
Donald Sutherland
ActingAbout Donald Sutherland
Donald McNichol Sutherland (July 17, 1935 – June 20, 2024) was a Canadian actor whose film career spanned over 6 decades. He was nominated for eight Golden Globe Awards, winning two for his performances in the television films Citizen X (1995) and Path to War (2002); the former also earned him a Primetime Emmy Award. An inductee of the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Canadian Walk of Fame, he also received a Canadian Academy Award for the drama film Threshold (1981). Multiple film critics and media outlets have cited him as one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination. In 2017, he received an Academy Honorary Award for his contributions to cinema. In 2021, he won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries for his work in the HBO miniseries The Undoing (2020). Sutherland rose to fame after starring in films including The Dirty Dozen (1967), M*A*S*H (1970), Kelly's Heroes (1970), Klute (1971), Don't Look Now (1973), Fellini's Casanova (1976), 1900 (1976), The Eagle Has Landed (1976), Animal House (1978), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), Ordinary People (1980), and Eye of the Needle (1981). He later went on to star in many other films where he appeared either in leading or supporting roles such as A Dry White Season (1989), JFK (1991), Outbreak (1995), A Time to Kill (1996), The Assignment (1997), Without Limits (1998), Big Shot's Funeral (2001), The Italian Job (2003), Cold Mountain (2003), Pride & Prejudice (2005), Aurora Borealis (2006) and The Hunger Games franchise (2012–2015). He was the father of actors Kiefer Sutherland, Rossif Sutherland, and Angus Sutherland.
Career Statistics & Market Influence
Analyzing the cinematic journey of Donald Sutherland reveals a career defined by exceptional commercial consistency. With a total of 50 major appearances, the actor has established a significant footprint in global cinema.
Genre Dominance: Drama
The majority of Donald Sutherland's filmography leans towards the Drama genre. Audience data suggests that viewers respond most favorably to this persona, though their versatility has allowed for successful crossovers into other categories.
The "Box Office" Signature
With a 100% Success Ratio (movies rated above 6.5), Donald Sutherland remains a reliable draw for studios. Their peak performance was recorded in Reach for the Stars, which continues to be the benchmark for their career rating-wise.
Best Donald Sutherland Movies Ranked
Must-watch hits from Donald Sutherland's career based on audience ratings.
Complete Filmography & Success Status
Tracking the career evolution and box office verdicts of Donald Sutherland.
| Year | Movie | Character | Success | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass | Self - Narrator (voice) | Hit | Similar → |
| 2020 | Citizen Jane Fonda | - | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 2019 | Reach for the Stars | Self | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 2019 | The Physics of Sorrow | (voice) | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 2018 | The Leisure Seeker | John Spencer | Hit | Similar → |
| 2015 | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 | President Coriolanus Snow | Hit | Similar → |
| 2015 | The Mockingjay Lives: The Making of the Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 | Self - President Coriolanus Snow | Hit | Similar → |
| 2014 | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 | President Coriolanus Snow | Hit | Similar → |
| 2013 | The Hunger Games: Catching Fire | President Coriolanus Snow | Hit | Similar → |
| 2013 | Jappeloup | John Lester | Hit | Similar → |
| 2013 | The Best Offer | Billy Whistler | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 2012 | The World Is Watching: Making the Hunger Games | Self - President Coriolanus Snow | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 2012 | The Hunger Games | President Coriolanus Snow | Hit | Similar → |
| 2007 | Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia | Narrator | Hit | Similar → |
| 2007 | Reign Over Me | Richter Raines | Hit | Similar → |
| 2005 | Pride & Prejudice | Mr. Bennet | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 2005 | Lord of War | Colonel Oliver Southern (voice) | Hit | Similar → |
| 2005 | Sir! No Sir! | Self | Hit | Similar → |
| 2003 | Cold Mountain | Reverend Monroe | Hit | Similar → |
| 2003 | Path to War | Clark Clifford | Hit | Similar → |
| 2003 | The Italian Job | John Bridger | Hit | Similar → |
| 2000 | Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows | Self | Hit | Similar → |
| 1998 | Fallen | Lt. Stanton | Hit | Similar → |
| 1996 | A Time to Kill | Lucien Wilbanks | Hit | Similar → |
| 1995 | Citizen X | Col. Mikhail Fetisov | Hit | Similar → |
| 1993 | La Classe américaine | Assassin (archive footage) (uncredited) | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1991 | JFK | X | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1991 | Backdraft | Ronald Bartel | Hit | Similar → |
| 1990 | Kate Bush: Sensual World | Self (archive footage) | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1989 | Lock Up | Warden Drumgoole | Hit | Similar → |
| 1988 | People of the Forest: The Chimps of Gombe | Narrator (voice) | Hit | Similar → |
| 1983 | Fellini nel cestino | Self | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1981 | A War Story | Narrator (voice) | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1980 | Ordinary People | Calvin Jarrett | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1978 | Invasion of the Body Snatchers | Matthew Bennell | Hit | Similar → |
| 1978 | The First Great Train Robbery | Robert Agar | Hit | Similar → |
| 1978 | Animal House | Dave Jennings | Hit | Similar → |
| 1976 | Fellini's Casanova | Giacomo Casanova | Hit | Similar → |
| 1976 | 1900 | Attila Mellanchini | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1973 | Don't Look Now | John Baxter | Hit | Similar → |
| 1971 | Johnny Got His Gun | Christ | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1971 | Klute | John Klute | Hit | Similar → |
| 1971 | Little Murders | Rev. Dupas | Hit | Similar → |
| 1970 | Kelly's Heroes | Sgt. Oddball (Tank Commander) | Hit | Similar → |
| 1970 | M*A*S*H | Hawkeye Pierce | Hit | Similar → |
| 1968 | The Split | Dave Negli | Hit | Similar → |
| 1967 | The Dirty Dozen | Vernon Pinkley | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1965 | The Bedford Incident | Hospitalman Nerney - Sick Bay | Hit | Similar → |
| 1964 | Hamlet at Elsinore | Fortinbras | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1963 | The World Ten Times Over | Tall Man in Nightclub (uncredited) | Hit | Similar → |
Donald Sutherland - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best movie of Donald Sutherland?
According to audience ratings, the best movie starring Donald Sutherland is "Reach for the Stars" with a rating of 10.0/10.
How many movies has Donald Sutherland acted in?
Donald Sutherland has been featured in at least 50 major films throughout their career.
What are some other popular movies by Donald Sutherland?
Other notable films include "The World Is Watching: Making the Hunger Games", "Pride & Prejudice", and "Kate Bush: Sensual World".



