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Renowned actor Donald Sutherland, who starred in a number of iconic films including “The Dirty Dozen” and “M*A*S*H,” and who worked consistently throughout his decadeslong career, has died at 88 years old.
The actor died in Miami after a long illness, according to a statement from Creative Artists Agency, which represented him.
Sutherland grew up in Canada, surviving polio and rheumatoid fever as a child. He studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and later acted in numerous small roles before gaining attention as Vernon Pinkley in the 1967 movie “The Dirty Dozen.”
But his breakout role came in “M*A*S*H,” a hit satirical comedy set during the Korean War. His other acclaimed acting roles include the historical epic “1900,” “Ordinary People” and the 1978 remake of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” More recently, he became known to a younger generation through his role as President Snow in “The Hunger Games” franchise.
Sutherland was known for his ability to play a wide array of characters across genres: leading men, misfits, patriarchs, villains. In 2017, he received an Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He also won an Emmy Award and two Golden Globes.
In 2015, he told the BBC that he would never retire. “It’s a passionate endeavor,” he said. “Retirement for actors is spelt ‘DEATH.’”
Sutherland is survived by his wife, Francine Racette, five children and four grandchildren. One of his sons, actor Kiefer Sutherland, said in a post on social media Thursday that his father was “one of the most important actors in the history of film.”
“Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly,” he wrote. “He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that.”