[photo courtesy of Reuters]

Star of 24, Kiefer Sutherland has been released from prison today after serving 48 days on a drunk driving conviction.

The 41-year-old actor left the Glendale City Jail shortly after midnight and was a model inmate, Glendale Police Officer John Balian said.

“He never gave us any problems, never complained about anything,” Balian said, adding that Sutherland spent most of his time on laundry duty.

Looks like Jack Bauer is getting soft in his old age. Sutherland was arrested for drunk driving this past September for drunk driving while already on probation for a 2004 drunk driving conviction. In addition to his time served in jail, Sutherland will also have to serve “five years probation, complete an 18-month alcohol education program and attend six months of weekly therapy sessions.” However, at least TV’s most decorated and badass real-time counter terrorist agent won’t have to watch the premier of the new season of his hit show from behind bars. The seventh season of 24 is set to premier this month.

If you caught any of the I Trust You To Kill me documentary where Kiefer Sutherland acted as Rocco Deluca’s tour manager and showed off his liver fortitude and mobile phone misplacement skills, it should come as little surprise that he failed a field sobriety test and was arrested this morning in LA for driving under the influence, further proving that Kiefer in real life is the bizarro Jack Bauer.

from the AP:

LOS ANGELES – Kiefer Sutherland was arrested early Tuesday for investigation of misdemeanor drunken driving after he was stopped for making an illegal U-turn and failed a field sobriety test, authorities said. The actor was pulled over about 1:10 a.m. in West Los Angeles, said Officer Kevin Maiberger.
Sutherland, 40, tested over the state’s legal blood alcohol limit of .08 percent, said Officer Karen Smith. Police declined to say what his blood-alcohol level was. Sutherland spokeswoman Annett Wolf declined to comment.

The actor was released around 4 a.m. after posting $25,000 bail, according to Sheriff’s Department records. Maiberger said Sutherland was scheduled to appear in court Oct. 16.

I guess that interview we were scheduling is gonna get pushed back a bit…