Highly respected actor Donald Sutherland has passed away, making a previous interview with his son Kiefer all the more emotional.
Easily one of the most prolific actors of his very high caliber, the legendary Donald Sutherland starred in over 190 movies across a career spanning a staggering six decades. The celebrity‘s film career dates all the way back to 1963, and since then he’s turned in truly mesmerizing performances in such classics as JFK, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, Don’t Look Now, Klute, Mash, and more recently he played President Snow in The Hunger Games franchise. It’s regrettable to report that he passed away on Thursday, June 20th 2024, at the age of 88 after a long illness. His son Kiefer, also a famous actor known for TV shows like 24 and films like The Lost Boys, shared the heartbreaking news, but all the more poignant is an interview he gave in 2014…
Kiefer Sutherland interview about his dad Donald now a heartbreaking ‘memorial’
The 57-year-old Kiefer appeared for an interview on Letterman in 2014 which has now resurfaced in the wake of Donald’s unfortunate passing.
During the chat, the acclaimed star opened up about how much it meant to him to finally star in a movie with his father, the opportunity to present itself thanks to the 2015 western Forsaken. They play a father and son, Reverend Samuel Clayton and John Henry Clayton, respectively.
“It’s something we’ve wanted to do,” Kiefer said of collaborating on a film with his dad. “We spent a long time kind of looking for the right thing to do… we did a western together this last summer called Forsaken and it was one of the great experiences of my life. And I was very relieved to actually have done it. I think at some point we were starting to worry whether or not we’d ever get the opportunity.”
Letterman then asked him whether it was genuinely a big deal for both him and his father personally, or somewhat of a box tick.
“It was huge,” Kiefer confessed. He recalls they were very professional for the first two weeks of production, but the night before they began shooting, he phoned his dad to tell him he was nervous.
“He started laughing,” Kiefer remembered. “I think he said something to the effect of ‘I’ve already crapped myself’ or something like that.” Fondly, he said that once that icebreaker was out of the way, the experience of finally acting together “was fantastic”.
The fact they managed to star side-by-side after all is a precious thing, and hearing how much it meant to him is both devastating and heartening. They did it, and the movie is there to be enjoyed forever by fans who have considered resharing the interview clip a “great memorial” to the man.
Kiefer Sutherland reflects on his dad Donald’s ‘life well lived’
Breaking the news of Donald’s passing, Kiefer’s words really hit home about one of the all-time greats.
“With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away,” he began in a statement on X/Twitter. “I personally think one of the most important actors in the history of film. Never daunted by a role, good, bad, or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that.”
Summarizing it so concisely, he acknowledged that his father’s was “A life well lived,” an indisputable observation.
Tributes aplenty are coming in, thick and fast, but his son has perhaps put it better than any other so far, capturing what so many film fans are thinking right now.
Rest in peace. His contributions to Hollywood cinema will last lifetimes.
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The post Movie legend dies and now son's confession about him is truly heartbreaking appeared first on Celebrity Tidbit.
