Prolific Actor Donald Sutherland Has Passed Away At The Age Of 88
Image Source: JoBlo
Actor Donald Sutherland passed away on June 20, 2024, at the age of 88 years old following a long illness. His son and fellow actor, Kiefer Sutherland, posted to X a heartfelt message announcing his father’s death.
“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 than that. A life well lived.”
Sutherland was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada on July 17, 1935. His career began as a radio news reporter. In 1957, he went to London, where he studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. With nearly 200 credits to his name, including The Dirty Dozen (1967), M*A*S*H (1970), Klute (1971), Pride and Prejudice (2005), The Hunger Games (2012) franchise, and Forsaken (2015) alongside his son, Kiefer Sutherland, the actor’s incredible career spanned around five decades. Many of his previous costars and industry friends took to social media to pay their respects to the prolific actor.
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“It was my honor to work with him many years ago, and I will never forget his charisma and ability.” – Rob Lowe.
“Our hearts are breaking for you. So grateful to have known [and] worked with him. Sending our love.” – Cary Elwes.
Director Ron Howard, who worked with Sutherland in Backdraft, said he was “one of the most intelligent, interesting, [and] engrossing film actors of all time.”
Actress Jane Fonda costarred opposite Sutherland in Klute. The pair dated for two years as well. Fonda took to Instagram to pay tribute, describing him as “a brilliant actor,” stating also that they shared “quite a few adventures” together. She went on to say, “I am heartbroken.”
Image Source: nytimes.com
Helen Mirren worked with Sutherland in the film, The Leisure Seeker. She described him to THR as a friend, saying he was “one of the smartest actors” she had ever worked with. Mirren also said “He had a wonderful enquiring brain, and a great knowledge on a wide variety of subjects. He combined this great intelligence with a deep sensitivity, and with a seriousness about his profession as an actor. This all made him into the legend of film that he became. He was my colleague and became my friend. I will miss his presence in this world.”
“It’s never easy losing the calibre of a human being and actor like Donald Sutherland, but this one really profoundly hurts because Donald was like my brother, and a big part of my own career.” – M*A*S*H costar, Elliot Gould.
Condolences and tributes from fellow actors are not the only respects paid to the late actor. Government leaders from both the U.S. and Canada also extended heartfelt messages.
“My thoughts go out to Kiefer and the entire Sutherland family, as well as all Canadians who are no doubt saddened to learn, as I am right now. He was a man with a strong presence, a brilliance in his craft and truly, truly a great Canadian artist.” – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
President Joe Biden described Sutherland as a “one-of-a-kind actor who inspired and entertained the world for decades.”
Sutherland was known for his political activism. This energy was channeled into his role as President Snow in The Hunger Games. The official Hunger Games X account appreciated the irony between the man’s persona and his portrayal of Coriolanus Snow. “We asked the kindest man in the world to portray the most corrupt, ruthless dictator we’ve ever seen. Such was the power and skill of Donald Sutherland’s acting that he created one more indelible character among many others that defined his legendary career. We are privileged to have known and worked with him, and our thoughts are with his family.”
His memoir, Made Up, But Still True, is expected to be published in November.
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