‘Heartbroken’ Fonda reacts to ex Sutherland’s death
Jane Fonda has paid tribute to her “complex” ex, Donald Sutherland after the legendary actor’s death set off an outpouring of Hollywood tributes.
Entertainment
Don't miss out on the headlines from Entertainment. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Jane Fonda has revealed she is “heartbroken” over ex Donald Sutherland’s death.
The legendary actress posted a touching tribute to her Klute co-star after news of Sutherland’s death was made public.
“I am stunned to hear that Donald Sutherland has died,” Fonda wrote on social media.
“He was my fascinating co-star in Klute and we loved working together.
“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,” she continued. “I am heartbroken.”
The Oscar winner’s emotional upload featured a photo of herself and Sutherland on the Klute set with director Alan Pakula.
Fonda and Sutherland played Bree Daniels and John Klute, respectively, in the 1971 movie, with the former winning her first Oscar for the role.
The duo were in a relationship at the time, with Fonda gushing about the “old-world gentleman” in her 2006 memoir, My Life So Far.
She gushed over Sutherland’s “rangy, hangdog quality” in the book, calling his “droopy, pale blue eyes especially appealing.”
The actor detailed their break-up to The Guardian in 2008.
“The relationship exploded and fell apart in Tokyo. It broke my heart,” he recalled. “I was eviscerated. I was so sad. It was a wonderful relationship right up to the point we lived together.”
While the timing of their romance remains unclear, the Emmy winner’s son Kiefer Sutherland was asked about the pair — and his dad’s divorce from mum Shirley Douglas — in 2006.
“He’d probably say, ‘I fell in love.’ I understand that. People do,” the 57-year-old told Rolling Stone at the time. “And when they’re falling in love, they believe in everything so strongly and passionately, this kind of heightened experience, that it’s very hard to judge somebody for it.”
TRIBUTES POUR IN
On Friday local time, Sutherland’s son, Kiefer, said the family had been “overwhelmed” by the reaction to the actor’s death.
“My family and I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of condolences and support over the last 24 hours. Thank you very much,” he wrote on X.
Reaction to the Emmy and Golden Globe-winner’s death from a “long illness” was immense, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hailing Sutherland’s unique talents.
“I had the opportunity when I was much younger to meet Donald Sutherland, and even as a young man who hadn’t had a full exposure to the depth of brilliance of Donald Sutherland, I was deeply, deeply star struck,” he told a press conference.
“He was a man with a strong presence, a brilliance in his craft, and truly, truly, a great Canadian artist, and he will be deeply missed.”
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… pic.twitter.com/3EdJB03KKT
— Kiefer Sutherland (@RealKiefer) June 20, 2024
British actor Helen Mirren, who co-starred with Sutherland in 2017’s The Leisure Seeker, said he was “one of the smartest actors I ever worked with,” Variety reported.
“He had a wonderful inquiring brain, and a great knowledge on a wide variety of subjects. 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. He was my colleague and became my friend. I will miss his presence in this world.”
aww man. farewell, Donald Sutherland pic.twitter.com/UbvLs3WG9a
— Elijah Wood (@elijahwood) June 20, 2024
Lord of the Rings actor Elijah Wood paid tribute on X to the fellow actor.
#RIPDonaldSutherland. I was blessed to direct him in #Backdraft. One of the most intelligent, interesting & engrossing film actors of all time. Incredible range, creative courage & dedication to serving the story & the audience with supreme excellence. https://t.co/kw601XQ6uh
— Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) June 20, 2024
Famed director Ron Howard said he was “blessed” to direct him.
RIP Donald Sutherland, 88.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) June 20, 2024
One of my all-time favourite actors who played so many great roles. What a sad loss. pic.twitter.com/TdYkE9uJ2c
And Piers Morgan called the actor’s passing “a sad loss.”
Nancy Sinatra posted: “This hurts”.
This hurts.
— Nancy Sinatra (@NancySinatra) June 20, 2024
godspeed, Donald Sutherland. 💔
Donald Sutherland, ‘Klute’ and ‘Ordinary People’ Actor, Dead at 88 https://t.co/FLTwihUm3J via @RollingStone
Ben Stiller tweeted to Kiefer: “Sending love and so much respect”.
