‘Dirty Dozen’ & ‘Hunger Games’ Star, Father of Kiefer Sutherland Was 88

Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Donald Sutherland has died at the age of 88. The beloved actor, father of Kiefer Sutherland, was known for roles in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Pride & Prejudice, The Hunger Games franchise, and more.

Sutherland died on Thursday, June 20 in Miami, Florida after a long illness, per Deadline. His death was announced by his talent agency, CAA. Sutherland’s son, Roeg Sutherland, is an executive at CAA.

Kiefer paid tribute to his father on social media shortly after the news of his death.

“With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a childhood photo. “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.”

With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away. 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… pic.twitter.com/3EdJB03KKT

— Kiefer Sutherland (@RealKiefer) June 20, 2024

Sutherland was born on July 17, 1935 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Acting was part of his upbringing in Canada, but he was studying to become an engineer until he moved to the United Kingdom in his early 20s. He trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art while living in London in the 1950s, which led to his first roles in British media, including The Castle of the Living Dead (1964) and an adaptation of A Farewell to Arms (1966).

Sutherland’s breakout role was in the Oscar-nominated ensemble film The Dirty Dozen (1967), which led to roles like Hawkeye in Robert Altman’s M*A*S*H (1970) and Oddball in Kelly’s Heroes (1970). The 1970s was a noteworthy decade for the star, who starred in Don’t Look Now, 1900, and National Lampoon’s Animal House. His performance in 1980 Oscar-winning film Ordinary People alongside Mary Tyler Moore received acclaim.

The ‘90s were a busy decade for Sutherland, who starred in Backdraft, JFK, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie, Outbreak, and Without Limits. The year 1996 became a banner year for the star. After son Kiefer made his film debut in Max Dugan Returns alongside his dad, the father and son co-starred in the legal drama A Time to Kill. The same year, Sutherland won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his performance in HBO’s Citizen X. He would act again with his son in the 2015 western Forsaken.

He starred in the 2003 remake of The Italian Job and 2005’s Oscar-nominated Pride & Prejudice. Sutherland won another Golden Globe in 2003 for Path to War. He earned nine total Golden Globe nominations throughout his career and two total Emmy nominations. He received an Honorary Oscar in 2017.

One of the most famous roles of the later stage of his career was as the villainous President Snow in The Hunger Games franchise. The character became the subject of the franchise’s prequel film, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. One of his most recent roles was in Lawmen: Bass Reeves alongside David Oyelowo.

Sutherland was married three times. He was married to Lois Hardwick from 1959-1966 and actress Shirley Douglas (mother to Kiefer and Rachel Sutherland) from 1966-1970. Sutherland had been married to Canadian actress Francine Racette since 1972 at the time of his death. Sutherland and Racette are also parents to Rossif, Angus, and Roeg Sutherland.