The world of entertainment is in mourning today following the passing of legendary M*A*S*H and Kelly’s Heroes star Donald Sutherland who has sadly passed away at the age of 88.
Sutherland, whose illustrious film career spanned over seven decades, died on Thursday, June 20. His son, fellow actor Kiefer Sutherland, shared the heartbreaking news on social media, announcing his father’s passing with a “heavy heart.”
“With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away,” he wrote.
“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.”
Born on July 17, 1935, in Canada’s New Brunswick province, Sutherland began his career in entertainment with performances in school productions in college, before moving to the United Kingdom to develop his craft. After later moving to the United States, Sutherland achieved his first big break with a prominent role in the war film The Dirty Dozen (1967).
Sutherland’s fame rose with starring roles in films such as M*A*S*H (1970), and Kelly’s Heroes (1970).
He went on to secure a series of supporting and leading roles in films such as Start the Revolution Without Me (1970), Klute (1971), The Day of the Locust (1975), The Eagle Has Landed (1976), 1900 (1976), Animal House (1978), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), Ordinary People (1980), Backdraft (1991), JFK (1991), Six Degrees of Separation (1993), Without Limits (1998), The Italian Job (2003), and Pride & Prejudice (2005).
More recently, Sutherland portrayed President Snow in the popular The Hunger Games franchise.
Sutherland also achieved success on the small screen with his portrayal of Colonel Mikhail Fetisov in Citizen X (1995) for which he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.
He played Adam Czerniaków in Uprising (2001), and Clark Clifford in Path to War (2002) earning the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film.
As the entertainment world learnt of its loss, fans, colleagues and public figures alike took to social media to pay tribute and honour Sutherland’s impressive legacy.
Sutherland is survived by his wife Francine Racette; his sons Roeg, Rossif, Angus and Kiefer; his daughter Rachel; and his four grandchildren.
-with Reuters.