Donald Sutherland, famous Canadian movie actor

Sutherland, Donald

Sutherland, Donald, actor (b at Saint John 17 July 1935). Sutherland's tall, earnest and diffident image is a familiar one throughout the world: he is probably Canada's best-known film actor. After studying at the University of Toronto, he trained in the UK and appeared on the London stage before beginning his prolific movie career. Although most of his work has been for Hollywood, he has been seen in many Canadian movies. Early in his career he made notable appearances in Act of the Heart (1970), Murder by Decree (1978) and Threshold (1981). In this Canadian environment his high visibility, apart from his gifts as an actor, has attracted investment dollars and his nationality has satisfied Canadian-content requirements.

For Hollywood, Sutherland made starring appearances in The Dirty Dozen (1967), M*A*S*H (1970), Klute (1971), Don't Look Now (1973), The Day of the Locust (1975), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), Ordinary People (1980) and Eye of the Needle (1981). He has continued to be prolific in commercial cinema, with dozens of movie appearances in starring or supporting roles since 1990. In Canada, his identification with the persona of the famous doctor and socialist Dr Norman BETHUNE began with his appearance in the CBC television drama Bethune (1977) and culminated a decade later when he spent months on location in China for the troubled production of Bethune: The Making of a Hero.

Sutherland also had a moment of importance in the European art cinema of the 1970s. His reputation for seriousness, his then-evident distaste for the Hollywood glitz parade and his unique physical appearance prompted Bertolucci to cast him in 1900 (1976) and Fellini to give him the title role in Casanova (1976) - together the epitome of his "gargoyle phase." Unlike some internationally successful Canadians, he is affectionately regarded in his own country. He is John SUTHERLAND'S half-brother and the father of Kiefer SUTHERLAND, who has become a leading actor in his own right.

Author WILLIAM BEARD