In Memoriam: Actor "Donald Sutherland" Dies At 88

The Canadian actor Donald Sutherland, has died at 88 after a long illness. His son, the actor Kiefer Sutherland, said: "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.

Sutherland had almost 200 credits to his name, in a more than half a century career, "Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly". He just loved what he did and did what he loved. Sutherland was born in New Brunswick in 1935. After graduating with degrees in engineering and drama from the Unversity of Toronto, he moved to London to start his acting career. 

He had small roles in Italian and British films, before making his feature film debut in the 1964 movie "Castle of the Living Dead." His breakthrough role as Vernon Pinkley in the 1967 film "The Dirty Dozen" catapulted Sutherland to his first starring role in the hit film "M*A*S*H.!, He was a man with a strong presence, a brilliance in his craft and truly, truly a great Canadian artist.

The 1970s also saw him play an IRA member in The Eagle Has Landed, a pot-smoking college professor in National Lampoon's Animal House and the lead in the 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and the iconical "Kelly's Heroes" alongside Telly Zabalas and Clint Eastwood playing the role of the weirdo Sargeant Oddball.In the 1980s, Sutherland played the father of a suicidal teenager in the Oscar-winning "Ordinary Peopl"e.

He turned to television in the 2000s, appearing in such series as Dirty Sexy Money and Commander-in-Chief., despite his numerous roles, he was never nominated for an Oscar. He did receive an honorary Academy Award in 2017. Sutherland was known for his political activism throughout his career, and protested against the Vietnam war alongside Fonda.

Over the last years. he also channelled his beliefs into some of his roles, including The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, where he played the tyrannical President Snow. His Memoir, "Made Up, But Still True", is due to be published in November.