Remember That Time Kiefer Sutherland Fought a Christmas Tree?

The year is 2006. There is arguably no bigger movie-turned-television star than Kiefer Sutherland on Fox’s hit series “24.” Son of legendary actor Donald Sutherland, Kiefer made a name for himself in films like “Stand By Me,” “The Lost Boys,” and “Young Guns.” He’s in the process of making a documentary, “I Trust You Not To Kill Me,” about this band signed to his music label, Ironworks.

Rocco DeLuca and the Burden is out on tour, with Sutherland as their manager. Manu Boyer directs. It actually isn’t a bad docu, especially if you’re a fan of the genre.

But something happened while filming that has definitely eclipsed the band, the film, and maybe even Sutherland’s career.

Chances are you’ve seen the clip, included in the docu released in 2007. A seemingly intoxicated Kiefer decides he’s taken offense from a Christmas tree in a Texas hotel lobby. So, as one does, he tackles it.

Tabloids of course ran the story that he was drunk as a skunk. Keep in mind, this is the era of David Hasslehoff eating a cheeseburger off the floor. Somewhat understandable that the general public would accept another actor doing outrageous things.

But that wasn’t the whole story, as this interview with the great Dan Rather proves. Sutherland says he actually purchased the tree for an earlier scene, before the incident in question ever happened. And, he planned out the entire scene. “I thought it’d be hilarious,” he says, about jumping on the damn thing.

He was entirely right.

Happy holidays, Kiefer.