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Donald McNicol Sutherland, OC (born July 17, 1935) is a prolific Canadian actor with a film career spanning over 40 years.
Early Life
Sutherland was born in Saint John, New Brunswick and grew up in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, the grandson of a Protestant minister. Sutherland got his first part time job aged 14 as a news correspondent for his local radio station CKBW Radio in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. He then studied at Victoria College, University of Toronto (where he was expelled from residence for throwing a sink out of a window) eventually graduating with a double major in engineering and drama. He had at one point been a member of "UC Follies" comedy troupe in Toronto. He changed his mind about becoming an engineer and subsequently left Canada for England to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
Acting Career
In the early 1960s he began to get small parts in British film and TV, in the mid 1960s getting notable roles in horror films with Christopher Lee such as Castle of the Living Dead (1964), and Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965). His first great successes came with the three war films The Dirty Dozen in 1967 with Lee Marvin and Charles Bronson, in 1970 as the lead Capt. 'Hawkeye' Pierce in Robert Altman's M*A*S*H and as tank commander Sgt. Oddball in Kelly's Heroes with Clint Eastwood and Telly Savalas. Sutherland formed an intimate friendship with the actress Jane Fonda during the filming of the Academy award winning detective thriller Klute (1971), Sutherland later remarked that they had had a physical relationship on and off screen (to critic Mark Cousins in 2001). Sutherland and Fonda went on to co-produce and star together in the anti Vietnam war film F.T.A. (1972) consisting of a series of sketches performed outside army bases in the Pacific Rim and interviews with the American troops who were then on active service. Sutherland found himself in demand as a leading man throughout the 1970s in films such as the Venice based psychological horror Don't Look Now (1973), the war film The Eagle Has Landed (1976), and as the ever optimistic health inspector in the sci-fi horror Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) alongside Brooke Adams and Jeff Goldblum. He also made acclaimed performances in the 1976 Bernardo Bertolucci Italian fascism epic (318 minute) 1900 and for his role as the torn father in the Academy award winning family drama Ordinary People (1980) alongside Mary Tyler Moore and Timothy Hutton. He played the part of fellow countryman, Canadian Norman Bethune, a physician, humanitarian and hero in China with whom he identified, in two separate biographical films in 1977 and 1990. Through the 1980s and 1990s his films were perhaps less noteworthy than those in the 70s, exceptions being the South African apartheid drama A Dry White Season (1989) alongside Marlon Brando and Susan Sarandon, the fire fighter thriller Backdraft (1991) alongside Kurt Russell and De Niro, and as the snobbish NYC art dealer in Six Degrees of Separation (1993) with Stockard Channing and Will Smith. In the Oliver Stone film JFK, Sutherland played a mysterious Washington intelligence officer who spoke of links to the military-industrial complex in relation to Kennedy's assassination. Recently he has been noted for his role as the Reverend Monroe in the civil war drama Cold Mountain (2003), in the re-make of The Italian Job (2003), and in Pride and Prejudice (2005) starring alongside Keira Knightley.
Sutherland's distinctive voice has been used in many radio and television commercials, including those for Volvo automobiles.
Personal Life
He was married to the actress Shirley Douglas from 1966-1970, daughter of Canadian democratic socialist statesman Tommy Douglas by whom he has a daughter Rachel and a son Kiefer Sutherland (a prominent actor and director, best known for his role in the TV series 24). He was previously married to Lois Hardwick (1959-1966) (divorced), and briefly had a relationship with the actress Jane Fonda during the early 1970s. He met his current wife, the French-Canadian actress Francine Racette on the set of the Canadian pioneer drama Alien Thunder (1974) (she was later to star in the classic war drama Au revoir les enfants (1987). Together they have three sons (all named after directors who they worked with) Roeg b.1974, Rossif b.1978 (appeared in the 2003 film based on the Michael Crichton novel Timeline and the 2005 film Red Doors), and Angus Redford b.1979.
Sutherland was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1978.
