Sutherland was born July 17, 1935 in New Brunswick, Canada, later moving to Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. Throughout his childhood he battled a number of serious illnesses including polio, rheumatic fever and spinal meningitis.
He left Canada to pursue an interest in acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and soon found work in TV and low-budget films.
He got a Hollywood breakthrough in the classic war film The Dirty Dozen, whose ensemble cast includes Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Ernest Borgnine and Jim Brown. It was the fifth highest grossing film of 1967.
After leaving London for Hollywood, Sutherland landed one of his most iconic roles in the 1970 anti-war comedy-drama MASH, originating the role of “Hawkeye” Pierce. MASH was one of the most successful films of the decade and is regarded as a classic.
Throughout the ’70s, Sutherland was a Hollywood leading man: his films include in the Oscar-winning Klute opposite Jane Fonda, the psychological horror Don’t Look Now, and the remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. He also appeared in the hit comedy Animal House.
In 1980, he starred in Robert Redford’s Ordinary People, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Other major films include Backdraft, JFK, Six Degrees of Separation, The Italian Job and Pride and Prejudice.
Sutherland also had success on TV, winning an Emmy Award for the 1995 film Citizen X, and a Golden Globe for the television film Path to War.
A younger generation of moviegoers was introduced to Sutherland through The Hunger Games, the hit dystopian blockbuster series: Sutherland starred as the villainous President Coriolanus Snow.
Though he surprisingly never received an Oscar nomination, he received an Academy Honorary Award in 2017, “for a lifetime of indelible characters, rendered with unwavering truthfulness.” He also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011, and on the Canadian Walk of Fame in 2000.
Sutherland was married three times; he was married to actress Francine Racette for 52 years until his death. He was previously married to Lois May Hardwick and Shirley Douglas, and also had an affair with his Klute co-star Jane Fonda.
He had five children — including most famously his son Kiefer Sutherland, the actor best known for playing Jack Bauer in 24.
”I was too young to go watch my father’s films in the cinema,” Kiefer Sutherland told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017. “By the time I hit 20, VHS was available and a friend of my fathers had a lot of his films. In three days I watched Don’t Look Know, Klute, M*A*S*H, Kelly’s Heroes, 1900 and Fellini’s Casanova.”
“It was such a wide spectrum of characters, and I remember calling him up and I felt really badly that I grew up not knowing what a profoundly special actor he was, I felt horribly guilty of that. As a young actor, I had never known or seen another actor who’ve done characters so diverse either.”
Rest in peace to the iconic actor Donald Sutherland who lent his talents to so many great, classic movies — you will be missed 💔😢
Maggie Smith’s Final Public Appearance: You Won’t Believe What Happened
Dame Maggie Smith was one of the greatest actresses of her time. Whether you knew her from *Harry Potter* or *Downton Abbey*, her absence will be deeply felt.
Keep reading to find out about her last public appearance just a few months ago!
Actress Dame Maggie Smith, best known for her role as Professor McGonagall in *Harry Potter* and Violet Crawley in *Downton Abbey*, has passed away at the age of 89, her family shared.
Her sons, Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin, released a joint statement saying, “It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith.”
The statement continued, “She passed away peacefully in the hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September. A very private person, she was surrounded by friends and family at the end. She leaves behind two sons and five loving grandchildren who are heartbroken by the loss of their amazing mother and grandmother.”
The family also thanked the hospital and its staff, saying, “We want to thank the wonderful staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and kindness during her final days.”
The family ended the statement by saying, “We are grateful for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.
The news of her death is a big surprise. The last time she was seen in public was last year at the Wimbledon men’s singles finals. She dressed up nicely for the event, wearing a navy blue shirt dress with a chic dotted pattern. She paired it with black leather heels and a blue overcoat. She also carried a matching navy leather bag over one shoulder.
Her hair was styled in soft waves, and she wore pink lipstick to finish her look.
Since it was rare for the actress to make public appearances, fans were naturally surprised to see her out.
When pictures of her were posted online, people were happy to see her. One person commented, “So elegant!” Another said, “You look so beautiful,” and someone simply added, “Amazing.”
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