Donald Sutherland, the New Brunswick-born acting legend with the distinct baritone voice and prolific stage and screen career that inspired sons Kiefer and Rossif to pursue the craft, has died.
He died at age 88, Kiefer Sutherland said in a social media post on Thursday.
91裸聊视频淚 personally think one of the most important actors in the history of film. Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that,91裸聊视频� the younger Sutherland wrote on X. 91裸聊视频淎 life well lived.91裸聊视频�
At six-foot-four, with big blue eyes and a deep, dulcet voice, the elder Sutherland was a striking and unmistakable presence in film, television and radio for more than 50 years.
His varied film roles included snarky surgeon Hawkeye Pierce in 91裸聊视频淢ASH,91裸聊视频� Julie Christie91裸聊视频檚 troubled husband in the thriller 91裸聊视频淒on91裸聊视频檛 Look Now,91裸聊视频� and a Washington intelligence officer in Oliver Stone91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淛FK.91裸聊视频�
On TV, he played the Speaker of the House in 91裸聊视频淐ommander in Chief91裸聊视频� and the rich patriarch in 91裸聊视频淒irty, Sexy, Money.91裸聊视频�
Though he was in more than 100 films, Sutherland was never nominated for an Academy Award. He did, however, receive an honorary Oscar in 2017, as well as two BAFTA nominations, an Emmy Award and two Golden Globes.
He was also an officer of the Order of Canada and won a Genie and a Governor General91裸聊视频檚 Performing Arts Award.
But in 2023, he told The Canadian Press he didn91裸聊视频檛 reflect much on his legacy or the breadth of his career: 91裸聊视频淵ou know, it91裸聊视频檚 over or very nearly over, so I guess I really got to get down to thinking about it.91裸聊视频�
His memoir, 91裸聊视频淢ade Up, But Still True91裸聊视频� is slated for publication by Viking Canada in November.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was among those to mourn Sutherland, telling a press conference in Wolfville, N.S., that he met the actor when he was young and was 91裸聊视频渄eeply, deeply starstruck.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淗e was a man with a strong presence, a brilliance in his craft and truly a great Canadian artist. He will be deeply missed,91裸聊视频� Trudeau said.
As Sutherland worked around the world, he maintained a home in Quebec91裸聊视频檚 Eastern Townships, where he hosted dinner parties for his famous family and celebrity friends.
91裸聊视频淚 love this country,91裸聊视频� Sutherland said when he received the Governor General91裸聊视频檚 Award in 2000.
91裸聊视频淵ou know, (W.H.) Auden, the English poet, said that a poet91裸聊视频檚 hope is to be like some valley cheese: local, but prized elsewhere. I kind of feel like that.91裸聊视频�
Sutherland was born in Saint John and raised in Bridgewater, N.S. His father, Frederick Sutherland, was a salesman and his mother, Dorothy Isobel, a mathematics teacher. Various reports say Sutherland battled polio, rheumatic fever and hepatitis as a child.
At age 14, Sutherland landed a part-time job as a DJ and news broadcaster for local radio station CKBW. It was the start of a successful side career in multimedia voiceover work 91裸聊视频� something son Kiefer also pursued.
Sutherland studied drama, engineering and English at the University of Toronto, where he played to audiences at the Hart House Theatre and met his first wife of seven years, Lois Hardwick. His memories of toga parties at U of T91裸聊视频檚 Gate House residence were said to be the inspiration for the 1978 film 91裸聊视频淎nimal House,91裸聊视频� in which he co-starred.
Author Margaret Atwood wrote on social media that she remembered Sutherland from their time at Victoria College at the University of Toronto.
91裸聊视频淗e was a great actor even then,91裸聊视频� she wrote on X.
After getting his degree in 1958, Sutherland attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in England and went on to act with the Perth Repertory Theatre in Scotland and on London91裸聊视频檚 West End.
Though he left Canada, he stayed in touch with his loved ones back home, he told The Canadian Press in a 2023 interview when Canada Post released a stamp bearing his face.
