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 💔😢
My Daughter Dropped Out of College for a Boyfriend My Age – Until He Showed Up at My Door with Chilling Secrets.
I always believed I had created a solid, independent life for myself and my daughter, Megan. I’d worked hard for years to establish a good job, a comfortable home by the sea, and raise her on my own. In quiet moments, I felt a lack of companionship or someone to share life’s burdens with.
That night, I had planned a special supper only for Megan and me. I prepared the table, lit the candles, and waited with optimism in my heart. I never expected what came next.
— “Mom, this is Grayson,” Megan said, walking in with a man who looked even older than me.
— “Nice to meet you, Erica,” he said confidently, offering me his hand.
— “Likewise,” I replied, trying to hide my discomfort. Megan hadn’t mentioned bringing a guest—let alone someone that age.
We sat down, but the atmosphere grew heavy.
When I asked Grayson what he did, he replied coolly, “Finance. Investments.” And when I asked Megan about college, she dropped a bomb:
— “Maybe college isn’t for everyone.”
I tried to stay calm, reminding her how hard we had worked to get her there. But she seemed spellbound by this man. She told me she felt free with him, like she could finally breathe.
I warned her that if she dropped out of college, she couldn’t count on my financial support. She didn’t hesitate:
— “That’s fine. I have Grayson’s money now.”
And that’s when things truly unraveled.
That same night, as we sat in uncomfortable silence, a loud knock echoed through the house. Megan opened the door… and there stood a young woman, red-eyed and visibly upset.
— “YOU!” she shouted at Grayson. “You told me I was the only one!”
Grayson froze.
Rachel confessed to putting a in his car after he continued to avoid her. Megan was stunned. She didn’t need any other proof. She pulled him to the door and shouted:
— “Get out.” Right now. “I do not want to see you again.”
Grayson stumbled out. But when he went onto the road, a car came around the corner and hit him. The horrible noise of the hit silenced everything.
At the hospital, they informed us that he would be unable to travel for some time.
The town’s only hotel was closed due to renovations. And as much as I wanted to turn him away, I couldn’t abandon him on the street. I grudgingly allowed him to stay.
In the days that followed, something unexpected occurred. I began to see a different side of him. We spent the evenings playing chess and talking for hours. He explained that he had lost his wife when they were young and had never recovered. He stated that younger women were only distractions; he felt lonely and lost.
I progressively fell in love.
When Grayson recovered, he gently proposed that we go see Megan together and talk to her. We found her in a small cafe. She was chilly at first, but she listened.
— “I’m not here to act like a father,” Grayson informed her. “I am here because I care. You deserve to be able to make your own decisions about your future, free of pressure from me or your mother.”
Megan rolled her eyes, but something moved. She ultimately stated:
— “Fine. “I will think about it.”
A few days later, she called me.
— “Mom… maybe you were right. I don’t have access to Grayson’s card anymore. The guys I’ve met don’t take me seriously. I miss my old life, my friends… the university.”
She paused, then added:
— “I’m sorry. I want to go back to school. This time, I mean it.”
Hearing those words, I felt like I had my daughter back. Grayson squeezed my hand and said softly:
— “I love you. We’ll face whatever comes—together.”
And just like that, calm descended upon me. For the first time in a long time, I felt prepared to let go of control and believe in what lied ahead. We sat together, watching the waves crash on the coast. We knew life would bring storms, but we weren’t alone.
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