Canadian actor Donald Sutherland has died aged 88, his son has announced.
He was the star of Ordinary People, M*A*S*H and Six Degrees Of Separation and was the father of 24 TV show actor Kiefer Sutherland.
Taking to X, Kiefer, posted a heartfelt tribute to his father, along with a photo of both of them.
"With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away," he wrote.
"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," he added.
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
A statement from CAA said: "Acclaimed actor Donald Sutherland died today in Miami, Florida, after a long illness. He was 88 years old."
Sutherland won a Golden Globe for the television movie Path To War and another gong along with an Emmy Award for the mini-series Citizen X. In 2017, he received an Academy Honorary Award for his acting.
His most recent roles included The Hunger Games film franchise as dictator president Coriolanus Snow and as a judge in the 2023 TV show Lawmen: Bass Reeves.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hailed his unique talents, and recalled how he was "deeply, deeply starstruck" after meething the late actor for the first time.
"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."
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.
#RIPDonaldSutherland. I was blessed to direct him in #Backdraft. 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. https://t.co/kw601XQ6uh
— Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) June 20, 2024
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."
Edgar Wright wrote on that X that Sutherland was an "always fascinating" actor, and cited Don't Look Now and 1978’s Invasion Of The Body Snatchers as two of his "favorite and most influential films" ever.
"So sorry to see you go Donald, but what a legacy you leave behind," Wright posted.
RIP the great Donald Sutherland, a favourite actor and always fascinating screen presence. 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… pic.twitter.com/HzRHIGd2ov
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) June 20, 2024
