24 made a lot of progressive leaps during its time on the air; in a pre-Barack Obama world, the show elected an African-American senator as President, and in the seventh and eighth seasons, it gave viewers the first female President: Allison Taylor, played by Cherry Jones. A tough but fair leader, President Taylor was forced into some pretty grisly decisions by the end of her debut season; after refusing to back down when faced with terrorist opposition, her family was in serious jeopardy, with her son murdered, her daughter in jail, and her husband in critical condition.
Jones was the perfect choice to play such a wise leader; throughout her career, she's made a habit of playing strong, inscrutable women. A Broadway legend who's appeared in everything from Doubt to Angels in America and The Glass Menagerie, she's racked up an impressive list of small-screen credits beyond 24, though Allison Taylor was the role that netted Jones her first Emmy, for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama in 2009. Beyond her starring role in NBC's 2012 series Awake, Jones has appeared in shows such as Transparent, Black Mirror, 11.22.63, Succession, and Hulu's award-winning The Handmaid's Tale, which earned Jones her second Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in 2019.
