Donald Sutherland Biography

Donald Sutherland was born on July 17, 1935, in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, to Dorothy Isobel (née McNichol) and Frederick McLea Sutherland. His mother was a math teacher, while his father worked in sales.

He was born into a middle class family. He is of German, Scottish, and English ancestry. His great grandmother was the third cousin of President Rutherford Hayes. He was also distantly related to Howard Dean, erstwhile governor of Vermont.

As a child, he suffered from rheumatic fever, hepatitis, and poliomyelitis. Poliomyelitis left one of his legs shorter than the other. At the age of 14, he took up a part-time job as a news correspondent for the local radio station CKBW.

He graduated from ‘Bridgewater High School’ and went on to study at ‘Victoria College,’ University of Toronto, from where he acquired a double major in engineering and drama. He later gave up engineering to pursue a career as a sculptor, but finally settled for a career in acting.

During his junior year in college, he landed his first role in a student production of Edward Albee’s ‘The Male Animal.’ He also became a member of ‘UC Follies,’ a comedy troupe in Toronto, Ontario.

He took up various jobs before taking dramatics seriously. He then moved to England to join the ‘London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art’ where he studied from 1958 to 1960.

After leaving the ‘London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art,’ Sutherland spent a year-and-a-half with the ‘Perth Repertory Theatre’ in Scotland. In the mid-1960s, he started receiving small roles in British films and TV shows, such as ‘The Saint’ and ‘Court Martial.’ He featured alongside Christopher Lee in the horror film ‘Castle of the Living Dead’ in 1964, and appeared in the BBC play ‘Oswald Assassin’ in 1966.

In 1968, he got his big breakthrough with the super hit war movie ‘The Dirty Dozen’ in which Sutherland landed a small but significant role. Thereafter, he left London and moved to Hollywood to establish a career in the American film industry. Here, he played the lead role in the black comedy war film ‘M-A-S-H’ in 1970. The same year, he also appeared in the war movie ‘Kelly’s Heroes.’ ‘M*A*S*H’ became a huge success at the box office.

Throughout the 1970s, he found himself playing lead roles in a variety of movies, such as ‘Don’t Look Now,’ ‘The Eagle Has Landed,’ and ‘Eye of the Needle.’ His offbeat style, onscreen presence, and versatility ensured that he was not typecast.

He acted in ‘Klute’ in 1971. Apart from being a major landmark film in Sutherland’s career, the movie also turned Jane Fonda into a star. For her role in the movie, she won an ‘Oscar.’

‘Ordinary People’ (1980) starred him alongside Robert Redford. The movie won the ‘Best Picture Award’ from its two ‘Oscar’ nominations. However, Sutherland’s performance was once again overlooked by the ‘Academy Awards’ committee.

He was instrumental in promoting the popular Canadian television series ‘Witness to Yesterday’ in which he played the role of a Montreal doctor named ‘Norman Bethune.’

Over the next several years, he continued to appear in a number of successful films, including movies where he played unconventional roles. Unlike many of his contemporaries, age has not slowed him down. He once said, “I’m going to be working until I’m helping them with the shovel.”

Sutherland was a versatile actor who has played supporting as well as lead roles in a variety of films. Some of his best performance had been delivered in war movies and thrillers.

His major landmark movies are: ‘The Dirty Dozen’ (1967), ‘M-A-S-H’ (1970), ‘Klute’ (1971), ‘Animal House’ (1978), ‘Ordinary People’ (1980), ‘JFK’ (1991), ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1992), ‘Citizen X’ (1995), ‘Space Cowboys’ (2000), ‘Path of War’ (2002), ‘The Italian Job’ (2003), and ‘The Eagle’ (2011).

Sutherland co-starred with nearly every major name in Hollywood in a number of blockbusters, but despite his extensive career, he never received an Oscar. His co-actors included iconic figures such as Christopher Lee, Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Telly Savalas, Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford, Al Pacino, and Marlon Brando, among many others.

He had been nominated for many ‘Golden Globe’ awards, out of which he had won two awards for his roles in ‘Citizen X’ (1995), for which he also received an ‘Emmy Award,’ and ‘Path to War’ (2002).

Canada honored him by making him an ‘Officer of the Order of Canada’ in 1978. In the year 2000, his name was included in Canada’s Walk of Fame. He was also inducted into the ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’ in 2011.

He had been bestowed with an ‘Honorary Doctor of Arts’ by ‘Middlebury College,’ Vermont, USA.

He also had several other awards under his belt, including the ‘Genie Award’ for ‘Best Actor’ for ‘Threshold,’ ‘Satellite Award’ for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ for ‘Without Limits,’ and ‘Governor General’s Performing Arts Award’ for ‘Lifetime Artistic Achievement.’

In 2017, he was given the ‘Academy Honorary Award’ for his contribution to films.

He met his first wife, Lois Hardwick, while studying at Victoria College, University of Toronto. They got married in 1959, but the marriage ended in divorce seven years later. They did not have any children together.

After divorcing Lois Hardwick, he married actress Shirley Douglas in 1966. The couple was blessed with twin children, Kiefer and Rachel. The marriage lasted four years.

In 1972, he married actress Francine Racette with whom he had three sons: Rossif, Angus, and Roeg. The marriage ended in divorce after a decade.

He had a near death experience in 1979, when he suffered from meningitis. Doctors told him that he had died for some time and he claims to have had an out of body experience.

Sutherland passed away under hospice care in Miami on June 20, 2024, at the age of 88, due to complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Donald Sutherland was known for his unique sense of style, often seen sporting brightly colored socks that added a pop of color to his outfits.

Sutherland was an avid beekeeper and was known to keep several beehives on his property, showing his dedication to environmental conservation.

In addition to his successful acting career, Sutherland was also a talented painter and exhibited his artwork in galleries around the world.

Sutherland was a passionate supporter of charitable causes and was involved with organizations that focused on issues such as world hunger, refugee rights, and environmental protection.

Despite his fame and success, Sutherland was down-to-earth and approachable. He often interacted with fans and appreciated their support.