With a successful film career spanning over 30 years and a huge list of credits peppered with modern classics, Donald Sutherland is undeniably a living legend. One of the most sought-after actors of the 1970s and today, Sutherland is famous for his distinctive voice and his brilliantly nuanced performances.
The exceptionally tall, wiry actor was born in the province of New Brunswick, Canada on July 17, 1935 and was raised in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. He attended Victoria College, University of Toronto, where he graduated with a double major in engineering and drama. The former profession seemed to be his destiny, but his long-standing interest in performance art won over, and he left for England to take courses at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He began appearing in small roles in British television in the early 1960s, and made a name for himself in two horror films with Christopher Lee, “Castle of the Living Dead” and “Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors”, and one with Tallulah Bankhead, “Fanatic”. Just as prolific then as he is today, Sutherland began earning more high-profile roles in the late 60s with films like “The Dirty Dozen”, “Oedipus the King”, and “Joanna”.
Robert Altman’s unparalleled 1970 war comedy “MASH” quickly made Sutherland a megastar. Playing the lead role of Capt. ‘Hawkeye’ Pierce, Sutherland led a talented ensemble cast in the quirky dark comedy, which chronicled the daily lives of amusingly amoral, bored Korean War medical workers. Altman’s unique ear for naturalistic, overlapping dialogue combined with the pitch-perfect performances of Sutherland, Elliot Gould, Tom Skerritt, and others made “MASH” one of the most memorable films of the 70s. The film has become a veritable modern classic, and spawned one of the most popular television shows in history, which saw Alan Alda take over Sutherland’s role. He next starred in “Kelly’s Heroes” with Clint Eastwood, “Klute” with Jane Fonda, and Nicholas Roeg’s haunting thriller “Don’t Look Now” with Julie Christie. The 70s were Sutherland’s most memorable years, with terrific turns in the aforementioned films in addition to his anti-war collaboration with Fonda, “F.T.A”, “The Eagle Has Landed”, Bernardo Bertolucci’s epic “1900”, and Philip Kaufman’s outstanding horror remake “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” in 1978.
Sutherland continued his prolific screen career in the 80s, starring in a string of hit films including 1980’s Oscar-winner “Ordinary People”. One of his greatest performances to date came in 1989 as a teacher in the racial drama “A Dry White Season”. Sutherland has starred in over 60 films since 1990, with highlights including “Backdraft”, “Six Degrees of Separation”, “JFK”, “A Time to Kill”, “Cold Mountain”, and 2005’s “Pride and Prejudice” as Mr. Bennet. He won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his supporting role in the 1995 TV film “Citizen X” as well. 2006 has already seen him in the period drama “Ask the Dust”, the gothic horror flick “An American Haunting”, and the NBC drama series “Commander in Chief” as a villainous Congressman. The respected actor is also the father of “24” star Kiefer Sutherland. Truly one of the greatest actors alive, Sutherland brings a sophistication to the screen that has made him one of the most revered performers of his generation.