Actor Donald Sutherland has passed. He was 88.
I remember becoming aware of Donald Sutherland via the 1985 film Heaven Help Us, although it's likely his ubiquity in movies meant I'd seen him in something prior (I'd seen Max Dugan Returns at the movie theater, so there, certainly). And, a quick glance at his IMDB page tells you what you already know: the man was constantly working. 200 acting credits to his name.
I don't know if I have a favorite Sutherland performance, but Kelly's Heroes often pops to mind. I only recently watched Klute, and he's clearly great there. But you can say that about Sutherland in movies I liked far less. And, of course, he was doing good work well after the era in which he played younger men.
Here's to Donald Sutherland, who always brought something extra to his roles, and who managed to seem cool as hell off and on the screen.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers is my favorite Donald Sutherland performance (“If it’s a caper, eat it.”) Backdraft is a close second because he had such a huge impact with very little screen time. He always brought something extra and seemed effortlessly cool.
ReplyDeletetbh, I hadn't seen his Body Snatchers despite many, many rec's to do so. Sounds like now is the time.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most memeable pictures -- evah!
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah he was so memorable, but also so very-very odd. A mixture of that liberal-ish, libertine, man's man that the late 60's and 70's gave us (Dennis Hopper, Fonda, Nicholson). And his later stuff e.g. Hunger Games I thought were also spectacular. The serpentine evil of Coriolanus Snow was him.