Donald Sutherland

As of 2014, has appeared in three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: MASH (1970), Ordinary People (1980) and JFK (1991). Ordinary People (1980) won in the category.

Recently, he has joined forces with his son Rossif Sutherland and Canadian comic Russell Peters with the new comedy The Con Artist (2010), as well as acting alongside Jamie Bell and Channing Tatum in the sword-and-sandal film The Eagle (2011).

Thorne in Land of the Blind (2006) and also as a judge in Reign Over Me (2007).

Has starred on the television series Commander in Chief (2005) with Leslie Hope. During the first season of 24 (2001), Leslie Hope played the wife of his son, Kiefer Sutherland.

He also appeared as the father figure to Nicole Kidman's character in Cold Mountain (2003) and Charlize Theron's character in The Italian Job (2003). He has also made a fascinating, Oscar-worthy performance as the revolutionist Mr.

Is a huge fan of the television series 24 (2001) starring his son Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer and never missed an episode. However, he declined an offer to play Jack Bauer's estranged father, Phillip Bauer, who appeared in the series' sixth season, and the role instead went to James Cromwell.

The new millennium provided an interesting turn in Sutherland's career: reuniting with such former collaborators as Clint Eastwood and Tommy Lee Jones, Sutherland starred in Space Cowboys (2000).

He and Alan Alda both play Republicans with Presidential aspirations on television. Alda appears on The West Wing (1999), Sutherland appears on Commander in Chief (2005).

Turned down starring in The Sweet Hereafter (1997) because the salary was too low. His role eventually went to Ian Holm.

He and Kiefer Sutherland are both Emmy Award winners. He won in 1996 for Citizen X (1995), and ten years later, Kiefer won for 24 (2001).

Has two roles in common with Alan Alda. Sutherland played Flan in Six Degrees of Separation (1993), the role Alda played in an audio-book publication. Sutherland also played Hawkeye Pierce in MASH (1970), the role Alda played on M*A*S*H (1972).

Sutherland went on to appear in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992), Shadow of the Wolf (1992), and Disclosure (1994).

Sutherland's next big success came in the Oliver Stone film JFK (1991) where Sutherland plays the chilling role of Mister X, an anonymous source who gives crucial information about the politics surrounding President Kennedy. Once again, he was passed over at the Oscars, though Tommy Lee Jones was nominated for his performance as Clay Shaw.

This work led to the dramatic, well-told story of apartheid A Dry White Season (1989) alongside the legendary actor Marlon Brando.

His son, Kiefer Sutherland, appeared in Stand By Me (1986), based on a short story by Stephen King. Donald later appeared in Salem's Lot (2004). Donald has himself appeared in two Michael Crichton adaptations: The Great Train Robbery (1978) and Disclosure (1994), while is other son Rossif Sutherland appears in Timeline (2003).

He moved on to play a Nazi spy in a film based on Ken Follett's book "Eye of the Needle" and he would star alongside Al Pacino in the commercial and critical disaster that was Revolution (1985). While it drove Al Pacino out of films for four years, Sutherland continued to find work.

Has played together with his son Kiefer Sutherland in two movies: Max Dugan Returns (1983) and A Time to Kill (1996) where they play enemies.

Another classic role came in the form of the Robert Redford film, Ordinary People (1980). Sutherland portrays an older father figure who must deal with his children in an emotional drama of a film. It won Best Picture, and while both the supporting stars were nominated for Oscars, Sutherland once again did not receive any Academy Award nomination.

Had a near-death experience in 1979 when he was sick with meningitis. Doctors told him he had died for a time, and he claims to have had an out-of-body experience.

Sutherland also gained another memorable role as a marijuana-smoking university professor in National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) among other work that he did in this time.

Even though he receives top billing in The Day of the Locust (1975), he does not appear in the film for the first 42 minutes.

Has three sons with Francine Racette: Roeg Sutherland,born 1974 Rossif Sutherland born 1978and Angus Sutherlandborn 1982.

Both Sutherland and Alan Alda, who took up the role of Hawkeye Pierce on M*A*S*H (1972) suffered from polio as children.

Moving on from Klute (1971), Sutherland landed roles such as the lead in the thriller Lady Ice (1973), and another lead in the western Alien Thunder (1974). These films did not match up to "Klute"'s success, though Sutherland took a supporting role that would become one of his most infamous and most critically acclaimed.

The picture was an instant success as an action/war film, and Sutherland played upon this success by taking another role in a war film: this was, however, a comedy called MASH (1970) which landed Sutherland the starring role alongside Elliott Gould and Tom Skerritt. This is now considered a classic among film goers, and the 35-year old actor was only getting warmed up.

It was Kelly's Heroes (1970) that became more well-known, and it reunited Sutherland with Telly Savalas.

1970 and 1971 offered Sutherland a number of other films, the best of them would have to be Klute (1971). The film, which made Jane Fonda a star, is about a prostitute whose friend is mysteriously murdered. Sutherland received no critical acclaim like his co-star Fonda (she won an Oscar) but his career did not fade.

Sutherland took a number of other roles in between these two films, such as the theatrical adaptation Oedipus the King (1968), the musical Joanna (1968) and the Clint Eastwood-helmed war comedy Kelly's Heroes (1970).

The role he played was that of the dopey but loyal Vernon Pinkley in the war film The Dirty Dozen (1967). The film also starred Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, and Telly Savalas.

The towering presence of Canadian actor Donald Sutherland is often noticed, as are his legendary contributions to cinema. He has appeared in almost 200 different shows and films. He is also the father of renowned actor Kiefer Sutherland, among others. Donald McNichol Sutherland was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, to Dorothy Isobel (McNichol) and Frederick McLea Sutherland, who worked in sales and electricity. He has Scottish, as well as German and English, ancestry. Sutherland worked several different jobs - he was a radio DJ in his youth - and was almost set on becoming an engineer after graduating from the University of Toronto with a degree in engineering. However, he also graduated with a degree in drama, and he chose to abandon becoming an engineer in favour of an actor. Sutherland's first roles were bit parts and consisted of such films as the horror film Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965) which starred Christopher Lee. He was also appearing in episodes of TV shows such as "The Saint" and "Court Martial". Sutherland's break would come soon, though, and it would come in the form of a war film in which he was barely cast. The reason he was barely cast was because he had been a last-minute replacement for an actor that had dropped out of the film.

Two of his sons were named after directors he has worked with: Kiefer Sutherland was named after Warren Kiefer who directed Donald's first film The Castle of the Living Dead (1964), and his second son, Roeg Sutherland was named after Nicolas Roeg, who directed him in Don't Look Now (1973).

Was offered the role of Wyatt Earp in Doctor Who (1963): The Gunfighters but was not free so John Alderson took the role.

Made two guest appearances on The Saint (1962), playing two different characters.

Between 1958 and 1960, he went to England and studied acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).

When polled by the American Film Institute, Sutherland chose Great Expectations (1946) as his favorite film.

He played the role of the murderous fascist leader in the Bernardo Bertolucci Italian epic 1900 (1976).