Trivia

Being very tall, Sutherland had a habit of slouching over so he could meet other actors eye to eye.

Preferred to shoot the opening scenes of a movie last in order to better set the tone of the movie to the audience.

Received his double major in Engineering and Drama from the University of Toronto. He had originally intended to become an engineer before trying acting.

Partook in the opening ceremony of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver as the voice-over narrator describing the history of Canada and was also one of the flag bearers of the Olympic flag.

Both Sutherland and Alan Alda, who took up the role of Hawkeye Pierce on M.A.S.H. (1972) suffered from polio as children.

He was so shocked by his own performance as the sadistic, perverse fascist leader in 1900 (1976), that he was unable to watch the film for years.

Two of his sons were named after directors he worked with: Kiefer Sutherland was named after Warren Kiefer who directed Donald's first film Le château des morts vivants (1964), and his second son, Roeg Sutherland was named after Nicolas Roeg, who directed him in Ne vous retournez pas (1973).

He had two children with Shirley Douglas: Kiefer Sutherland and Rachel Sutherland.

Had a near-death experience in 1979 when he was sick with meningitis. Doctors told him he had died for a time, and he claims to have had an out-of-body experience.

He was a huge fan of the television series 24 heures chrono (2001) starring his son Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer and never missed an episode. However, he declined an offer to play Jack Bauer's estranged father, Phillip Bauer, who appeared in the series' sixth season, and the role instead went to James Cromwell.

He appeared throughout M*A*S*H (1970) wearing glasses and a fishing bucket hat. This look was later mirrored by his son, Kiefer Sutherland, in Article 99 (1992).

In the "making of" documentary for Les douze salopards (1967) Special Edition DVD, Sutherland said he was one of the "last dozen", meaning he was not going to have many lines. However when they were preparing to film the scene where Major Reisman (Lee Marvin) had to convince Colonel Breed (Robert Ryan) that a general was among them, it was supposed to be Posey (Clint Walker). However, Walker refused to do the scene so director Robert Aldrich picked Sutherland to do the scene. After that, Sutherland's role was expanded rather more. Les douze salopards (1967) is credited with helping Sutherland get more attention from filmmakers, thus launching his career. According to Sutherland, sometime later, Aldrich asked him to be in another movie but Sutherland declined. He says in the documentary that turning down Aldrich was one of his greatest regrets as an actor as he felt he owed Aldrich for helping to launch his career.

He played together with his son Kiefer Sutherland in three movies: Le retour de Max Dugan (1983), Forsaken, retour à Fowler City (2015), and Le Droit de tuer ? (1996).

He and his son Kiefer Sutherland both played artist Paul Gauguin.

Between 1958 and 1960, he went to England and studied acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).

At age 14, his first part-time job was as a news correspondent for local radio station, CKBW.

He replaced Richard Harris as the IRA terrorist Liam Devlin in L'aigle s'est envolé (1976) after it was discovered that Harris had attended a fundraiser for the Provisional IRA in the United States.

Grew up in the town of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, where he also graduated from high school.

He was awarded the C.C. (Companion of the Order of Canada) on May 9, 2019 and Invested on: November 21, 2019 from the Canadian Governor General. He lives in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The engraving on his honorary Academy Award reads: For a lifetime of indelible characters, rendered with unwavering truthfulness. He has been a Canadian presence worldwide for six decades, whose talent and magnetic charisma have made him a shining ambassador and promoter of Canada. This is a promotion within the Order.

He appeared in Le Jour du fléau (1975) as a character named Homer Simpson, and then later made a guest appearance on Les Simpson (1989).

He was an ardent fan of the Montreal Expos baseball team ever since it was founded. In the beginning of the 1983 season, when it looked like the team would finally be good enough to win the National League title, he ordered his agent not to accept any offers during the season, so that he could follow the team without distractions, even to the point of attending all of their games on their road trips. (The Expos failed to meet expectations and finished third).

Although several sources erroneously report that he and Francine Racette were married in 1974, Sutherland stated in a May 2000 "Daily Mail" article that they did not marry until August 1990. They met in 1974 and lived together for 16 years before getting married.

Originally wanted to be a sculptor, but decided to be an actor after witnessing people praise a drawing of Churchill that he thought was awful (he realized he could not make art to please other people). He had never attended a theater performance, and still had not when he received his first role. Thus he was behind the proscenium arch before ever having been in front of it.

Achieved cinematic fame in two completely different and contrasting war films. One was the cynical, edgy, sarcastic Korean War comedy M*A*S*H (1970), and the other was the gritty, action packed, violent World War II action film Les douze salopards (1967).

He was awarded a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto, Ontario in 2000.

He and Kiefer Sutherland were both Emmy Award winners. He won in 1996 for Citoyen X (1995), and ten years later, Kiefer won for 24 heures chrono (2001).

He had three sons with Francine Racette: Roeg Sutherland, born 1974; Rossif Sutherland, born 1978; and Angus Sutherland, born 1982.

Was considered for the role of Dr. Hannibal Lecter in Le silence des agneaux (1991).

Twice, he played a father grieving over a young son of his drowning: first, in Des gens comme les autres (1980) second, in Forsaken, retour à Fowler City (2015).

He has appeared in three films that have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: M*A*S*H (1970), Des gens comme les autres (1980) and JFK (1991). Ordinary People won in the category.

Of Clan Sutherland.

Made two guest appearances on Le Saint (1962), playing two different characters.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7024 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on January 26, 2011.

He dubbed (uncredited) the role taken by English actor William Devlin in La malédiction des Whateley (1967).

When polled by the American Film Institute, Sutherland chose Les grandes espérances (1946) as his favorite film.

Was awarded the OC (Officer of the Order of Canada) by the Governor-General of Canada on 18 December 1978 and the degree of Commander of the Order of the Arts and the Letters of France by the President of the Republic of France (unknown date 2012) for his services to Drama.

Even though he received top billing in Le Jour du fléau (1975), he did not appear in the film for the first 42 minutes.

He had English, German and Scottish ancestry.

His great-grandmother through male line was a third cousin of President Rutherford Birchard Hayes.

He has appeared in two films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: M*A*S*H (1970) and American College (1978).

In addition to an on-screen small role as a computer scientist in Un cerveau d'un milliard de dollars (1967), he also provided the mechanical voice for the eponymous "brain".

Was offered the role of Wyatt Earp in Docteur Who (1963): The Gunfighters but was not free so John Alderson took the role.

His son, Kiefer Sutherland, appeared in Stand by Me (1986), based on a short story by Stephen King. Donald later appeared in Salem (2004). Donald has also himself appeared in two Michael Crichton adaptations: La grande attaque du train d'or (1978) and Harcèlement (1994), while his other son Rossif Sutherland appears in Prisonniers du temps (2003).

Dated Jane Fonda from 1970 to 1972.

He rarely worked more than once with the same film director, which is something quite uncommon for an actor with a long career. The only exceptions he made were appearing in four films directed by Christian Duguay, two films by Nicolas Roeg, two films by Robert Towne, two films by Hugh Hudson and three films by Francis Lawrence.

He had two roles in common with Alan Alda. Sutherland played Flan in Six degrés de séparation (1993), the role Alda played in an audio-book publication. Sutherland also played Hawkeye Pierce in M*A*S*H (1970), the role Alda played on M.A.S.H. (1972).

Attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.

He was awarded the 2012 Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Medal from the Canadian Governor General. He lived in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Was a member of the "UC Follies" comedy troupe in Toronto, Ontario.

Grandfather of Sarah Sutherland, daughter of Kiefer Sutherland and Camelia Lynne.