RIP: Donald Sutherland

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Donald Sutherland died today after a long illness.  Mr. Sutherland was 88.

Mr. Sutherland was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.  He wasn’t a healthy child and suffered from rheumatic fever, hepatitis, and polio.  After graduating from high school, Donald Sutherland attended Victoria University, where he graduated with a double major in engineering and drama.  Mr. Sutherland then decided to pursue a career as an actor so he attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Donald Sutherland began to get small roles on British television shows and films.  After the success of The Dirty Dozen, and the positive reviews he received, Mr. Sutherland left England for Hollywood.  He never looked back.  For the rest of his career Donald Sutherland appeared in feature films and television roles.

Over the course of his career Donald Sutherland was nominated for…

  • Nine Golden Globe Awards, winning two (1995’s Citizen X for Best Supporting Actor – Television; 2002’s Path to War for Best Supporting Actor – Television)
  • Two Primetime Emmy Awards winning one (1995’s Citizen X for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie)

Donald Sutherland also won an Honorary Academy Award in 2017.

Television appearances of Donald Sutherland include: Studio 4; Suspense; The Odd Man; The Sentimental Agent; Hamlet at Elsinore; ITV Play of the Week (3 episodes); A Farewell to Arms; Court Martial; Theater 625; Gideon C.I.D.; The Saint (2 episodes); The Avengers; Man in a Suitcase (2 episodes); The Champions; The Name of the Game; Bethune; The Winter of Our Discontent; Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All; Citizen X; The Simpsons; Uprising; Path to War; Salem’s Lot (2 episodes); Frankenstein (2 episodes); Human Trafficking ( 4 episodes); Commander in Chief (19 episodes); Dirty Sexy Money (23 episodes); The Pillars of Earth (8 episodes); Moby Dick (2 episodes); Treasure Island (2 episodes); Crossing Lines (34 episodes); Ice (6 episodes); Trust (9 episodes); The Undoing (6 episodes); Swimming with Sharks (6 episodes) and Lawman Bass Reeves (8 episodes).

Feature film appearances of Donald Sutherland include: The World Ten Times Over; The Castle of the Living Dead; Dr. Terror’s House of Horror; Die! Die! My Darling!; The Bedford Incident; The Dirty Dozen; The Split; M*A*S*H; Start the Revolution Without Me; Kelly’s Heroes; Johnny Got His Gun; Klute; Don’t Look Now; Alien Thunder; S*P*Y*S; The Day of the Locust; Casanova; The Eagle Has Landed; The Kentucky Fried Movie; National Lampoon’s Animal House; The Great Train Robbery; Invasion of the Body Snatchers; Murder by Decree; Ordinary People; Eye of the Needle; Max Dugan Returns; Heaven Help Us; Lock Up; A Dry White Season; Backdraft; JFK; Six Degrees of Separation; Disclosure; Outbreak; A Time to Kill; Fallen; Without Limits; Virus; Instinct; Space Cowboys; The Art of War; The Italian Job; Cold Mountain; Pride & Prejudice; The Mechanic; The Hunger Games; The Hunger Games: Catching Fire; The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part I; Forsaken; The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 and Mr. Harrigan’s Phone.

I first saw Donald Sutherland in The Dirty Dozen. After that, I remember Mr. Sutherland showing up as an off-kilter character in M*A*S*H, Kelly’s Heroes and Animal House. When I think of Mr. Sutherland, the first image that comes to mind is the final shot in Invasion of the Body Snatchers.  My favorite Donald Sutherland roles are in JFK and Lock Up (he brought gravitas to the film).  My favorite movie that Donald Sutherland starred in is Eye of the Needle.  Of course he was awesome in so many movies and television series that I wouldn’t argue if you suggested other Donald Sutherland roles.  What a career.  What a talent.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to Donald Sutherland’s family, friends and fans.