The Four Saints (2005) (announced)
Puffball (2006) (pre-production) .... Lars
Land of the Blind (2006) (post-production) .... Thorne
Ask the Dust (2006) (completed) .... Hellfrick
An American Haunting (2005) .... John Bell
"Human Trafficking" (2005) (mini) TV Series .... Customs Agent Bill Monroe
"Commander in Chief" (2005) TV Series .... Nathan Templeton
Lord of War (2005) (voice) .... Colonel Oliver Southern
American Gun (2005) .... Carl
Pride & Prejudice (2005) .... Mr. Bennet
Fierce People (2005) .... Ogden C. Osborne
Aurora Borealis (2005) .... Ronald Shorter
Frankenstein (2004/I) (TV) .... Captain Walton
'Salem's Lot (2004) (TV) .... Richard Straker
Cold Mountain (2003) .... Reverend Monroe
Baltic Storm (2003) .... Lou Aldryn
The Italian Job (2003) .... John Bridger
... aka Braquage à l'italienne (France)
Piazza delle cinque lune (2003) .... Rosario Sarracino
... aka Five Moons Plaza (International: English title)
Path to War (2002) (TV) .... Clark Clifford
Da wan (2001) .... Tyler
... aka Big Shot's Funeral
... aka Happy Funeral
... aka The Funeral of the Famous Star
Uprising (2001) (TV) .... Adam Czerniakow
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001) (voice) .... Dr. Cid
... aka Fainaru fantaji (Japan)
The Big Heist (2001) (TV) .... Jimmy Burke
The Art of War (2000/I) .... U.N. Secretary General Douglas Thomas
... aka Art de la guerre, L' (Canada: French title)
Space Cowboys (2000) .... Jerry O'Neill
Panic (2000) .... Michael
Threads of Hope (2000) (voice) .... Narrator
The Hunley (1999) (TV) .... Gen. Pierre G.T. Beauregard
Instinct (1999) .... Ben Hillard
Behind the Mask (1999) (TV) .... Dr. Bob Shushan
Virus (1999/I) .... Capt. Robert Everton
... aka Virus (France)
Free Money (1998) .... Judge Rolf Rausenberg
Without Limits (1998) .... Bill Bowerman
Fallen (1998) .... Lt. Stanton
The Assignment (1997/I) .... Jack Shaw/Henry Fields
... aka Mandat, Le (Canada: French title)
Shadow Conspiracy (1997) .... Jacob Conrad
Natural Enemy (1997) (TV) .... Ted Robards
Hollow Point (1996) .... Garrett Lawton
... aka Arsenal de pointe (Canada: French title)
... aka Rysk Roulette
A Time to Kill (1996) .... Lucien Wilbanks
Outbreak (1995) .... Maj. Gen. Donald McClintock
Citizen X (1995) (TV) .... Col. Mikhail Fetisov
Disclosure (1994) .... Bob Garvin
The Puppet Masters (1994) .... Andrew Nivens
... aka Robert A. Heinlein's The Puppet Masters (USA: complete title)
Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (1994) (TV) .... Capt. William Marsden
The Lifeforce Experiment (1994) (TV) .... Dr. 'MAC' MacLean
... aka Dead Men Talk (Canada: English title)
... aka Silence de la liberté, Le (Canada: French title)
... aka The Breakthrough
Punch (1994) .... Craman
Younger and Younger (1993) .... Jonathan Younger
Six Degrees of Separation (1993) .... John Flanders ('Flan') Kittredge
Benefit of the Doubt (1993) .... Frank
... aka Im Bann des Zweifels (Germany)
Red Hot (1993) .... Kirov
The Shadow Catcher (1993) (voice) .... Edward S. Curtis
Shadow of the Wolf (1992) .... Henderson
... aka Agaguk (Canada: French title)
The Railway Station Man (1992) .... Roger Hawthorne
Rakuyô (1992) .... John Williams
... aka The Setting Sun (International: English title)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) .... Merrick Jamison-Smythe
Quicksand: No Escape (1992) (TV) .... Murdoch
The Poky Little Puppy's First Christmas (1992) .... Narrator
JFK (1991) .... X
... aka JFK (France)
Cerro Torre: Schrei aus Stein (1991) .... Ivan
... aka Cerro Torre Scream of Stone (Canada: English title)
... aka Cerro Torre, le cri de la roche (France)
... aka Conquête de la peur, La (Canada: French title)
... aka Scream of Stone
Backdraft (1991) .... Ronald Bartel
Buster's Bedroom (1991) .... O'Connor
Eminent Domain (1991) .... Josef Borski
... aka Guerre des nerfs, La (Canada: French title)
Long Road Home (1991) (TV) (uncredited)
Bethune: The Making of a Hero (1990) .... Dr. Norman Bethune
... aka Bethune, l'étoffe d'un héros (Canada: French title)
... aka Dr. Bethune
A Dry White Season (1989) .... Ben du Toit
Lock Up (1989) .... Warden Drumgoole
Lost Angels (1989) .... Dr. Charles Loftis
Apprentice to Murder (1988) .... John Reese
The Trouble with Spies (1987) .... Appleton Porter
... aka 2 Female Spies with Flowered Panties (UK)
