Donald Sutherland, the New Brunswick-born acting legend with the distinct baritone voice and prolific stage and screen career that inspired sons Kiefer and Rossif to pursue the craft, has died.

He died at age 88, Kiefer Sutherland said in a social media post on Thursday.

含羞草研究社淚 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,含羞草研究社� the younger Sutherland wrote on X. 含羞草研究社淎 life well lived.含羞草研究社�

At six-foot-four, with big blue eyes and a deep, dulcet voice, the elder Sutherland was a striking and unmistakable presence in film, television and radio for more than 50 years.

His varied film roles included snarky surgeon Hawkeye Pierce in 含羞草研究社淢ASH,含羞草研究社� Julie Christie含羞草研究社檚 troubled husband in the thriller 含羞草研究社淒on含羞草研究社檛 Look Now,含羞草研究社� and a Washington intelligence officer in Oliver Stone含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淛FK.含羞草研究社�

On TV, he played the Speaker of the House in 含羞草研究社淐ommander in Chief含羞草研究社� and the rich patriarch in 含羞草研究社淒irty, Sexy, Money.含羞草研究社�

Though he was in more than 100 films, Sutherland was never nominated for an Academy Award. He did, however, receive an honorary Oscar in 2017, as well as two BAFTA nominations, an Emmy Award and two Golden Globes.

He was also an officer of the Order of Canada and won a Genie and a Governor General含羞草研究社檚 Performing Arts Award.

But in 2023, he told The Canadian Press he didn含羞草研究社檛 reflect much on his legacy or the breadth of his career: 含羞草研究社淵ou know, it含羞草研究社檚 over or very nearly over, so I guess I really got to get down to thinking about it.含羞草研究社�

His memoir, 含羞草研究社淢ade Up, But Still True含羞草研究社� is slated for publication by Viking Canada in November.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was among those to mourn Sutherland, telling a press conference in Wolfville, N.S., that he met the actor when he was young and was 含羞草研究社渄eeply, deeply starstruck.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淗e was a man with a strong presence, a brilliance in his craft and truly a great Canadian artist. He will be deeply missed,含羞草研究社� Trudeau said.

As Sutherland worked around the world, he maintained a home in Quebec含羞草研究社檚 Eastern Townships, where he hosted dinner parties for his famous family and celebrity friends.

含羞草研究社淚 love this country,含羞草研究社� Sutherland said when he received the Governor General含羞草研究社檚 Award in 2000.

含羞草研究社淵ou know, (W.H.) Auden, the English poet, said that a poet含羞草研究社檚 hope is to be like some valley cheese: local, but prized elsewhere. I kind of feel like that.含羞草研究社�

Sutherland was born in Saint John and raised in Bridgewater, N.S. His father, Frederick Sutherland, was a salesman and his mother, Dorothy Isobel, a mathematics teacher. Various reports say Sutherland battled polio, rheumatic fever and hepatitis as a child.

At age 14, Sutherland landed a part-time job as a DJ and news broadcaster for local radio station CKBW. It was the start of a successful side career in multimedia voiceover work 含羞草研究社� something son Kiefer also pursued.

Sutherland studied drama, engineering and English at the University of Toronto, where he played to audiences at the Hart House Theatre and met his first wife of seven years, Lois Hardwick. His memories of toga parties at U of T含羞草研究社檚 Gate House residence were said to be the inspiration for the 1978 film 含羞草研究社淎nimal House,含羞草研究社� in which he co-starred.

Author Margaret Atwood wrote on social media that she remembered Sutherland from their time at Victoria College at the University of Toronto.

含羞草研究社淗e was a great actor even then,含羞草研究社� she wrote on X.

After getting his degree in 1958, Sutherland attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in England and went on to act with the Perth Repertory Theatre in Scotland and on London含羞草研究社檚 West End.

Though he left Canada, he stayed in touch with his loved ones back home, he told The Canadian Press in a 2023 interview when Canada Post released a stamp bearing his face.

