Donald Sutherland

Donald McNichol Sutherland

• Born July 17, 1935 in Saint John, NB CAN
• Died June 20, 2024 in Miami, FL CAN

Biographical Information

Donald Sutherland was one of the most accomplished actors of his generation, and also one of the most visible fans of the Montreal Expos.

He grew up in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia before moving to Toronto, ON to study engineering and drama at the University of Toronto, but soon gave up the engineering part to concentrate on theater. He furthered his studies in London, England and had his first television and film roads across the big pond. His big career break came in 1967 when he appeared in the blockbuster film The Dirty Dozen alongside Lee Marvin and Charles Bronson. He moved to Hollywood shortly after that and had a large number of other memorable roles, including in the movie version of M.A.S.H. (which preceded the successful television sitcom) , The Eagle Has Landed, The Invasion of the Body Snatchers or Ordinary People. He was recognized as one of the best actors in the profession, but was never even nominated for an Oscar, in part because he tended to play flawed characters, and because he made acting look so easy.

He did receive an Honorary Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2017, and continued working all through his life, gaining a new generation of fans for his performance as President Coriolanus Snow in the Hunger Games movie franchise in the 2010s.. His oldest son, Kiefer Sutherland, also became a star actor.

His connection with the Expos came through his third marriage, with Quebec actress Francine Racette in 1972. The couple bought a house in the small village of Georgeville, near Montreal, QC, in 1977 and would spend their summers there, in part to raise their younger children away from the bustle and distractions of Hollywood. That's when he began to attend Expos games on a regular basis. He had season tickets down the first base line at Stade Olympique and would regularly be seen on camera during home games until the late 1980s; he was also interviewed frequently by both English and French-language broadcasters (he spoke very good French) during rain delays and so on, as he was very knowledgeable about the game and endlessly entertaining.