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This article's subject relates to Season 4 of 24.This article's subject relates to Season 5 of 24.This article's subject relates to Season 6 of 24.This article's subject relates to Season 7 of 24.This is a production article written from an out-of-universe perspectiveThis article is a past or current featured article.
"In this solar system you have one sun. The rest of us are just planets that are invited to orbit, and sometimes we're just yanked out of the sky."
Morrison on his character's death

James Paige Morrison (born April 21, 1954; age 69) played Bill Buchanan on 24 between Season 4 and Season 7.

Biography[]

James Morrison was born in Bountiful, Utah. He moved to Alaska at an early age and was raised in Anchorage. Morrison is married to Riad Galayini, who is the sister of fellow 24 alumni Matt Gallini. They have one son together, Seamus, born in 1999. Morrison started acting with the Carson and Barnes Wild Animal Circus as a clown and wire walker.

Morrison is a writer, director, producer, poet, singer, songwriter, and yoga instructor. He wrote and directed the short film Parking, which was popular in the film festivals it played in. The next year he and his wife wrote the short film Nude Descending. He then produced and starred in the short film Crossing.

Morrison has also appeared in films like Jarhead (with Dennis Haysbert, Jamie Martz, Martin Papazian, and V.J. Foster), The One (with Dean Norris), The Switch (with Jude Ciccolella and Scott Klace), and Catch Me If You Can (with Frank John Hughes and Brian Goodman). He also had a small role in 1993's Falling Down with Karina Arroyave.

24 Day 4 Crew Pose- Morrison, Mary Lynn, Reiko, Haysbert and Surnow

On-set with Joel Surnow, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Dennis Haysbert and Reiko Aylesworth.

Despite his work in well-known films, Morrison has mostly focused his career on TV series. Through the years, he has had recurring or lead roles on TV shows like Space: Above and Beyond (with Nancy Linehan Charles), Those Who Kill (with Omid Abtahi), Private Practice (with Christina Chang), Hawthorne (with Vincent Laresca and Sara Gilbert), and the late-night soap opera Revenge. He has also guest-starred on shows like Numb3rs (with Peter MacNicol), NCIS (with Pauley Perrette), and Law & Order: LA (with Jeff Kober).

Aside from acting, Morrison has a published book of poetry and prose, Fog Slow To Clear, and a published play called Idle Wheels. Also, he worked as a lecturer for 4 years at Bournemouth University School of Media in England. Morrison is also a singer/songwriter and has released two albums.

In 2014, Morrison released a documentary titled Showing Up where actors are interviewed regarding the audition process of work. The documentary was directed and produced by Morrison and his wife. Some of the actors featured in the documentary are Mary Lynn Rajskub, Janeane Garofalo, Tamara Tunie, Currie Graham, Nick Chinlund, and Stephen Spinella.

Morrison will appear in the 2017 Twin Peaks revival on Showtime, alongside Ray Wise, Matt Battaglia, John Billingsley, Brent Briscoe, Bailey Chase, Rob Mars, and Erik Rondell. Morrison is one of the narrators of the audio version of Mark Frost's The Secret History of Twin Peaks (2016), along with Chris Mulkey and Annie Wersching.

Role on 24[]

24 Day 5 Filming BTS

Morrison on a filming break with Kiefer Sutherland and Kim Raver.

Morrison played the role of Bill Buchanan from Season 4 to Season 7. The role was supposed to be a one-episode guest star but the writers decided to extend the role, which finally remained for four seasons. He started as a guest star in Season 4, but was promoted to the main cast by Season 5 and remained as such until his last appearance in Season 7.

Unlike many other actors and actresses that have tried for 24, Morrison hadn't seen the show prior to his casting. He almost missed the audition because he had plans to go to Hawaii with his family on that day. However, his managers urged him to do the casting and made some re-arrangements of the flight schedules to allow him to try for the role. On an interview with About.com, Morrison said he "watched the episode where Jack kills Ryan Chappelle. I watched it the night before I went in and it blew my mind that these guys would do that. I said, 'these guys would do anything, I have to be on that show.'"[1]

Day 7- White House cast

Morrison with Season 7 cast members Isaach De Bankole, Annie Wersching, and Bob Gunton.

About his character's death, Morrison said in an interview with Los Angeles Times "The moment you step aboard 24 you're taught to expect that you're going to bite it ... In this solar system you have one sun. The rest of us are just planets that are invited to orbit, and sometimes we're just yanked out of the sky." During the filming of the episode when Bill Buchanan died, the cast and crew of the show gathered with cake at the White House set. "I spent a moment with them basking in their appreciation of what I felt like was sort of a family member leaving the fold," Morrison said. "It was the most familial set I'd been on."[2]

24 credits[]

24-related appearances[]

Scenemaker13

Morrison's makeup in Scenemakers

Selected filmography[]

  • 1 (2020)
  • Intersect (2020)
  • Captain Marvel (2019)
  • The Meanest Man in Texas (2017)
  • I Am I (2013)
  • Raspberry Magic (2010)
  • Jarhead (2005)
  • Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Television appearances

  • NCIS: Hawai'i (2023)
  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2020-2021)
  • The Twilight Zone (2019)
  • Twin Peaks (2017)
  • NCIS (2004, 2017)
  • Castle (2016)
  • Those Who Kill (2014)
  • Revenge (2012)
  • Hawthorne (2009-2011)
  • Numb3rs (2007)
  • Freedom (2000-2001)

References[]

External links[]

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