Donald Sutherland dies at the age of 88

Canadian actor Donald Sutherland, star of films such as The Hunger Games and Don't Look Now, has died at the age of 88 after a long illness.

His son, actor Kiefer Sutherland, said: “It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my father Donald Sutherland has passed away. I personally believe he was one of the most important actors in film history.”

“He was never afraid of any role, be it good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and no one can ask for more than that. A life well lived.”

The news was met with an outpouring of support and tributes.

Actor Rob Lowe, who starred alongside Sutherland in the miniseries Salem's Lot, called his former co-star “one of our greatest actors”.

“It was an honor to work with him many years ago and I will never forget his charisma and ability,” he wrote on X/Twitter.

Cary Elwes, co-star in the 2001 television film Uprising, said he was “heartbroken” by Sutherland's death.

“Our hearts are breaking for you,” he told Kiefer in a message on Instagram. “So grateful to know we have you with us [and] Have worked with him. Sending my love.

Born in New Brunswick, Canada, Sutherland began as a radio news reporter, and moved to London in 1957 to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

He subsequently played minor roles in British film and television.

His early high-profile roles were in war films, including 1967's The Dirty Dozen, and the 1970s Kelly's Heroes and M*A*S*H.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was “deeply impressed” when he first met Sutherland.

“My condolences are with Kiefer and the entire Sutherland family, as well as all Canadians who are undoubtedly saddened to learn this, as I am right now,” he said.

“He was a man with a strong personality, he had a gift for art and he was a truly great Canadian artist,” he said.

US President Joe Biden said Sutherland was a “unique actor who inspired and entertained the world for decades”.

Ron Howard, who directed Sutherland in the 1991 film Backdraft, said he was “one of the most intelligent, interesting and talented actors I've ever met.” [and] “The most entertaining film actors of all time”.

Jane Fonda co-starred with Sutherland in Alan J. Pakula's 1971 thriller Klute, about a detective who seeks the help of an expensive call girl in his search for a missing person.

They dated for two years.

Paying tribute on Instagram, Fonda described Sutherland as a “fantastic actor” with whom she shared “a lot of exciting experiences,” including performances for active service members during an anti-Vietnam War tour in Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines.

“I am very sad,” he said.

Helen Mirren, who appeared alongside Sutherland in the 2017 film The Leisure Seeker, paid tribute to her “friend” and “one of the smartest actors I’ve ever worked with” in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter.

“He had an incredibly inquisitive mind and vast knowledge on a wide variety of subjects,” he said.

“He combined this great intelligence with a deep sensitivity and a seriousness about his profession as an actor.”

“All of this made him a legend in the film world. He was my colleague and became my friend. I will miss his presence in this world.”

M*A*S*H co-star Elliott Gould shared a statement with The Associated Press, calling Sutherland a “brother.”

“It's never easy to lose the calibre of a person and actor like Donald Sutherland but this one is really sad because Donald was like a brother to me and a huge part of my career,” he said.

Will Smith, who starred alongside Sutherland in Six Degrees of Separation, paid tribute by posting two photos from the 1993 film on Instagram, with the caption: “Rest in peace, Donald”.

In the 1970s, Sutherland played an IRA member in The Eagle Has Landed, a marijuana-smoking college professor in National Lampoon's Animal House, and had a lead role in the 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

In the 1980s he played the father of a suicidal teenager in the Oscar-winning film Ordinary People.

She turned to television in the 2000s and appeared in series such as Dirty Sexy Money and Commander in Chief.

Despite his many roles, he was never nominated for an Oscar. He received an Honorary Academy Award in 2017.

Sutherland was known for his political activism throughout his career, and joined Fonda in protesting the Vietnam War.

He's also reflected his faith in some of his roles, including The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, in which he played the tyrannical President Snow.

Sutherland told the BBC in 2015 that he hoped the film's socio-political message would help young fans become more aware of the world around them.

“We asked the kindest person in the world to play the most corrupt, cruel dictator the show has ever seen,” the official Hunger Games X account posted after his death was announced.

“Donald Sutherland's acting prowess and skill were so great that he created one indelible character among many others that defined his legendary career. We were privileged to have known and worked with him, and our condolences are with his family.”

He also told the BBC that the biggest change he noticed in the industry was that actors were earning “a lot of money”.

“I don't think anyone from my generation became an actor to make money. I never had that thought. I was earning £8 a week here. [on stage in London]”When I acted in a play at the Royal Court I got paid £17 a week, this was in 1964,” he said.

At the time he said he had no plans to retire from acting.

“It is an obsessive endeavour. For actors, retirement means 'death',” he said.

Her memoir, Made Up, But Still True, is due to be published in November.