This Thursday the Canadian actor died at the age of 89. Donald Sutherland.
“It is with great sadness that I inform you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away.”this is how his son briefly communicated it Kieferalso a renowned actor.
Donald Sutherland was born in Saint-Jean, New Brunswick, Canada, on July 17, 1935. He studied engineering and received a law degree from the University of Toronto to please his parents. His mother was a math teacher and his father ran a local service company. However, he decided to follow his true passion for acting. Later, he traveled to London and enrolled in the Royal Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.
The beginning
After complicated beginnings in the theater, one of his first jobs in film was in the forgettable horror film ‘Castle of the Living Dead’ (1964). In 1967 he was selected for a minor role in Robert Aldrich’s ‘The Dirty Dozen’, because he lived in England and this allowed costs to be reduced. However, his character quickly attracted attention.
Notable roles and obstacles
After this role, he starred in at least two more films in prominent roles. She participated in ‘Kelly’s Violence’ by Brian G. Hutton, alongside Clint Eastwood, and in ‘MTOYesh‘, directed by Altman, where his casual style perfectly adapted to the time. During the filming of ‘MTOYesh‘ in Yugoslavia, he suffered from bacterial meningitis that left him in a coma. In his memoirs, he wrote about how he heard the producer dictate a telegram to his wife informing her that his body would be sent when she died.
His career is consolidated
Despite this incident, his career took a notable turn. He played Jesus Christ in “Johnny took his rifle” (“Johnny went to war” in Latin America) by Dalton Trumbo, and then, in ‘Klute’ by Alan J. Pakula, his role as a detective alongside Jane Fonda confirmed his talent. From 1972, his career was consolidated, and he worked with prominent directors such as Bertolucci in ‘Novecento’, Fellini in ‘Casanova’, John Schlesinger in ‘Like a Plague of Locusts’, Nicolas Roeg in ‘Menace in the Shadow’, John Landis in ‘American Rampage’, and Philip Kaufman in ‘Invasion of the Ultracorps’.
In 1980, his performance in Robert Redford’s ‘People Like One’ showed his ability to convey deep emotions with subtlety. Despite not being nominated for an Oscar, his performance as a father devastated by the loss of his son is considered one of the highlights of his career.
During the 80s and 90s, he continued to demonstrate his versatility as an actor. One of his memorable moments was his 15-minute monologue in Oliver Stone’s ‘JFK’.
To a younger generation, Sutherland was more familiar as the President Snow in the “Hunger Games” franchise that began in the 2012 original.
Awards and personal life
In 2019, at the age of 83, he received the Donostia Award in San Sebastián. In explaining why he was not retiring, he mentioned that he still enjoyed his work and needed to continue supporting his family. Donald Sutherland had five children and was a grandfather. He was married to Lois Hardwick (1959-1966), and Shirley Douglas (1966-1970), with whom he had two children, Kiefer and Rachel. He subsequently married actress Francine Racette in 1974, with whom he had actors Rossif, Angus and Roeg.
Upon receiving the honorary Oscar, he commented with humor on the difficulties of old age, making it clear that, despite never having been nominated, his legacy in cinema is indisputable.
