Donald Sutherland, 1935-2024

I’ve done a lot of tributes to late actors, writers, and other notable creatives on this site, and it’s usually when I have some small personal connection to them; such as a convention meeting, or some other little moment.  But no, I’ve never met Donald Sutherland, nor have I ever seen him in person, but he has been such an undeniable influence in entertainment throughout my life.  After hearing of his passing this week following a long illness, I realized I’ve been watching his movies for as long as I remember seeing movies, from my childhood in the 1970s well into the 21st century.  Sutherland’s career never stopped, nor did it have any long lulls. The Canadian-born star was a true working actor, giving reliably solid performances every time. 

Making a name for himself with roles in movies such “Kelly’s Heroes” (1970) and as the title role in the crime-drama “Klute” (1971), the actor would also gain notice for playing the first onscreen version of Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce in the original movie version of “M*A*S*H” (1970); a fact I was only vaguely aware when I finally saw the movie theatrically in 1983, just as the popular spinoff-TV series was about to air its final episode.  “M*A*S*H” was one of my favorite TV shows in my teens and 20s, and it was surprising for me to see someone other than the brilliant Alan Alda as Hawkeye. More surprising was the ease and understated humor that Sutherland effortlessly brought to the character, giving his Hawkeye a very different but equally interesting dimension.  

Another notable performance for me was Sutherland’s lead role as San Franciscan health inspector Matthew Bennell in 1978’s “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”; a remake of the 1956 classic sci-fi/horror film, based on the book “Body Snatchers” by Jack Finney. Sutherland’s Matthew made for a more believable and less stalwart protagonist who better fit with 1970s grittiness and realism. Sutherland also brought the film’s truly shocking twist ending to life in what is now recognized as one of the actor’s most memorable onscreen moments.

That same year he also costarred in the frat house comedy “National Lampoon’ s Animal House,” where he played lecherous, ‘hip’ literary professor Dave Jennings, who had wildly inappropriate relationships with his student body (namely a very young Karen Allen, of the later “Indiana Jones” movies).  Sutherland could pivot from horror to comedy on a dime. 

With 200 or so movies and TV shows to his credit (most recently in the 2023 series “Lawmen: Bass Reeves”), his career never really had a dry spell, and only seemed to increase in momentum during the 1990s and 2000s, with roles in Oliver Stone’s “JFK” (1991), Ron Howard’s “Backdraft” (1991) and later in the wonderful “Cocoon” meets “The Right Stuff” action-adventure “Space Cowboys” (2000) before finding fame with yet another generation as President Snow in the popular “Hunger Games” movies (2012-2023). 

While I’ve only seen the first two of the “Hunger Games” films, Sutherland infused the role of Snow with reserved menace that subtly reinforced the character’s authority.  More recently I saw Sutherland in “Ad Astra” (2019), a somewhat cold and disappointing movie, which benefitted from his very presence (in my original review, I noted that Sutherland played the most human character in the entire film).

A few weeks ago, I settled in to rewatch “Space Cowboys” on my digital projector, immersing myself in the cast’s delightful chemistry, with Sutherland’s womanizing “Jerry” easily earning the biggest laughs of the film’s curmudgeonly quartet, which was led by star/director Clint Eastwood.  This past Tuesday, my Blu-Ray of 1978’s “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” finally arrived in the mail (an upgrade over my old DVD copy).  That’s just in one month. Sutherland had such a rich tapestry of roles to choose from, that one could easily become overwhelmed by his IMDb credits; with any one of his many roles just begging to be discovered by a potential viewer.

It’s jaw-dropping to me that Donald Sutherland never won an Oscar, nor was he ever nominated for one—even when movies he’s starred in have taken top honors, such as 1980’s “Ordinary People,” which took home the Best Picture Oscar in 1981. I remember watching the movie in a psychology class, and being very moved by Sutherland’s sweet and sympathetic father, Calvin, who was trying to connect with his troubled, suicidal son. Sutherland was so reliable and dependable for great performances that I daresay he was taken for granted by the industry he served so well with his bottomless reserve of talent. 

I’d like to also offer my condolences to his family, which includes actor Kiefer Sutherland, who’s also amassed his own legacy in film and television (and who is almost exactly my age, in fact). Donald Sutherland’s imprint in entertainment is indelible and irreplaceable, and he will be so missed.