24 Preview: Will the First Daughter Be a Problem Child?

First daughter Olivia Taylor got quite an introduction last week on Fox's 24, stubbornly balking at being pulled away from a business meeting by Secret Service agent extraordinaire Aaron Pierce. Is the president's surviving offspring not much of a momma's girl? Might she cause unnecessary headaches for the leader of the free world? Joan of Arcadia and Jericho alumna Sprague Grayden gave us a preview (well, what little she could!) of the story ahead.

TVGuide.com: Were you a fan of 24 before you got this role?
Sprague Grayden: Yeah, I was, so I was very excited. I've been blessed to do so many different shows, but I've never done an action show, really. On Jericho, other people got to ride horses and shoot guns, but I never did. This is a whole new genre for me. 

TVGuide.com: Did 24 present you with any "firsts" as an actress?
Grayden: Totally. For one, I was a guest star, so you usually get a chair that says "CAST" on it. But when I get there, all of a sudden I see a chair with my name on it! I said to a producer, "That's so nice, thank you!" He's like, "Well, we like to treat you well here on 24, because you never know when you're going to get a bullet in the head." I was like, "Right on!" [Laughs] This also might be the first real adult character I've played. Olivia is definitely a woman. In fact, when I went to the audition, I didn't really have that many "grown-up clothes," so I put on this one black skirt I have and a sweater. When I got the callback, they said, "Yeah ... can you try to dress a little more elegantly?" So I had to go shopping!

TVGuide.com: Is Olivia a straight arrow, or perhaps Jenna Bush-like?
Grayden: Olivia definitely has her business, and she's going to get it done. She's very goal-oriented. 

TVGuide.com: What could her "business" be?
Grayden: You'll have to wait and find out! [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: What's her point of view on Mom's presidency — is she loving it, or not so much?
Grayden: I think Olivia is clearly supportive of her family, as is every member of the family. Family is first and foremost for all of them.

TVGuide.com: The First Son who died — was he Olivia's full-brother or a half-brother?
Grayden: Um, I don't know if I'm allowed to answer that....

TVGuide.com: Is she going to get pulled into the mystery of his death?
Grayden: Now that is definitely something I must stay mum about.

TVGuide.com: Who have you been working with more — Cherry Jones or Colm Feore?
Grayden: Oh, that's tricky, come on now! I can't answer that either! [Laughs] Um ... after my first couple episodes air, the answer to that will become very clear. But I will say that Olivia's relationship with each of her parents gets explored, and they may be different sorts of relationships. (Watch related video: Cherry Jones calls First Daughter "a Daddy's girl.")

TVGuide.com: It's never easy being the child of a president on 24. Should we pencil you in for a kidnapping?
Grayden: [Laughs] I think you should just leave the book open on Olivia. Anything can happen with her. She's an interesting cookie.

TVGuide.com: Might she get a romantic interest along the way?
Grayden: Hmmm, I can't answer that either!

TVGuide.com: Carlos Bernard has teased that Tony has an interesting romance somewhere along the way. I can see Tony maybe saving the first daughter from something or another, and then there's a heated clinch....
Grayden: Well, he is kind of dreamy.