(LibertyInsider.org) – Older audiences remember his performance as Hawkeye Pierce in the movie “M*A*S*H,” while younger fans are more likely to recall him as President Snow from the “Hunger Games” movie series. Donald Sutherland, a Canadian actor with a film and television portfolio that spanned over 60 years, died on June 20 at 88 after a lingering unspecified illness.
His oldest son, Kiefer Sutherland, announced his father’s death in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that paid tribute to his dad’s acting ability.
With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away. I 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… pic.twitter.com/3EdJB03KKT
— Kiefer Sutherland (@RealKiefer) June 20, 2024
Born July 17, 1935, in Saint John, New Brunswick, Sutherland experienced poor health as a child. He attended schools in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, where he grew up.
At 14, a broadcasting job as a disc jockey at a local radio station led him to take an English degree at the University of Toronto. He then studied Dramatic Arts at the London Academy. However, he dropped out to work in stage productions.
His work eventually caught the attention of directors, including Luciano Ricci and Warren Kiefer, for whom he named his first son. However, the first movie to bring him to the audience’s attention was “The Dirty Dozen” in 1967.
Hits like “M*A*S*H” and “Kelley’s Heroes” followed in 1970, ”Klute” in 1971, and “Don’t Look Now” in 1973. Incredibly, he had three hits in 1976: “1900,” Casanova,” directed by Federico Fellini and one of his personal favorites because of Fellini’s direction, and “The Eagle Has Landed.” Many more followed.
Colleagues and fans, including Ron Howard, Rob Lowe, Billy Baldwin, Elliot Gould, Jane Fonda, and Adam Nimoy, among many others, gave tributes to Sutherland. Gould described him as being “like a brother.” Howard called him “One of the most intelligent, interesting & engrossing film actors of all time.” Baldwin described the absolute pleasure of working with him and the loss he felt.
Actor Donald Sutherland has died, aged 88. In 1990, he talked to Terry Wogan about eyes, E.T., casting, Casanova and communal showering. pic.twitter.com/KooLcr2esv
— BBC Archive (@BBCArchive) June 21, 2024
Sutherland leaves behind his wife of 52 years, Francine Racette, twins Keifer and Rachel Sutherland, and sons Nicolas Roeg, Rossif, and Angus Redford.
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