Donald Sutherland, the influential actor who graced movie and television screens over several decades, has died at age 88, his son announced Thursday.
Kiefer Sutherland posted about his father’s death on social media, describing him as “one of the most important actors in the history of cinema”.
“Never be scared by a role, whether good, bad or ugly,” he wrote. “He loved what he did and did what he loved, and you can never ask for more than that. A life well lived.”
Creative Artists Agency also announced the death of its client, saying Donald Sutherland died of a long illness in Miami, Florida.
Donald Sutherland, a Canadian actor, rose to fame in the late 1960s and early ’70s with film roles in “The Dirty Dozen” and “M*A*S*H.” In Robert Altman’s gonzo 1970 anti-war film, Sutherland played surgeon Hawkeye Pierce, a role later made famous by Alan Alda in the TV adaptation of “M*A*S*H.”
Sutherland established himself as one of Hollywood’s most versatile leading men in the 1970s. He starred as the detective opposite Jane Fonda in his Oscar-winning role in the 1971 neo-noir film “Klute,” played the grieving father in the influential thriller 1973 horror film, “Don’t Look Now,” and was instrumental in one of the most shocking endings. in science fiction history in the 1978 version of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.”
But his career spanned so many beloved projects that he became a household name for generations.
His cinematic legacy spans a variety of genres, from dramatic roles in “JFK” and “Backdraft” to comedies like “Fool’s Gold,” the 2008 romance starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. He also revealed his cheekier side in the 1978 comedy classic “Animal House.”
In the “Hunger Games” franchise, he played the villain Panem President Coriolanus Snow, facing Jennifer Lawrence as the young heroine Katniss Everdeen. He also played the role of a loving father in the 2005 adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice,” starring Keira Knightley.
A franchise based on the young adult book series “The Hunger Games” may have seemed like an unlikely role for Sutherland. But the actor said the BBC in 2015 that he hoped the great success would encourage young people to become more politically involved.
He described the passion of the young fans who attended the premieres as “extraordinary”.
“For the last 30 years I was convinced that they didn’t think politically,” he told the BBC. “The goal of everyone involved in this was to try to get them involved.”
Sutherland also played roles on the smaller screen, winning an Emmy for “Citizen X.” The 1995 made-for-television film depicted the hunt for a serial killer in the Soviet Union, based on a real-life criminal case.
His television work in recent years has included shows such as “Lawmen: Bass Reeves,” “Commander in Chief” and “Crossing Lines.”
Sutherland has five children, daughter Rachel and sons Roeg, Rossif, Angus and Kiefer. He starred alongside Kiefer – an accomplished actor as the star of the “24” TV franchise and films such as “The Lost Boys” and “Young Guns” – in the film “Forsaken,” a Western centered on the relationship between a father and son.
In a 2016 interview with NBC’s “TODAY” show” show, he said that when they looked at each other during the scenes, they each saw behind the eyes of an actor and into the eyes of a father and son.
“It informs the situation and is supposed to,” he said. “That’s what we wanted.”
Kiefer had nothing but praise for his father, saying it was almost like “cheating” instead of acting.
“I’ve always felt that my father is not only one of the most prolific actors in the English language, but also one of the most important,” he told the “TODAY” show. “He’s someone I’ve wanted to work with my entire career.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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