Donald Sutherland

**Donald McNichol Sutherland** OC (July 17, 1935 – June 20, 2024) was a Canadian actor. He had appeared in more than 100 movie and television shows.

Sutherland was known for his roles in _Fellini's Casanova_, _Klute_, _Don't Look Now_, _Invasion of the Body Snatchers_, _JFK_, _Ordinary People_, _Pride & Prejudice,_ and _The Hunger Games_. He was the father of actor Kiefer Sutherland.

## Early life

Sutherland was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. His ancestry includes Scottish, as well as German and English. When Sutherland was a child, he had rheumatic fever, hepatitis and poliomyelitis. He studied at Victoria College and at University of Toronto. He studied acting London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Sutherland started off working as a radio DJ at the age of 14.

## Career

Sutherland's acting career began in 1962 with a small role in the television series _The Avengers_. He then starred in some major roles in movies such as _Dr. Terror's House of Horrors_ with Christopher Lee. He played Hawkeye Pierce in the movie M*A*S*H*.

Sutherland soon gained fame in the Academy Award-winning movie _Klute_ with Jane Fonda. He then starred in the movie _Don't Look Now_. He then starred in the movie _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_.

Recently, Sutherland portrayed President Snow in the movie adaptation of _The Hunger Games_, released in March 2012. He repeated the role in its sequel, _The Hunger Games: Catching Fire_ (2013). Sutherland had asked to play Snow because of the movie's political themes. Sutherland wanted young viewers to organize and start a revolutionary movement to create political change in the United States.

In 2018, Sutherland played J. Paul Getty in the television series _Trust_.

## Personal life

Sutherland was married to Lois Hardwick from 1959 until they divorced in 1966. Then he was married to Shirley Douglas from 1966 until they divorced in 1970. Since 1972, Sutherland has been married to his current wife Francine Racette. He has five children, three of whom are actors.

Sutherland became a blogger for the American news website _The Huffington Post_ during the 2008 United States presidential election campaign. In his blogs, he openly stated his support for Barack Obama.

During the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver he narrated the events. He was also one of the Olympic flag bearers.

Sutherland died under hospice care in Miami, Florida on June 20, 2024, aged 88. The cause of death was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

## Movies

- _Castle of the Living Dead_ (1964)
- _Dr. Terror's House of Horrors_ (1965)
- _The Dirty Dozen_ (1967)
- _Interlude_ (1968)
- _Start the Revolution Without Me_ (1970)
- _M*A*S*H_ (1970)
- _Klute_ (1971)
- _Lady Ice_ (1973)
- _S*P*Y*S_ (1974)
- _The Kentucky Fried Movie_ (1977)
- _National Lampoon's Animal House_ (1978)
- _The Great Train Robbery_ (1979)
- _Bear Island_ (1979)
- _Eye of the Needle_ (1981)
- _Scream of Stone_ (1991)
- _Long Road Home_ (1991)
- _JFK_ (1991)
- _Eminent Domain_ (1991)
- _Backdraft_ (1991)
- _Quicksand: No Escape_ (1992)
- _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ (1992)
- _Benefit of the Doubt_ (1993)
- _The Puppet Masters_ (1994)
- _Punch_ (1994)
- _Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All_ (1994)
- _The Lifeforce Experiment_ (1994)
- _Disclosure_ (1994)
- _Behind the Mask_ (1999)
- _Virus_ (1999)
- _Instinct_ (1999)
- _The Hunley_ (1999)
- _Toscano_ (1999)
- _The Setting Sun_ (1999)
- _Panic_ (2000)
- _Space Cowboys_ (2000)
- _The Art of War_ (2000)
- _Threads of Hope_ (voice) (2000)
- _Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within_ (voice) (2001)
- _Uprising_ (TV) (2001)
- _Frankenstein_ (TV) (2004)
- _Aurora Borealis_ (2004)
- _The Hunger Games_ (2012)
- _The Hunger Games: Catching Fire_ (2013)
- _Jappeloup_ (2013)
- _The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1_ (2014)
- _The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2_ (2015)
- _Trust_ (2018)

## Awards

- 1978: Officer of the Order of Canada (OC)
- 1983: 4th Genie Awards, winner, Best Actor, _Threshold_
- 1995: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Miniseries or a Movie, _Citizen X_
- 1995: Golden Globe Award, winner, Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film, _Citizen X_
- 1998: Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Drama, _Without Limits_
- 2000: Canada's Walk of Fame
- 2002: Golden Globe Award, winner, Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film, _Path to War_
- 2005: Honorary Doctor of Arts (Hon DArt) from Middlebury College (Middlebury, Vermont, US)
- 2011: Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
- 2012: Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

## Other websites

- _On the Money_ (Carole Cadwalladr interview), _The Guardian_, 30 March 2008

## Infobox (person)

- **name**: Donald Sutherland
- **honorific suffix**: Order of Canada, CC
- **image**: File:Donald Sutherland (cropped).JPG
- **birth name**: Donald McNichol Sutherland
- **birth place**: Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
- **death place**: Miami, Florida, U.S.
- **death cause**: Problems caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- **years active**: 1963–2024
- **occupation**: Actor
- **party**: New Democratic Party
- **children**: 5, including Kiefer Sutherland, Kiefer, Rossif Sutherland, Rossif, and Angus Sutherland (actor), Angus Sutherland
- **relatives**: Sarah Sutherland (granddaughter)