Rob Lowe paid tribute to Sutherland’s “charisma and ability”.
Today we lost one of our greatest actors, Donald Sutherland. It was my honor to work with him many years ago, and I will never forget his charisma and ability. If you want a master class in acting, watch him in “Ordinary Peopleâ€. My condolences to Kiefer. pic.twitter.com/qjMz69Nraq
— Rob Lowe (@RobLowe) June 20, 2024
HOLLYWOOD LEGEND GONE
Kiefer Sutherland broke the news of his father’s death in a tweet, referring to his late parent as “one of the most important actors in the history of film”.
“He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that. A life well lived.”
Sutherland, the enigmatic actor whose lengthy career encompassed films including The Dirty Dozen and The Hunger Games, had a distinctive look — lanky with piercing eyes — that brought a depth and mystery to the huge range of roles he inhabited over more than half a century on the big screen.
One of Canada’s most famous exports, he played dashing leading men as well as antiheroes and villains, most recently making a name among a new generation of fans as the evil President Snow in The Hunger Games franchise.
After what he himself termed a “meandering” start to his acting career, Sutherland came to prominence in Robert Aldrich’s The Dirty Dozen, where 12 prisoners are tasked with carrying out what appears to be a suicide mission in occupied France.
Starring alongside luminaries such as Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin and Telly Savalas, Sutherland’s impish charms caught the attention of producers of M*A*S*H.
Though set in the Korean War, the 1970 film was widely seen as a sophisticated satire on the Vietnam War.
His casting opposite Barbra Streisand’s former husband Elliott Gould turned Sutherland into a household name in 1970s America, and opened the door to a durable career that would see him work with some of the biggest names in show business.
They included Fonda, with whom he starred in 1971’s Klute, in which he played a detective who falls for the call girl he is supposed to be protecting.
Fonda won an Oscar for her performance, which she credited to her intense feelings for Sutherland, with whom she was in a relationship at the time.
Their off-screen chemistry brought Sutherland into her controversial activist orbit, and he became active in anti-Vietnam War circles.
The pair put together a travelling revue, which irked the US government and landed them both under FBI surveillance.
Born on July 17, 1935, in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, Donald Sutherland had a career spanning over 60 years, with more than 200 film and TV credits.
He was as adept at horror as he was at comedy and drama, and even acted in a music video for Kate Bush for her song Cloudbusting.
We’re Cloudbusting daddy.
— FishPeople Kate Bush (@FishPeopleFC) June 20, 2024
RIP Donald Sutherland.
Every time it rains, you’ll be here in my head.#DonaldSutherland#KateBushpic.twitter.com/ORsp1jaRn6
Sutherland won a Golden Globe for the television movie Path to War, and he won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his performance in the miniseries Citizen X.
His extensive television credits also include Trust, Dirty Sexy Money, and The Pillars of the Earth.
Remarkably, Sutherland was never even nominated for an Oscar, though the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave him an honorary statuette in November 2017 at the Governors Awards.
His final public appearance was at the 26th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards three years ago. He appeared via Zoom remotely due to the Covid-19 pandemic to accept the award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the TV mini series The Undoing.
Prior to that, Sutherland hadn’t been photographed since October 2019 when he attended the Festival Lumière in Lyon, France. He was teaching a masterclass at the time.
The actor’s memoir, Made Up, But Still True, is set to hit shelves on November 12. It is said to include behind-the-scenes moments from Sutherland’s 60 years in the spotlight.
Sutherland is survived by his wife Francine Racette; sons Roeg, Rossif, Angus, and Kiefer; daughter Rachel; and four grandchildren.
– with AFP
More Coverage
Originally published as ‘Heartbroken’ Fonda reacts to ex Sutherland’s death
Join the conversation
Sivan goes rogue with X-rated ARIAs speech
He took home the night’s biggest award - then Troye Sivan went rogue, telling a very candid story about his personal life.
Read more
‘Disgusting’ find after Diddy’s wild party
A shocking video has emerged that reveals the ‘disgusting’ aftermath of one of Diddy’s infamous ‘freak off’ parties.
Read more