91裸聊视频淭he only thing that connects you 91裸聊视频� at that time, in the late 91裸聊视频�40s, early 91裸聊视频�50s 91裸聊视频� was a letter in the post. They became the thread in the fabric that bounded my family together,91裸聊视频� he said.
In the early 1960s, Sutherland transitioned from stage to features, including the thrillers 91裸聊视频淐astle of the Living Dead,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淒r. Terror91裸聊视频檚 House of Horrors91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淒ie! Die! My Darling!91裸聊视频� He also landed small roles on TV series including 91裸聊视频淐ourt Martial,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淭he Saint91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淭he Avengers.91裸聊视频�
In 1966, Sutherland married his second wife, Canadian actress and activist Shirley Douglas, daughter of medicare founder Tommy Douglas. That same year they had twins Rachel and Kiefer, who has become a star in his own right with films including 91裸聊视频淭he Lost Boys91裸聊视频� and the TV series 91裸聊视频�24.91裸聊视频�
When Sutherland saw that his son wanted to follow in his footsteps, he gave him one important piece of advice: 91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 care what you do with your life,91裸聊视频� Kiefer Sutherland, quoting his dad, said in a 1998 interview with The Canadian Press.
91裸聊视频淛ust don91裸聊视频檛 lie in your work, because they91裸聊视频檒l catch you.91裸聊视频�
Donald Sutherland91裸聊视频檚 breakthrough in the United States came in 1967 with the film 91裸聊视频淭he Dirty Dozen,91裸聊视频� in which he played an imprisoned soldier during the Second World War. Co-stars included Lee Marvin and Charles Bronson.
Three years later, he further solidified his star status in Hollywood with two more war films: Robert Altman91裸聊视频檚 Oscar-winning Korean War satire 91裸聊视频淢ASH,91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淜elly91裸聊视频檚 Heroes,91裸聊视频� alongside Clint Eastwood and Telly Savalas.
The 91裸聊视频�70s were a particularly active time for Sutherland with varied roles in two-dozen other projects, including 91裸聊视频淜lute,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淔ellini91裸聊视频檚 Casanova,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淎nimal House,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淚nvasion of the Body Snatchers,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淒on91裸聊视频檛 Look Now91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淪teelyard Blues.91裸聊视频� The latter two films earned him nominations for a best-actor BAFTA.
Sutherland91裸聊视频檚 private life also made headlines during that decade.
First came his highly publicized relationship with his 91裸聊视频淜lute91裸聊视频� co-star, Jane Fonda, with whom he also helped form an antiwar road show called the FTA tour (Free The Army). Later, Sutherland married French-Canadian actress Francine Racette, with whom he had three sons: Roeg, Angus and Rossif, star of 91裸聊视频淧oor Boy91裸聊视频檚 Game91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淗igh Life.91裸聊视频�
In the 91裸聊视频�80s, Sutherland continued to build his resume at a feverish pace, with turns in nearly 20 films including Robert Redford91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淥rdinary People,91裸聊视频� for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe, and 91裸聊视频淭hreshold,91裸聊视频� which earned him a Genie.
Sutherland eventually won two Golden Globes: in 1996 for his supporting role in 91裸聊视频淐itizen X,91裸聊视频� for which he also earned an Emmy, then in 2003 for the HBO film 91裸聊视频淧ath to War.91裸聊视频� That same year he played a minister in 91裸聊视频淐old Mountain.91裸聊视频�
He also got to work with his actor-sons, sharing the screen with Kiefer in the films 91裸聊视频淢ax Dugan Returns91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淎 Time to Kill,91裸聊视频� and with Rossif in 91裸聊视频淭he Steal Artist.91裸聊视频�
Rossif Sutherland said working with his dad was 91裸聊视频渁 dream.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淗e91裸聊视频檚 been the reason for which I91裸聊视频檝e started a road in this career and he likes to call himself my first fan,91裸聊视频� he told The Canadian Press in January 2010.
91裸聊视频淗e91裸聊视频檚 the one person that I91裸聊视频檝e worked with that gives the impression that I can do no wrong.91裸聊视频�
READ ALSO:
