Kiefer Sutherland Speaks After Death of Dad Donald Sutherland: ‘A Life Well Lived’

Kiefer Sutherland is paying tribute to father Donald Sutherland after the legendary actor’s death Thursday at the age of 88. The 24 actor, 57, took to X (formerly Twitter) after his father’s agent confirmed his passing to look back on the prolific performer’s legacy.

“With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away,” Kiefer wrote alongside a photo of himself as a child with his dad. “I personally think one of the most important actors in the history of film. Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly.” Kiefer concluded, “He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that. A life well lived.”

In 2022, the Phone Booth actor revealed in an interview with The Guardian that it was his father who inspired him to follow in his footsteps as an actor. “It’s hard to think of another actor who’s been as prolific and made films as diverse as Ordinary People, Don’t Look Now, Fellini’s Casanova, Bertolucci’s 1900 and The Hunger Games,” he said of his dad at the time. “His influence was to make my career as diversified and interesting as possible, which he taught me by doing, not by saying, which was really cool.”

Donald, who most recently appeared in television series including Lawman: Bass Reeves, Swimming With Sharks and The Undoing, has had one of the more varied careers in Hollywood, playing Hawkeye Pierce in 1970’s M*A*S*H film before making horror movie history with 1978’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers and going on to star in the 1980 drama Ordinary People. In 2005, Donald would play Mr. Bennet opposite Keira Knightley in Pride and Prejudice, and in 2012 he debuted the role of President Snow in The Hunger Games, going on to play the villainous leader in all four of the films starring Jennifer Lawrence.

Donald is survived by five children and five grandchildren after his June 20 passing. The actor shared son Kiefer with his ex-wife, actress Shirley Douglas, with whom he also shared late daughter Rachel, who died in 2020 at age 86. The Emmy Award-winning actor was also father to children Roeg, Rossif and Angus with actress Francine Racette, whom he married in 1972. Donald was also previously married to Lois Hardwick from 1959 to 1966.