rewrite this content and keep HTML tags
“With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away,” actor Kiefer Sutherland wrote on X.
One of Canada’s most famous actors, he played dashing leading men, as well as, antiheroes and villains, most recently making a name among a new generation of fans as the evil President Snow in ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise.
“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,” wrote Kiefer Sutherland.
Reaction to the Emmy and Golden Globe-winner’s death was swift, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hailing his unique talents.
“I had the opportunity when I was much younger to meet Donald Sutherland, and even as a young man who hadn’t had a full exposure to the depth of brilliance of Donald Sutherland, I was deeply, deeply star struck,” he told a press conference.
“He was a man with a strong presence, a brilliance in his craft, and truly, truly, a great Canadian artist, and he will be deeply missed.”
US President Joe Biden also offered his condolences in an X post that read, “Donald Sutherland was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and one-of-a-kind actor who inspired and entertained the world for decades. My thoughts are with his family and all those who loved him.”
The official handle of the Hunger Games franchise, also paid tribute in a moving note that read, “We asked the kindest man in the world to portray the most corrupt, ruthless dictator we’ve ever seen. Such was the power and skill of Donald Sutherland’s acting that he created one more indelible character among many others that defined his legendary career. We are privileged to have known and worked with him, and our thoughts are with his family.”
Ron Howard, who directed Sutherland alongside Robert De Niro and Kurt Russell in action-thriller “Backdraft,” called him “one of the most intelligent, interesting & engrossing film actors of all time.”
“Incredible range, creative courage & dedication to serving the story & the audience with supreme excellence,” he wrote on social media.
British actor Helen Mirren, who co-starred with Sutherland in 2017’s “The Leisure Seeker,” said he was “one of the smartest actors I ever worked with,” Variety reported.
“He had a wonderful enquiring brain, and a great knowledge on a wide variety of subjects. He combined this great intelligence with a deep sensitivity, and with a seriousness about his profession as an actor.
“This all made him into the legend of film that he became. He was my colleague and became my friend. I will miss his presence in this world.”
“No words. He was too important.” – Former New York Times film critic Janet Maslin, on X.
“He starred in two of my very favourite and most influential films – ‘Don’t Look Now’ and the 1978 ‘Invasion Of The Bodysnatchers’. But that is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of his legendary filmography. He was a funny, laconic, but also intense and dramatic presence in so many memorable movies.” – Director Edgar Wright, on Instagram.
“It was my honor to work with him many years ago, and I will never forget his charisma and ability. If you want a master class in acting, watch him in ‘Ordinary People.'” – Actor Rob Lowe, who appeared with Sutherland in the 2004 miniseries “Salem’s Lot,” via X.
“aww man. farewell, Donald Sutherland.” – Actor Elijah Wood on X.
“We lost a legend, a journeyman actor that created unique and believable characters every time he stepped in front of the camera.” – Jon Cassar, who directed both Donald and Kiefer Sutherland in 2015’s “Forsaken,” via X.
In a lengthy note, Billy Baldwin honoured the late star saying, “Donald was a complex, complicated and quirky man in the most delicious way. He had a gentle, childlike boyish streak in him that I absolutely adored. His persona on screen and his personality in life were as interesting and original as the features on his face… need I say more. He was a true original. A one of a kind. I have never known anyone remotely like him. His many incredible qualities and somehow even his flaws made him more unique, more charming… more lovable.”
Sutherland, an Emmy and Golden Globe winner, received an honorary Oscar in 2017, although he was never nominated for a competitive Academy Award.
He was given a star on Hollywood’s storied Walk of Fame in 2011, saying at the ceremony that the honour meant more to him than a fancy gravestone.
“Getting old,” he said in Esquire in 2011, “is like having a new profession, except it’s not a profession of your own choosing.” And death will be “a lonely little journey,” he said.
Sutherland left five children from three wives, all of whom have worked in the film or television industry in some way.