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.
鈥淚 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,鈥 the younger Sutherland wrote on X. 鈥淎 life well lived.鈥
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 鈥淢ASH,鈥 Julie Christie鈥檚 troubled husband in the thriller 鈥淒on鈥檛 Look Now,鈥 and a Washington intelligence officer in Oliver Stone鈥檚 鈥淛FK.鈥
On TV, he played the Speaker of the House in 鈥淐ommander in Chief鈥 and the rich patriarch in 鈥淒irty, Sexy, Money.鈥
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 General鈥檚 Performing Arts Award.
But in 2023, he told The Canadian Press he didn鈥檛 reflect much on his legacy or the breadth of his career: 鈥淵ou know, it鈥檚 over or very nearly over, so I guess I really got to get down to thinking about it.鈥
His memoir, 鈥淢ade Up, But Still True鈥 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 鈥渄eeply, deeply starstruck.鈥
鈥淗e was a man with a strong presence, a brilliance in his craft and truly a great Canadian artist. He will be deeply missed,鈥 Trudeau said.
As Sutherland worked around the world, he maintained a home in Quebec鈥檚 Eastern Townships, where he hosted dinner parties for his famous family and celebrity friends.
鈥淚 love this country,鈥 Sutherland said when he received the Governor General鈥檚 Award in 2000.
鈥淵ou know, (W.H.) Auden, the English poet, said that a poet鈥檚 hope is to be like some valley cheese: local, but prized elsewhere. I kind of feel like that.鈥
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 鈥 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 T鈥檚 Gate House residence were said to be the inspiration for the 1978 film 鈥淎nimal House,鈥 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.
鈥淗e was a great actor even then,鈥 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 London鈥檚 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.
鈥淭he only thing that connects you 鈥 at that time, in the late 鈥40s, early 鈥50s 鈥 was a letter in the post. They became the thread in the fabric that bounded my family together,鈥 he said.
In the early 1960s, Sutherland transitioned from stage to features, including the thrillers 鈥淐astle of the Living Dead,鈥 鈥淒r. Terror鈥檚 House of Horrors鈥 and 鈥淒ie! Die! My Darling!鈥 He also landed small roles on TV series including 鈥淐ourt Martial,鈥 鈥淭he Saint鈥 and 鈥淭he Avengers.鈥
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 鈥淭he Lost Boys鈥 and the TV series 鈥24.鈥
When Sutherland saw that his son wanted to follow in his footsteps, he gave him one important piece of advice: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 care what you do with your life,鈥 Kiefer Sutherland, quoting his dad, said in a 1998 interview with The Canadian Press.
鈥淛ust don鈥檛 lie in your work, because they鈥檒l catch you.鈥
Donald Sutherland鈥檚 breakthrough in the United States came in 1967 with the film 鈥淭he Dirty Dozen,鈥 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 Altman鈥檚 Oscar-winning Korean War satire 鈥淢ASH,鈥 and 鈥淜elly鈥檚 Heroes,鈥 alongside Clint Eastwood and Telly Savalas.
The 鈥70s were a particularly active time for Sutherland with varied roles in two-dozen other projects, including 鈥淜lute,鈥 鈥淔ellini鈥檚 Casanova,鈥 鈥淎nimal House,鈥 鈥淚nvasion of the Body Snatchers,鈥 鈥淒on鈥檛 Look Now鈥 and 鈥淪teelyard Blues.鈥 The latter two films earned him nominations for a best-actor BAFTA.
Sutherland鈥檚 private life also made headlines during that decade.
First came his highly publicized relationship with his 鈥淜lute鈥 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 鈥淧oor Boy鈥檚 Game鈥 and 鈥淗igh Life.鈥
In the 鈥80s, Sutherland continued to build his resume at a feverish pace, with turns in nearly 20 films including Robert Redford鈥檚 鈥淥rdinary People,鈥 for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe, and 鈥淭hreshold,鈥 which earned him a Genie.
Sutherland eventually won two Golden Globes: in 1996 for his supporting role in 鈥淐itizen X,鈥 for which he also earned an Emmy, then in 2003 for the HBO film 鈥淧ath to War.鈥 That same year he played a minister in 鈥淐old Mountain.鈥
He also got to work with his actor-sons, sharing the screen with Kiefer in the films 鈥淢ax Dugan Returns鈥 and 鈥淎 Time to Kill,鈥 and with Rossif in 鈥淭he Steal Artist.鈥
Rossif Sutherland said working with his dad was 鈥渁 dream.鈥
鈥淗e鈥檚 been the reason for which I鈥檝e started a road in this career and he likes to call himself my first fan,鈥 he told The Canadian Press in January 2010.
鈥淗e鈥檚 the one person that I鈥檝e worked with that gives the impression that I can do no wrong.鈥
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