Donald Sutherland: The acting veteran died a year ago

The death of the Canadian Hollywood star Donald Sutherland marks the first time. “After a long illness”, “he died in Miami in the US state of Florida on June 20, 2024 at the age of 88. In his long career, the father of actor Kiefer Sutherland (58) achieved a rarely seen feat: in 60 years in front of the camera there was almost no sagging, no creative dry spell. On the contrary, at the mid -70s, thanks to a popular film series, he again opened a completely new audience.

Because Sutherland was an old master of his field, which the young cinema audience also knew thanks to the huge success of the “tribute of Panem” films. In the science fiction adventure series, which is based on the novel trilogy of the same name by Suzanne Collins (62), Sutherland played the tyrant President Snow-the cold-hearted adversaries of main character Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence, 34).

The actor could truly not complain about a lack of employment in his late creative phase. After the “Tribute” films, he was in front of the camera for twelve movies, including “Moonfall”, the science fiction disaster film by the German director Roland Emmerich (69), and one year before his death in “Miranda’s Victim”. In the same year his last television production, the mini series “Lawmen: Bass Reeves”.

Donald Sutherland was considered one of the most versatile actors and was awarded the Canadian Order of Merit, two Emmys and the honorary oscar. With the satirical comedy “Mash” by director Robert Altman (1925-2006), he made his breakthrough in 1970.

Films from all genres followed: Whether horror (“when the gondolas wear mourning”, “The body eaters come”), dramas (“a normal family”, “panic”), Justzthriller (“JFK – crime scene dallas”, “The jury”, sci -fi (“Space Cowboys”, “ad astra”) or comedies (“Kill the boss”) Committing Sutherland always meant committed professionalism.

And his private life was also ready for film, Donald McNicol Sutherland, as his name was called with a full name, lived in an actor clan. Until his death, he was married to the Canadian actress Francine Racette (77, “in the spotlight”) in the third marriage. Of the three sons together, two are also actors: Angus Sutherland (42, “Welcome, Mrs. President”) and Rossif Sutherland (46, “The Handmaid’s Tale – The Report of the Mag”). The third, Roeg Sutherland (51), is a film producer.

The most famous sprout of his Sutherland clan is certainly Kiefer Sutherland, who comes from the marriage to the Shirley Douglas (1934-2020), who died five years ago. With series like “24” and films like “The Lost Boys”, he also developed a considerable reputation in the dream factory and continues his father’s legacy. Strictly speaking, Kiefer is Donald Sutherland’s firstborn, but his twin sister followed just a few minutes later. The first covenant for life was received by Donald Sutherland from 1959 to 1966 with the later teacher Lois Hardwick, but the marriage broke when Sutherland’s acting career started driving.

As the life with the film star was like that, Kiefer Sutherland told the Best Brand Awards in Munich: “My parents separated when my twin sister and I were about three or four years old. My mother had to go to Canada to look for a new home for us. And so we lived with my father for six months. Kerl, where there was absolutely no rules, “he described the circumstances at that time.

His father always drove him and his sister “in this beautiful, red Ferrari (built in 1959), which he had won in a poker game”, Kiefer Sutherland remembered. “No child seats, nothing. Two seats, three people. And he had this big bushy beard, really long hair and this cool leather jacket. I was about five years old and I knew he was different. I noticed how the other parents looked at him. I loved it and I loved the car,” enthused Sutherland junior with the unconventional father.

And he disgusted another anecdote: the only plate that his father had during this time was Bob Dylans (84) classic “Knockin ‘on Heaven’s Door”. She was always running when the twins visited their father at Christmas for 15 years. This song reminds him of a “really nice, innocent time with my sister and my father,” said Kiefer Sutherland.

he remembered the time as a child with the famous father. The actor and musician wrote about an old black and white photo on which the two look into the camera:

“With a heavy heart I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has died. I personally consider him one of the most important actors in the history of the film. He never let a role intimidate himself, whether good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and you couldn’t wish for more.”