Canadian actor Donald Sutherland has died aged 88. The award-winning screen legend starred in more than130 films over his stellar seven-decade career, with roles in some of America’s most iconic movies: M*A*S*H (1970), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), The First Great Train Robbery (1978) and JFK (1991).
After enjoying a long and celebrated career (he won an Emmy, two Golden Globe awards and an honorary Oscar), Sutherland was reintroduced to younger audiences playing Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games franchise (2012-2015).
To celebrate his huge contribution to cinema, here’s our pick of some of his best roles.
The Dirty Dozen (1967)
Robert Aldrich’s Oscar-winning World War Two film follows 12 convicts being trained by the Allies to carry out a suicide mission ahead of the Normandy landings. So violent it horrified some reviewers in the Sixties, the thought-provoking film is now regarded as one of America’s landmark war movies. In an ensemble cast led by Lee Marvin, Sutherland played felon Vernon L Pinkley.
M*A*S*H (1970)
Robert Altman’s dark comedy was based on Richard Hooker's 1968 novel and told the story of a group of medical personnel in Korea. A massive hit at the box office and with critics, it was nominated for five Oscars, winning one, won the equivalent of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and is now widely regarded as one of the best war films ever made. Sutherland played the lovable womanizer Captain Hawkeye Pierce.
Don’t Look Now (1973)
English director Nicolas Roeg’s adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s 1971 short story is a haunting and unforgettable exploration of grief. It tells the story of a married couple who go to Venice after the death of their young daughter. There, they meet two elderly sisters who say their daughter is trying to contact them from the afterlife to warn them of danger, setting off a series of eerie and horrible events. Subtle and challenging, the mesmerising film is about redemption, intimacy, guilt and loss.
Fellini's Casanova (1976)
Of all of Federico Fellini’s extraordinary films, Fellini's Casanova is arguably his most daring. Decadent and strange, the story follows the sexual escapades of 18th-century Venetian writer and adventurer Giacomo Casanova. The film won an Oscar and two BAFTAs, but split the critics. Sutherland, who is brilliant and astonishing as Casanova, reportedly hated making the film.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
In Philip Kaufman’s iconic sci-fi horror, an alien race starts to replace humans with perfect clones. The only tell is that the duplicates are devoid of empathy. Laboratory scientist Elizabeth Driscoll (Brooke Adams) and her close friend Matthew Bennell (Sutherland) start to investigate the mysterious transformations when Elizabeth’s boyfriend starts acting coldly. Jeff Goldblum and Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock for 50 years, also star.
The First Great Train Robbery (1978)
A heist comedy starring Sean Connery, Sutherland and Lesley-Anne Down, and directed by the late, great Michael Crichton (author of Westworld, Jurassic Park), it’s no wonder this award-winning period piece still dazzles today. The story of a member of the British aristocracy who lives a double life as a master thief, Sutherland played eccentric pickpocket Robert Agar, a foil to Connery’s suave Edward Pierce.
JFK (1991)
Still one of the best political thrillers ever made, Oliver Stone’s 1991 film depicted one of the most fascinating investigations in modern history. Kevin Costner played investigator Jim Garrison, Gary Oldman starred as Lee Harvey Oswald, Kevin Bacon was witness Willie O'Keefe and Sutherland played Mr X, a character inspired by Chief of Special Operations, L Fletcher Prouty. A gripping watch.
Space Cowboys (2000)
In this great Oscar-nominated film from Clint Eastwood, four ageing former pilots – played by Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Sutherland, and James Garner – are asked to go to space to fix an old Soviet satellite. The grey-haired lads are not getting any younger and must endure various training programmes before they can be jetted off-Earth. Full of dad jokes and clichés, it’s proper Sunday afternoon fare.
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Benjamin Whitrow was the perfect Mr Bennet. Aloof, kind-hearted and intelligent, it seemed impossible that anyone would be able to play the role with any success ever again after the BBC’s beloved 1995 series. But Sutherland did an excellent job playing Lizzie’s exasperated father, depicting him as equally mystified and amused.
The Hunger Games (2012)
Gary Ross’s blockbuster dystopian action film was based on the acclaimed 2008 novel by Suzanne Collins and told the story of a twisted televised game in which 12 tributes from rival districts of the nation Panem all fight to the death. In a starry cast led by Jennifer Lawrence, Sutherland played dictator Coriolanus Snow, president of the dystopian country. A role that introduced the actor to a younger audience, Sutherland hoped the film, which asks questions about poverty and power, might help to “stir up a revolution”.
