Kiefer Sutherland opens up about late father Donald: "I didn’t know how special you were"

18 July 2024, 13:34

It's a moment everyone dreads.

On 20th June 2024, the legendary actor and cultural powerhouse Donald Sutherland passed away at the age of 88.

Having starred in films like Don't Look Now, Kelly's Heroes, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and more recently The Hunger Games franchise, Sutherland was truly an acting great.

Whilst Hollywood was reeling, nobody would've felt the loss greater than his family, especially his son Kiefer Sutherland.

Breaking the news of his dad's death himself, Kiefer wrote: "With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away."

• Legendary actor Donald Sutherland dies aged 88, as son Kiefer pays tribute
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"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."

Kiefer followed in his famous father's footsteps by becoming an actor, and in a new interview with Metro has reflected how truly "special" his father was.

From the off, Kiefer admitted that he didn't realise his dad's significance until later life, having only watched his films when he became a young adult.

"My dad was a world-famous actor. And I knew that as a young person, but I hadn’t seen any of his films. And that’s because I wasn’t allowed; it wasn’t because my mom and dad broke up."

"You couldn’t take a ten-year-old into a restricted movie, and all my dad’s movies were restricted."

He then continued to relay how he experienced his father's work for the first time, and how deeply it impacted him.

"I was staying at a friend’s house and he had this vast, homemade VHS collection. And he had about six of my dad’s films."

"I think in two days I watched Fellini’s Casanova, Bertolucci’s 1900, Kelly’s Heroes, M*A*S*H* I think was one of them. And…I’m missing one. It’s a Nic Roeg film, one of my favourite films ever," referring to Don't Look Now.

"I phoned him up and I said, 'I feel really bad. I feel like a bad son'." Kiefer clearly had immense pride and respect for his father, which only increased when he understood his talent on screen.

"I said, 'Look, I’m just absolutely floored by the diversity of all of these characters. I knew you were famous. You know, I didn’t know how special you were, and how good and I’m really sorry'."

"And my father said, 'Well, how could you know? How could you have seen those films?'" referring to their age certificate.

Above all, he recalls the scenario and how Donald entered 'dad mode' immediately, replying with: "Who’s house are you staying at?"

Some things never change with parents and their children it seems, no matter if you're famous or not.