Donald Sutherland, the eclectic actor known for his roles in The twelve of the scaffold and The Hunger Games, died at age 88, his son, Kiefer Sutherland, announced Thursday. “With a heavy heart I announce the death of my father,” Kiefer, also an actor, wrote on the social network X.
In a career of more than 50 years and some 200 films, Sutherland established himself as a chameleonic actor, capable of playing great villains, antiheroes and romantic characters. A giant of 1.93 meters, he was one of the most famous Canadian actors outside his country and received an honorary Oscar in 2017.
“He was never intimidated by a role, whether good, bad or ugly,” his son described him. «He loved what he did and did what he loved, and you couldn’t ask for anything more. A life well lived », he added. His first major role came in 1967 with “The Dirty Twelve,” starring Charles Bronson.
Other of his successes were the black comedy “MASH” (1970) and the thriller “My Past Condemns Me” (1971), by Alan Pakula, in which he played a private detective in search of a perverse murderer who threatens a prostitute. , played by Jane Fonda.
Photo: San Sebastián Festival Press
In 1976 he worked with Bernardo Bertolucci in the film “Novecento”. A year later, Federico Fellini hired him for “Casanova.” He participated in about one film per year since its inception in the 1970s. He almost never acted twice under the same director.
The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, fired him this Thursday. “He was a man of great presence, brilliant in his art, and truly a great Canadian artist who will be deeply missed,” he said at a press conference.
Ron Howard, who directed Sutherland alongside Robert De Niro and Kurt Russell in the action thriller “Flare,” said on his social networks that he considers him “one of the most intelligent, interesting and engaging actors of all time.”
The British actress Helen Mirren, with whom he co-starred in “The Journey of Their Lives” in 2017, also defined him as “one of the most intelligent actors I have ever worked with.” «He had a wonderful inquiring mind and enormous knowledge on a wide variety of matters. “He combined this great intelligence with a deep sensitivity, and with a seriousness regarding his profession as an actor,” Mirren said.
«All this made him a cinema legend. He was my colleague and he became my friend. “I’m going to miss his presence in this world,” concluded the actress.
Donald Sutherland and a prolific career
Born on July 17, 1935 in Saint John (New Brunswick, eastern Canada), Donald Sutherland had a childhood marked by serious health problems, as he suffered from hepatitis, poliomyelitis and rheumatic fever.
At the age of 14 he became a DJ on a radio station in Nova Scotia. Trained in theater and engineering at the University of Toronto, he gravitated towards theater and at the age of 22 he left for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.
Photo: San Sebastián Festival Press
He was hailed as “one of the most versatile film and television actors of the century” by Variety magazine. His slender silhouette, his absent air and his enigmatic smile gave him great charisma and uniqueness.
In the mid-1960s, he appeared in cult British series such as “The Saint” and “Bowler Hat and Leather Boots.” He then made his film debut with Italian horror films such as “Castle of the Living Dead” (1964).
More recently, he stood out as President Coriolanus Snow, the cruel dictator of Panem in “The Hunger Games.” Donald Sutherland had five children, three of whom were with Quebec actress Francine Racette, his third wife since 1972.
