Actor Donald Sutherland has passed away. According to a statement from his talent agency, the cause of death was a “long illness.”
The star of “The Hunger Games” series and “M*A*S*H” died on June 20, 2024, at age 88, his Creative Artists Agency told NBC News.
“Acclaimed actor Donald Sutherland passed away today in Miami, Florida after a long illness,” the statement read. No further details about the cause of death were released.
Sutherland’s son, Kiefer, 57, a well-known actor in his own right, also confirmed his father’s death in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
The “24” star shared an old photo with his father, writing alongside it, “It is with sadness that I announce the passing of my father, Donald Sutherland. Personally, I consider my father to be one of the most important actors in the history of cinema. He never flinched from playing the good, bad or ugly parts. He loved his job and did what he loved. You couldn’t ask for more. A life well-lived.”
Sutherland is survived by his wife, Francine Racette, five children – sons Rogue, Rossif, Angus and Kiefer, and daughter Rachel – and four grandchildren.
Donald Sutherland’s cause of death
Sutherland’s death came after a “long battle with illness,” according to a statement from his management. He was 88 years old. No other details have yet been released.
What illness did Donald Sutherland suffer from?
The statement said Sutherland died after a “long illness”, but did not give details about his condition.
According to The New York Times, Sutherland suffered from multiple illnesses as a child, including hepatitis, rheumatic fever and polio, which resulted in one leg being shorter than the other.
Sutherland’s best-known films
A statement from Sutherland’s talent agency looked back on some of his most iconic film and TV roles.
“Born in Saint John, Canada, Sutherland first came to public attention with his breakthrough performances in the 1967 film The Dirty Dozen and Robert Altman’s MASH,” the statement read. “Throughout a career spanning six decades, the celebrated actor has starred in iconic films such as Klute, Kelly’s Heroes, Don’t Look Now, Normal People, JFK, Eye of the Needle, Fellini’s Casanova, 1900, the Hunger Games series and Ad Astra.”
“In 2017 he received an honorary award from the Academy,” the statement continued. “Sutherland won a Golden Globe for his performance in the TV movie ‘Path to War’ and an Emmy and Golden Globe for his performance in the miniseries ‘Citizen X.’ His extensive TV work also includes ‘The Undoing,’ ‘Trust,’ ‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves,’ ‘Dirty Sexy Money,’ and ‘The Pillars of the Earth,’ among many others.”
Perhaps his most famous recent role is in The Hunger Games series, in which Sutherland played President Coriolanus Snow, a character that will also be played by Tom Bryce in the 2023 prequel, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
On June 20, Bryce posted a message on Instagram honoring his life.
“Donald Sutherland came closer to mastering the craft of acting than anyone else,” Blythe wrote, “and there were so many brilliant performances. Though I never had the honor of knowing him personally, it was the honor of a lifetime to follow in his footsteps. Thank you for creating one of the greatest movie characters of all time.”
Sutherland’s former co-star Jane Fonda also reminisced about working with him in the crime thriller Klute.
“Stunned to hear of the passing of Donald Sutherland,” she captioned the Instagram post. “He was my charming co-star in Klute and I loved working with him. Here I am on the set of Klute with director Alan Pakula. Donald was a brilliant actor and complex human being who shared many adventures with me, including the FTA show during the Vietnam War Against the War tour in 1971 for 60,000 active duty soldiers, sailors and Marines in Hawaii, Okinawa, the Philippines and Japan. My heart is broken.”
