Donald Sutherland, 'M*A*S*H' and 'Hunger Games' Star, Dead at 88

Donald Sutherland died Thursday in Miami following a long illness.

Donald Sutherland, the beloved actor whose storied career in Hollywood spanned six decades and who became recognizable for his roles in M*A*S*H, Klute, Ordinary People and The Hunger Games, has died. He was 88, ET has confirmed.

Sutherland died Thursday in Miami following a long illness. The 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. 

The Lost Boys and 24 star Kiefer Sutherland, one of Sutherland's five children, also shared the news on social media.

"With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away," Kiefer tweeted. "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."

He 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.

Astonishingly, Sutherland was never nominated for an Academy Award, though he masterfully performed in films that 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.

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.

Sam Claflin, Gwendoline Christie, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Jennifer Lawrence, Natalie Dormer, Woody Harrelson, Liam Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, Julianne Moore and Donald Sutherland attend "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2" U.K. premiere on Nov. 5, 2015 in London, England. - Getty

He starred in other notable movies such as JFK, Backdraft, A Time to Kill (his son, Kiefer, also appeared in the film), The Italian Job, Fool's Gold and Horrible Bosses. But a younger generation will perhaps forever remember him as the authoritarian president Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games franchise, the first of which 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. His most recent acting credits include the 2023 period drama film, Miranda's Victim, and the Taylor Sheridan-created Paramount+ series, Lawmen: Bass Reeves.

Donald Sutherland and his famous son, Kiefer Sutherland, at the screening of "Forsaken" on Feb. 16, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. - Getty

Born Donald McNichol Sutherland on July 17, 1935 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, the beloved actor attended the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art after attending Victoria University in Toronto. Sutherland is reported to have survived numerous illnesses as a child -- from infantile paralysis and rheumatoid fever to spinal meningitis.

Undeterred, Sutherland continued to pursue acting. And after a career that spanned more than six decades in Hollywood, Sutherland left an indelible mark in the film and TV industry. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011. His son, Kiefer, was bestowed with the same honor just three years prior.

Donald Sutherland and his children attend the ceremony honoring him with a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame on Jan. 26, 2011 in Hollywood, California. - Getty
Donald Sutherland at Kiefer Sutherland's ceremony for his star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame on Dec. 9, 2008 in Hollywood, California. - Getty

Among his other impressive accolades include his induction into the Canadian Walk of Fame in 2000 and being made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1978. Last October, Canada's Post Office honored his achievements as a screen legend with a series of stamps and a postcard.

Sutherland was married three times -- first to Lois Hardwick, whom he married in 1959 and divorced in 1966, then to Shirley Douglas (1966-1970) and finally to Francine Racette, whom he had been married to since 1972.

Sutherland is survived by his wife, Francine, sons Roeg, Rossif, Angus and Kiefer, daughter Rachel, and four grandchildren. A private celebration of life will be held by the family.

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