Jane Fonda has led the tributes to former co star Donald Sutherland, who passed away aged 88.
Sutherland who starred alongside Fonda in the thriller Klute alongside Fonda in 1971, passed away yesterday following a “long illness” in Miami Florida.
The actor was also renowned for roles in Ordinary People, M*A*S*H, and The Hunger Games franchise.
His death was confirmed by his son and actor Kiefer Sutherland, who said via Instagram that his father was “one of the most important actors in the history of film”.
He also added: “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. A life well lived”.
“heartbroken”
Leading the tributes to Donald Sutherland, Jane Fonda posted a black and white photo of the actor from their 1971 Klute film, where Sutherland starred as the titular detective, attempting to protect Fonda’s character Bree Daniels from a killer, stalking her.
“I am heartbroken”, Fonda wrote.
The pair who also dated for a time, also set up a travelling anti war show in front of US soldiers in 1971, a reaction to Bob Hope’s United Service Organisation tour for the troops, in light of the Vietnam war.
A year later, the show was made into a documentary FTA, displaying the anti-war feelings of that time.
“He was my fascinating co-star in Klute and we loved working together”, Fonda added.
“Donald was a brilliant actor and a complex man who shared quite a few adventures with me, such as the FTA Show, an anti-Vietnam war tour that performed for 60,000 active duty soldiers, sailors, and marines in Hawaii, Okinawa, the Philippines, and Japan in 1971”.
“giant”
Elsewhere, Elliot Gould who also starred alongside Sutherland in the 1970 film version of M*A*S*H, hailed his co star as a “giant” of acting.
Gould also revealed that the pair were both “young fathers” when they worked together, adding that his death “really profoundly hurts because Donald was like my brother, and a big part of my own career”.
“one-of-a-kind”
After being informed of his death via a news conference regarding a national school food programme, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trundeau called Sutherland “truly a great Canadian artist”.
In a special tribute to him via X, US President Joe Biden called Sutherland a “one-of-a-kind actor who inspired and entertained the world for decades”.
Helen Mirren who featured alongside Sutherland in 2017’s The Leisure Seeker, following their 1990 drama Bethune: The Making Of A Hero, also paid tribute to the actor.
“Donald Sutherland was one of the smartest actors I ever worked with,” Mirren began.
“He had a wonderful enquiring brain and a great knowledge on a wide variety of subjects. He combined this great intelligence with a deep sensitivity and with a seriousness about his profession as an actor”, she added. “This all made him into the legend of film that he became”.
Sutherland is also credited with roles such as The Mechanic, satire The Day Of The Locust, horror Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, Roman epic The Eagle, war film The Dirty Dozen, drama Space Cowboys and period drama Pride & Prejudice.
Donald Sutherland is survived by his wife Francine Racette, sons Rossif, Roeg, Angus and Kiefer. He also had one daughter Rachel, and four grandchildren.
The actor was due to release his memoir, Made Up, But Still True, later this year.