含羞草研究社淭he only thing that connects you 含羞草研究社� at that time, in the late 含羞草研究社�40s, early 含羞草研究社�50s 含羞草研究社� was a letter in the post. They became the thread in the fabric that bounded my family together,含羞草研究社� he said.

In the early 1960s, Sutherland transitioned from stage to features, including the thrillers 含羞草研究社淐astle of the Living Dead,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淒r. Terror含羞草研究社檚 House of Horrors含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淒ie! Die! My Darling!含羞草研究社� He also landed small roles on TV series including 含羞草研究社淐ourt Martial,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淭he Saint含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淭he Avengers.含羞草研究社�

In 1966, Sutherland married his second wife, Canadian actress and activist Shirley Douglas, daughter of medicare founder Tommy Douglas. That same year they had twins Rachel and Kiefer, who has become a star in his own right with films including 含羞草研究社淭he Lost Boys含羞草研究社� and the TV series 含羞草研究社�24.含羞草研究社�

When Sutherland saw that his son wanted to follow in his footsteps, he gave him one important piece of advice: 含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 care what you do with your life,含羞草研究社� Kiefer Sutherland, quoting his dad, said in a 1998 interview with The Canadian Press.

含羞草研究社淛ust don含羞草研究社檛 lie in your work, because they含羞草研究社檒l catch you.含羞草研究社�

Donald Sutherland含羞草研究社檚 breakthrough in the United States came in 1967 with the film 含羞草研究社淭he Dirty Dozen,含羞草研究社� in which he played an imprisoned soldier during the Second World War. Co-stars included Lee Marvin and Charles Bronson.

Three years later, he further solidified his star status in Hollywood with two more war films: Robert Altman含羞草研究社檚 Oscar-winning Korean War satire 含羞草研究社淢ASH,含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淜elly含羞草研究社檚 Heroes,含羞草研究社� alongside Clint Eastwood and Telly Savalas.

The 含羞草研究社�70s were a particularly active time for Sutherland with varied roles in two-dozen other projects, including 含羞草研究社淜lute,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淔ellini含羞草研究社檚 Casanova,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淎nimal House,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淚nvasion of the Body Snatchers,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淒on含羞草研究社檛 Look Now含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淪teelyard Blues.含羞草研究社� The latter two films earned him nominations for a best-actor BAFTA.

Sutherland含羞草研究社檚 private life also made headlines during that decade.

First came his highly publicized relationship with his 含羞草研究社淜lute含羞草研究社� co-star, Jane Fonda, with whom he also helped form an antiwar road show called the FTA tour (Free The Army). Later, Sutherland married French-Canadian actress Francine Racette, with whom he had three sons: Roeg, Angus and Rossif, star of 含羞草研究社淧oor Boy含羞草研究社檚 Game含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淗igh Life.含羞草研究社�

In the 含羞草研究社�80s, Sutherland continued to build his resume at a feverish pace, with turns in nearly 20 films including Robert Redford含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淥rdinary People,含羞草研究社� for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe, and 含羞草研究社淭hreshold,含羞草研究社� which earned him a Genie.

Sutherland eventually won two Golden Globes: in 1996 for his supporting role in 含羞草研究社淐itizen X,含羞草研究社� for which he also earned an Emmy, then in 2003 for the HBO film 含羞草研究社淧ath to War.含羞草研究社� That same year he played a minister in 含羞草研究社淐old Mountain.含羞草研究社�

He also got to work with his actor-sons, sharing the screen with Kiefer in the films 含羞草研究社淢ax Dugan Returns含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淎 Time to Kill,含羞草研究社� and with Rossif in 含羞草研究社淭he Steal Artist.含羞草研究社�

Rossif Sutherland said working with his dad was 含羞草研究社渁 dream.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淗e含羞草研究社檚 been the reason for which I含羞草研究社檝e started a road in this career and he likes to call himself my first fan,含羞草研究社� he told The Canadian Press in January 2010.

含羞草研究社淗e含羞草研究社檚 the one person that I含羞草研究社檝e worked with that gives the impression that I can do no wrong.含羞草研究社�

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