The Rosary Murders (1987) .... Father Robert Koesler
Oviri (1986) .... Paul Gauguin
... aka Gauguin, le loup dans le soleil (France)
... aka The Wolf at the Door
Heaven Help Us (1985) .... Brother Thadeus
... aka Catholic Boys
Revolution (1985) .... Sgt. Maj. Peasy
Crackers (1984) .... Weslake
Ordeal by Innocence (1984) .... Dr. Arthur Calgary
The Winter of Our Discontent (1983) (TV) .... Ethan Hawley
... aka John Steinbeck's The Winter of Our Discontent
Max Dugan Returns (1983) .... Brian Costello
A War Story (1981) (voice) .... Narrator of the diary
Threshold (1981) .... Dr. Vrain
Eye of the Needle (1981) .... Heinrich "Henry"Faber
Gas (1981) .... Nick the Noz
Ordinary People (1980) .... Calvin Jarrett
Nothing Personal (1980) .... Roger Keller
North China Commune (1980) (voice) .... Narrator
Bear Island (1979) .... Frank Lansing
... aka Alistair MacLean's Bear Island
A Man, a Woman and a Bank (1979) .... Reese Halperin
The First Great Train Robbery (1979) .... Robert Agar, Screwsman
... aka The Great Train Robbery (USA)
Murder by Decree (1979) .... Robert Lees
... aka Sherlock Holmes and Saucy Jack (USA)
... aka Sherlock Holmes: Murder by Decree
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) .... Matthew Bennell
Animal House (1978) .... Prof. Dave Jennings
... aka National Lampoon's Animal House
Liens de sang, Les (1978) .... Carella
... aka Blood Relatives
The Disappearance (1977) .... Jay Mallory
The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977) .... The Clumsy Waiter
Bethune (1977) (TV) .... Dr. Norman Bethune
The Eagle Has Landed (1976) .... Liam Devlin
Casanova di Federico Fellini, Il (1976) .... Giacomo Casanova
... aka Casanova (Italy: short title)
... aka Fellini's Casanova (USA)
1900 (1976) .... Attila
... aka 1900 - Gewalt, Macht, Leidenschaft (West Germany: first part title)
... aka 1900 - Kampf, Liebe, Hoffnung (West Germany: second part title)
... aka Novecento (Italy)
Richter und sein Henker, Der (1975) .... Corpse of Lt. Robert Schmied
... aka Assassinio sul ponte (Italy)
... aka Deception (UK: video title)
... aka End of the Game (USA)
... aka Getting Away with Murder (USA: reissue title)
... aka Murder on the Bridge (USA)
The Day of the Locust (1975) .... Homer Simpson
S*P*Y*S (1974) .... Bruland
Alien Thunder (1974) .... Dan Candy
... aka Dan Candy's Law (USA: reissue title)
... aka Tonnerre rouge, Le (Canada: French title)
Don't Look Now (1973) .... John Baxter
... aka A Venezia... un dicembre rosso shocking (Italy)
Lady Ice (1973) .... Andy Hammon
Steelyard Blues (1973) .... Jesse Veldini
... aka The Final Crash (USA: TV title)
Johnny Got His Gun (1971) .... Christ
Klute (1971) .... John Klute
Little Murders (1971) .... Rev. Dupas
Alex in Wonderland (1970) .... Alex Morrison
Act of the Heart (1970) .... Father Michael Ferrier
... aka Acte du coeur (Canada: French title)
Kelly's Heroes (1970) .... Sgt. Oddball (tank commander)
... aka Ratnici (Yugoslavia: Serbian title)
Start the Revolution Without Me (1970) .... Charles/Pierre
... aka Two Times Two
MASH (1970) .... Capt. Benjamin Franklin 'Hawkeye' Pierce
The Sunshine Patriot (1968) (TV) .... Benedeck
Joanna (1968) .... Lord Peter Sanderson
The Split (1968) .... Dave Negli
Interlude (1968) .... Lawrence
Sebastian (1968) .... Ackerman
... aka Mr. Sebastian
Oedipus the King (1967) .... Chorus Leader
Billion Dollar Brain (1967) .... Scientist at computer
The Dirty Dozen (1967) .... Vernon L. Pinkley
"A Farewell to Arms" (1966) (mini) TV Series .... Sim
Promise Her Anything (1965) (uncredited) .... Autograph Seeking Father
Fanatic (1965) .... Joseph
... aka Die! Die! My Darling! (USA)
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965) .... Bob Carroll
... aka The Blood Suckers
The American Civil War (1965) (TV)
The Bedford Incident (1965) .... Hospitalman Nerny
The Death of Bessie Smith (1965) (TV) .... Intern
Hamlet (1964/III) (TV) .... Fortinbras, Prince of Norway
... aka Hamlet at Elsinore
Castello dei morti vivi, Il (1964) .... Sgt. Paul/The witch/The old man
... aka Castle of the Living Dead (USA)
... aka Château des morts vivants, Le (France)
... aka Crypt of Horror
Terry-Thomas (1963) (TV)
The World Ten Times Over (1963) .... Unnamed (In Nightclub)
... aka Pussycat Alley
