Donald Sutherland is dead at 88 after ‘long illness.’ Movie star called Miami Beach home

Hollywood has lost an icon: Donald Sutherland has died at age 88 in Miami.

His famous son Kiefer Sutherland announced the industry veteran’s death “from a long illness” on Thursday with a black and white throwback photo.

“With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away,” wrote the “24” star, 57, on Instagram. “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.”

Indeed. The Canadian native played almost too many iconic, wide ranging roles to count, from wisecracking Hawkeye Pierce in M*A*S*H to a hippie professor in “Animal House” to an introverted detective in “Klute” and a repressed, grieving father in “Ordinary People.”

In a career that spanned six decades plus and more than 100 movies, Sutherland eventually touched the younger generation as well, moving on to popcorn fare like “The Hunger Games” franchise and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

The honorary Oscar winner’s longtime agency CAA confirmed the news of his passing to Deadline, adding that he died in Miami.

Incredibly, Sutherland never received an Academy Award, but his work on two separate HBO projects netted him two Golden Globes, one for 2002’s “Path to War” and the 1995 miniseries “Citizen X.” Sutherland also clinched an Emmy for that latter project, a crime thriller.

A little known fact is that the thrice married father of five had been a Miami Beach resident for the past few years.

Sutherland and his third wife, Francine Racette, bought a two-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom waterfront condo at the Portofino Tower in South Beach in 2012 for $1.6 million. The couple met on the set of “Alien Thunder” in 1972 and went on to have three sons, Rossif, Angus and Roeg.

In 2018, while promoting his road trip dramedy with Helen Mirren, “The Leisure Seeker,” Sutherland specifically asked a reporter to meet at Smith & Wollensky, one of his favorite steakhouses in their SoFi neighborhood. During the course of the interview he stared out at the water, and mentioned how much he and his wife loved living in the area, checking out new restaurants and attending Art Basel.

The tall and lean leading man was first married to his college sweetheart Lois May Hardwick, and then Shirley Douglas, the daughter of Canadian politician Tommy Douglas, with whom he had Kiefer and his twin, Rachel.

More tributes on social media poured in Thursday as news of the beloved star’s death went viral.

Rob Lowe, who appeared with Sutherland in the “Salem’s Lot” horror miniseries in 2004, wrote: “It was my honor to work with him many years ago, and I will never forget his charisma and ability.”

Ron Howard, who directed Sutherland in 1991 firefighter drama “Backdraft,” also weighed in: “One of the most intelligent, interesting and engrossing film actors of all time. Incredible range, creative courage and dedication to serving the story and the audience with supreme excellence.”

And Mirren, who played his wife twice, once in “The Leisure Seeker,” and also in 1990’s “Bethune: The Making of a Hero,” released a touching statement.

“Donald Sutherland was one of the smartest actors I ever worked with. He had a wonderful inquiring brain, and a great knowledge on a wide variety of subjects,” said the 78-year-old Dame. “He combined this great intelligence with a deep sensitivity, and with a seriousness about his profession as an actor. This all made him into the legend of film that he became.”

Sutherland told the Miami Herald at the time that they had tremendous chemistry.

“She’s a joy,” said Sutherland. “We actually had an adventure.”