Donald Sutherland died at the age of 88 on June 20 in Miami following a long illness.
Donald Sutherland has died at the age of 88, ET has confirmed.
The veteran actor died on Thursday in Miami following a long illness but the official cause of death was not disclosed. Sutherland's death comes just months before his memoir, Made Up, But Still True, was set to be published. His career in Hollywood spanned six decades and included recognizable roles in M*A*S*H, Klute, Ordinary People and The Hunger Games.
Following the news of his death, friends, family and fellow co-stars of the beloved actor took to social media to share tributes to the late star.
Kiefer Sutherland, one of Sutherland's five children, was the first to pay tribute. He took to Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) to pen a sweet post and share an old black-and-white picture of the two of them together.
"With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away," Kiefer wrote. "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."
Henry Winkler was moved by the news and tagged Kiefer on X to share his condolences. He wrote, "Stacey and I send you our deepest sympathies .. Your dad was indeed singular. Warmly, Henry."
Another actor who sent their sympathies to Kiefer was Rob Lowe.
"Today we lost one of our greatest actors, Donald Sutherland," he tweeted. "It was my honor to work with him many years ago, and I will never forget his charisma and ability. If you want a master class in acting, watch him in 'Ordinary People.' My condolences to Kiefer."
Similarly, actress Kristy Swanson tweeted, "My heart is with you Kiefer. He was and will always be a beautiful man. May he rest in peace and love."
Sutherland first made his mark in the 1967 World War II classic, The Dirty Dozen. That film would eventually help him land the role of Hawkeye Pierce in the 1970 war comedy, M*A*S*H. That same year, Sutherland appeared as the hippie tank commander "Oddball" in Kelly's Heroes and then starred opposite Gene Wilder in the comedy, Start the Revolution Without Me.
Helen Mirren, who co-starred with Sutherland in The Leisure Seeker, praised Sutherland for his wisdom and acting skills.
“Donald Sutherland was one of the smartest actors I ever worked with. He had a wonderful enquiring brain, and a great knowledge on a wide variety of subjects," she said in a statement to ET. "He combined this great intelligence with a deep sensitivity, and with a seriousness about his profession as an actor. This all made him into the legend of film that he became. He was my colleague and became my friend. I will miss his presence in this world."
Despite his talent, Sutherland was never nominated for an Academy Award, but some of his films would earn gold statuettes. In 1971, Sutherland starred opposite Jane Fonda in the Alan J. Pakula-directed psychological thriller Klute, which went on to be nominated for two Academy Awards -- Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress, which went to Fonda. Sutherland was honored with an Honorary Oscar in 2017.
Fonda spoke out about the passing of Sutherland on Instagram.
"I am stunned to hear that Donald Sutherland has died. He was my fascinating co-star in Klute and we loved working together," she captioned a grayscale photo from their Klute days. "In this photo we are on the Klute set with director Alan Pakula. Donald was a brilliant actor and a complex man who shared quite a few adventures with me, such as the FTA Show, an anti-Vietnam war tour that performed for 60,000 active duty soldiers, sailors, and marines in Hawaii, Okinawa, the Philippines, and Japan in 1971. I am heartbroken."
Michael Peter Balzary, professionally known as Flea, also applauded Sutherland's performance in Klute after his death.
"just watched klute last week," the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist tweeted. "donald sutherland was an incredible screen presence time and time again, one of the greatest. damn, god bless."
Sutherland earned a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie in 1995's Citizen X. He was also a two-time Golden Globe winner for Best Supporting Actor, Television for Citizen X and 2002's Path to War.
Many celebrities chose to tweet their sentiments and share articles about Sutherland's death when the news broke.
In a lengthy post on X, director Edgar Wright honored Sutherland and his work, writing that he's sorry to see Sutherland go, but in awe of the legacy he leaves behind. He additionally encouraged his followers to list their favorite Sutherland films.
"RIP the great Donald Sutherland, a favourite actor and always fascinating screen presence," Wright wrote. "He starred in two of my very favourite and most influential films - 'Don't Look Now' and the 1978 'Invasion Of The Bodysnatchers.' But that is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of his legendary filmography; a funny, laconic, but also intense and dramatic presence in so many memorable movies, starting with his break-through in 'The Dirty Dozen,' and then on an incredible run in the 70’s, 80’s and beyond with 'M*A*S*H,' 'Kelly’s Heroes,' 'Little Murders,' 'Klute,' 'Don’t Look Now,' 'The Day Of The Locust,' 'Ordinary People' and 'JFK,' among many others. I even adore his very early appearances in 'Dr Terror’s House Of Horrors' and 'The World Ten Times Over,' as well as his very silly cameo in 'Kentucky Fried Movie.'"
Nancy Sinatra, the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra, got vulnerable with her post. Alongside a broken heart emoji, she penned, "This hurts. godspeed, Donald Sutherland."
Elijah Wood was just as heartbroken, writing, "aww man. farewell, Donald Sutherland," next to a black-and-white photo of Sutherland.
"#RIPDonaldSutherland," Ron Howard tweeted. "I was blessed to direct him in #Backdraft. One of the most intelligent, interesting & engrossing film actors of all time. Incredible range, creative courage & dedication to serving the story & the audience with supreme excellence."
Singer-songwriter KT Tunstall kept her message short, writing, "Thank you for greatness, Sir #DonaldSutherland." Ben Stiller did the same, tweeting, "Sending love and so much respect," with a single blue heart emoji.
Another celeb impacted by Sutherland's death was Michael McKean, who wrote, "RIP Donald Sutherland. Truly one of a kind, with a unique voice and presence. Phenomenal range."
Piers Morgan mourned by tweeting, "RIP Donald Sutherland, 88. One of my all-time favourite actors who played so many great roles. What a sad loss."
Even the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, bid farewell.
His translated tweet reads, "We have lost one of our greats. Donald Sutherland mastered his art like few people can. He was a remarkable, legendary actor — and an exceptional Canadian. My thoughts are with his loved ones. Rest in peace, Donald."
The Hunger Games also said goodbye to Sutherland, who portrayed the villainous President Coriolanus Snow in the dystopian franchise. The first film premiered in 2012 and starred Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz and Stanley Tucci. Sutherland reprised his role in 2013's Catching Fire, 2014's Mockingjay, Part 1 and 2015's Mockingjay, Part 2.
"We asked the kindest man in the world to portray the most corrupt, ruthless dictator we've ever seen. Such was the power and skill of Donald Sutherland’s acting that he created one more indelible character among many others that defined his legendary career. We are privileged to have known and worked with him, and our thoughts are with his family."
Sutherland's most recent acting credits include the 2023 period drama film, Miranda's Victim, and the Taylor Sheridan-created Paramount+ series, Lawmen: Bass Reeves.
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