Kiefer Sutherland always has "a cigarette and whisky" after his shows to relax.

Kiefer Sutherland

Kiefer Sutherland

The former '24' actor and county musician - who played Glastonbury in 2017 - used to suffer from severe anxiety performing on stage, so much so that the crowd would notice his hands "banging on the pickup" on his guitar and "laugh", which "p****d" him off.

Appearing on 'The Chris Evans Breakfast Radio Show' on Virgin with Sky on Friday morning (12.04.19), he said: "I fell in love with touring and played 400 shows over the last five years.

"My hand kept banging on the pickup because I was so nervous. People started laughing it was so bad and it p****d me off so I booked a show the following night to get over it."

Kiefer soon got over his fears and now he always make sure to indulge in his post-gig ritual, he said: "After a gig. I go straight for a cigarette and a whisky."

The 'Lost Boys' star also admitted he had preferred to keep his private life out of the spotlight, but telling tales on stage has become a "comfortable" thing for him to do and he no longer gets "defensive" when asked about personal things.

He said: "We played a show in Michigan and it was the first that wasn't in a dirty bar, the audience was seated like a theatre, and so I felt comfortable telling the stories behind the songs.

"Once that dialogue started the show completely changed.

"Here I was telling stories about my own life, something I protected over 30 years. Now I've given up on being defensive.

"Any bridges you can build to make people realise they have a lot in common, that's a successful night."

The 52-year-old star was joined on the radio show by 'Game of Thrones' star Lena Headey - who plays Cersei Lannister on the popular HBO fantasy series, which will end after eight seasons this year - and both agreed how "emotional" it is when a long-running show comes to an end.

Kiefer - who played Counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer on '24' for 13 years, between 2001 and 2014 - admitted: "I was so excited when '24' was done, the relief of knowing you're going to get a break.

"But then the last day, the last hour of that show I got really emotional thinking, 'I'm not going to see these people every morning.'

"I couldn't look the camera operator in the eye because I was going to start crying."