Donald Sutherland was beloved.
Donald Sutherland became a reliable presence on the big screen from the 1960s, playing subversive war heroes, hippies, and stoners. He also made a lasting impression on a new generation as the dictator in “The Hunger Games.” He has now passed away at the age of 88 in Miami.
It was fittingly ironic when 77-year-old Donald Sutherland played the icy dictator Coriolanus Snow. Starting in 2012, he appeared in the “Hunger Games” series, which also made Jennifer Lawrence a star.
This role introduced him to a new generation, while their parents already knew him for his captivating screen presence in more rebellious roles.
From England to Hollywood
In one such role, Donald Sutherland played a clever war surgeon in Robert Altman’s 1970 film “M.A.S.H.” As the field doctor Hawkeye Pierce, he undermined all authority in the US Army during the Korean War, in a film that clearly criticized the Vietnam War.
A Memorable Face
Donald Sutherland was a tall man with a long face and a long career. His face, which always somewhat resembled the cat-eating plush alien Alf from the sitcom of the same name, had made him an internet meme even before his “Hunger Games” renaissance.
Donald Sutherland won’t be forgotten anytime soon. He was both a film star and a character actor, with a presence that spanned generations. He was a man people loved, even (or especially) if he made them nervous.