Donald Sutherland, versatile screen legend, dies at 88

Donald Sutherland, legendary actor, renowned for his versatility in iconic films like M_A_S*H, Ordinary People, and The Hunger Games, has passed away at 88.

Sutherland's death on Thursday in Miami followed a prolonged illness, his representative confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.

Despite his impressive career, Sutherland never received an Oscar nomination, but the Academy honoured him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.

Throughout his six-decade career, the lanky Canadian-born performer had considerable range as a prodigious actor who frequently featured in three to five films annually.

His early roles included the anti-establishment Army medic Benjamin Franklin Hawkeye Pierce in M*A*S*H (1970), the hippy tank commander Oddball in Kelly's Heroes (1970), and the insane/dazed Pvt. Vernon Pinkley in The Dirty Dozen (1967). These characters were naughty mavericks.

Donald Sutherland's unique voice and piercing blue eyes made him a compelling presence on screen, particularly in roles that pushed boundaries.

In Alan J. Pakula's Klute (1971), he played a private investigator who falls for a prostitute, played by his then-partner Jane Fonda. 

His performances in Nicolas Roeg's Don't Look Now (1973) and Federico Fellini's Casanova (1976) showcased his ability to convey intensity and sensuality.

However, it was his iconic portrayal of Hawkeye in M_A_S*H (1970), opposite Elliott Gould as Trapper John, that catapulted him to international stardom at the age of 35, cementing his status as a Hollywood legend.