Canadian actor, Donald Sutherland, known for his work in 'Hunger Games', 'Klute' and 'Forsaken' among others, passed away on Thursday, June 20 in Miami after a long illness. Creative Artists Agency, who represented the actor confirmed his death in a statement. Donald was 88.
An old video from one of Donald's interviews with his son Kiefer Sutherland, has gone viral, where the latter was all praise for his father.
For the unversed, Donald and Kiefer appeared together in the film 'Forsaken' (2015) for the first time where they played on-screen father-son.
In a 2016 interview with TODAY, Kiefer opened up about how he always wanted to work with his dad. He said, ''I have always felt that not only is my father one of the most prolific actors in the English language, he's also one of the most important''. The singer further said, ''And he's someone that I wanted to work with from my whole career''.
In the interview, when Dylan Dreyer asked about the advice that Donald gave to his son Kiefer when the latter was starting out in the business. Donald said, “I said, ‘Be truthful'''.
Kiefer added, ''The way I took that was, ‘Don’t get caught forcing a moment, even if it means — even if in the script it says ‘the man works himself to tears'''. He added, “‘If the script— or you’re not getting to those tears, figure out another way to play it.’ And, of course, like any son, I didn’t really listen that well.”
In the same interview, Kiefer revealed that he didn't know about the achievements of his dad. When Dylan asked, “Is it true that you didn’t even realize your dad was an actor until you were 18?” Donald said, “He just thought I told jokes'' and Kiefer added, “I always knew he was an actor, but I didn’t know the scope of what he had done''.
Kiefer also spoke about the most popular films of his dad including “M*A*S*H” and “Ordinary People.” FYI, Donald Sutherland received Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor for his performances in both films.
Kiefer Sutherland announced the demise of his father in a social media post. He penned an emotional note alongside a black-and-white picture of himself, standing beside his father.
He wrote, ''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 than that. A life well lived (sic)''.
May Donald Sutherland's soul rest in peace and we offer our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.
