Memorable Quotes

• James Heller: When the trial begins you may have an opportunity to escape. You have to take it even if it’s dangerous.
• Audrey Raines: Maybe we’ll have a chance before then.
• James Heller: They’re never going to take their eyes off of me. It has to be when their attention is on the trial.
• Audrey Raines: I don’t wanna get out of here without you.
• James Heller: Forget about me. You have to take every chance. Promise me.
• Audrey Raines: Dad, I… I can’t.
• James Heller: Yes, you can. You can. I want you to live your life, a full life. I want you to have a family. That’s all I care about. You’re my baby.
• Audrey Raines: I can’t do it.
• James Heller: Yes, you can. You can do it. Come on now.

• James Heller: When my wife Susan died, I didn't deal with it at all. Actually, I went to work the next day. I remember thinking to myself, that's life. Quit feeling sorry for yourself. Get over it and get on with it. A few weeks later, I answered a call from an old friend of Susan's who did not know she had died. And when I heard myself saying, "Susan has passed away," when I actually said those words, it hit me. All the pain I was trying to shut out just overwhelmed me. Erin, you can't keep it inside. You cry, you blame God, you blame yourself and then you cry some more. And all the while you let you friends help you. It's pretty simple. Very painful. And I am so, so sorry for you.

• James Heller: I am the Secretary of Defense of the United States of America. You will listen to me!

• James Heller: Spare me your sixth grade Michael Moore logic!

• Terrorist: Take off your clothes.
• James Heller: You first.

• James Heller: When did you find out about this?
• Erin Driscoll: About 5 minutes ago.
• James Heller: That's when you should've told me!

• James Heller: (on Charles Logan) I was terrified when he took the oath.

• Charles Logan: May I remind you that you are addressing the President of United States.
• James Heller: I know exactly who I am talking to.

• James Heller: (to President Logan) I know what you did, I know what you're doing. I'm here to put an end to it.

• James Heller: (to President Logan) Your chair is not a throne.

• Charles Logan: Isn't there anything I can give you, anything you want?
• James Heller: By doing this, you'll be giving me exactly what I want.

• James Heller: (to Jack Bauer) Make sure the recording gets to the right people! Tell Audrey I love her.

Appearances

Day 4

Prequel
7:00am-8:00am	8:00am-9:00am	9:00am-10:00am	10:00am-11:00am	11:00am-12:00pm	12:00pm-1:00pm
1:00pm-2:00pm	2:00pm-3:00pm	3:00pm-4:00pm	4:00pm-5:00pm	5:00pm-6:00pm	6:00pm-7:00pm
7:00pm-8:00pm	8:00pm-9:00pm	9:00pm-10:00pm	10:00pm-11:00pm	11:00pm-12:00am	12:00am-1:00am
1:00am-2:00am	2:00am-3:00am	3:00am-4:00am	4:00am-5:00am	5:00am-6:00am	6:00am-7:00am
Conspiracy

Day 5

Prequel
7:00am-8:00am	8:00am-9:00am	9:00am-10:00am	10:00am-11:00am	11:00am-12:00pm	12:00pm-1:00pm
1:00pm-2:00pm	2:00pm-3:00pm	3:00pm-4:00pm	4:00pm-5:00pm	5:00pm-6:00pm	6:00pm-7:00pm
7:00pm-8:00pm	8:00pm-9:00pm	9:00pm-10:00pm	10:00pm-11:00pm	11:00pm-12:00am	12:00am-1:00am
1:00am-2:00am	2:00am-3:00am	3:00am-4:00am	4:00am-5:00am	5:00am-6:00am	6:00am-7:00am

Sources

• James Heller's Fox.com profile