Actor Donald Sutherland has died, and his cause of death has been revealed as "a long illness," according to a statement from his talent agency.
The star of "The Hunger Games" series, "M*A*S*H" and more died at age 88 on June 20, 2024, Creative Artists Agency told NBC News.
"Acclaimed actor Donald Sutherland died today in Miami, Florida after a long illness," the statement read. It did not disclose any more details about his cause of death.
Sutherland's son Kiefer, 57, a well-known actor in his own right, also confirmed his father had died in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The "24" star shared old photo with his father, writing alongside it: "With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away. 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. A life well lived."
Sutherland is survived by his wife, Francine Racette, his five children — sons Roeg, Rossif, Angus and Kiefer, and daughter Rachel — and four grandchildren.
Donald Sutherland's cause of death
Sutherland's death followed "a long illness," according to the statement from his talent agency. The actor was 88 years old. No other information has been shared publicly yet.
What disease did Donald Sutherland have?
Sutherland died after a "long illness," a statement said, but it did not specify the nature of his condition.
As a child, Sutherland suffered from multiple diseases, including hepatitis, rheumatic fever and polio, The New York Times reported. As a result, one of his legs was shorter than the other.
Sutherland's most well-known movies
The statement from Sutherland's talent agency reflected on some of of his most iconic movie and TV roles.
“Born in Saint John, Canada, Sutherland’s break-through performances in the 1967 film ‘The Dirty Dozen’ and Robert Altman’s ‘M*A*S*H’ catapulted him into the public eye," the statement read. "Throughout his six-decade career, the renowned actor starred in such iconic films as ‘Klute,’ ‘Kelly’s Heroes,’ ‘Don’t Look Now,’ ‘Ordinary People,’ ‘JFK,’ ‘The Eye of The Needle,’ ‘Fellini’s Casanova,’ ‘1900,’ ‘The Hunger Games’ series, and ‘Ad Astra,’ among others.”
“In 2017 he received an Honorary Award from the Academy,” the statement continued. “Sutherland won a Golden Globe for the television movie ‘Path to War,’ an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for his performance in the mini-series ‘Citizen X.’ His extensive television credits also include ‘The Undoing,’ ‘Trust,’ ‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves,’ ‘Dirty Sexy Money,’ and ‘The Pillars of the Earth,’ along with many others.”
Perhaps his most well-known, recent role, in "The Hunger Games" films, Sutherland played President Coriolanus Snow, a character also portrayed by Tom Blyth in the 2023 prequel "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes."
Blyth shared a message on Instagram on June 20 honoring his life.
"Donald Sutherland came about as close to mastering the craft of acting as anyone gets,” Blyth wrote. “So many genius performances. I never had the honor of knowing him personally, but it was the honor of a lifetime to follow in his footsteps. Thank you sir for birthing one of the great movie characters of all time."
Sutherland's former co-star Jane Fonda also shared some memories of working with him on the crime-thriller "Klute."
"I am stunned to hear that Donald Sutherland has died," she captioned an Instagram post. "He was my fascinating co-star in Klute and we loved working together. In this photo we are on the Klute set with director Alan Pakula. 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. I am heartbroken."
