The PCU gang remembers the phenomenal talent of #DonaldSutherland

When the news came down last week that Donald Sutherland had passed, we here at PCU planned to do a basic write up on his career. However, along the way, it turned into various PCUers sharing their memories of our favorite films Sutherland had been a part of. That’s when we realized that no matter your age, background or life experience, Donald Sutherland had impacted your life.

Below are various PCUers favorite memories of this incredible actor.

Lady Faith – The Eagle Has Landed
I remember being stationed overseas when The Eagle Has Landed came out in theatres. Sutherland’s performance was striking, especially as I had read the book. His character, Liam Devlin, was just as intriguing as he was in the book, bringing another perspective to the people involved in the war. The movie stayed true to the book, depicting the hurt that his community had endured because of the English, not that he loved the Nazis, but he hated the English more.


Ivana – The Hunger Games Franchise
I first saw him in his later films, The Hunger Games series. He was such a captivating villain and he invested in embodying the source material authentically. As someone else who read the books the character was based on, he was perfect.


Belle – Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Anyone who’s followed this site for any amount of time knows that I’m a horror girlie and one of the main reasons for that was Donald Sutherland. One of the first sci fi/horror films I ever saw was Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and watching him slowly unravel was a master class in acting and suspense. His performance stayed with me for decades.


Ron – Kelly’s Heroes and M.A.S.H.
I realized as we were talking about him that I’ve been watching Donald Sutherland films since I was a little boy and they actually shaped my worldview. Specifically Kelly’s Heroes, with M*A*S*H* a close second. Two movies that turned war dramas on their ears, but done very, very differently. They are not only incredibly well made and acted, they are subversive, and they were early guide rails into my outlook on life and how to respond to it.


Sherri – The Italian Job
I loved him in The Italian Job remake. Even though it was a small role, he was utterly fantastic. He plays the father figure to the group, as well as a reformed thief. What stood out for me is it didn’t feel like a performance. Sutherland was so natural and charming that it felt like this was his actual lived experience. Being able to do that, with every script he ever had, is why he was such an amazing actor.

Donald Sutherland was a legend and master of his craft. The world of entertainment is poorer for his loss. Thank you, Donald Sutherland, for your amazing gift and thank you, Sutherland family, for sharing this phenomenal talent with us. He will be missed.