Donald Sutherland‘s Hollywood career was one of a kind, spanning over six decades. The actor was known for outstanding performances in several great films, including M*A*S*H, The Dirty Dozen, and Kelly’s Heroes. His exceptional talents and ability to adapt to any role earned him many awards, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Honorary Award. Later in his career, the actor kept delighting his audience with parts in major series like The Hunger Games and The Italian Job, thus reinforcing his legendary reputation.
However, despite leading an outstanding career, his son Kiefer Sutherland, who followed in his footsteps and is now a well-known actor in his own right, revealed in an interview that he had no knowledge his father was very famous while growing up.
Kiefer Sutherland reveals he was unaware of his father’s fame until he moved to LA at 17
In a heartfelt BBC documentary that aired on Sunday, December 29, 2024, Kiefer disclosed a shocking detail about his late dad. He explained that it was not until he moved to Los Angeles when he was 17 that he discovered his father’s popularity after finding a friend’s impressive collection of his father’s films on VHS.
The 58-year-old noted that the next three days after the revelation, he immersed himself in his father’s work, gaining a newfound appreciation for his talent.
Kiefer Sutherland says he apologized to his dad for not recognizing his fame.
L'hommage de Kiefer Sutherland à son père Donald décédé hier à l'âge de 88 ans : pic.twitter.com/vzQVh4rDEE
— Popcorns 🍿 (@popcornsapp) June 21, 2024
Kiefer stated that watching his late dad’s impressive movie collections greatly impacted him, and he expressed his awe, admitting how sorry he was for not being able to fully grasp how extraordinary an actor his father was.
The action star shared that he had a conversation with his father about his discovery and upon hearing his heartfelt words, his father became visibly emotional, which he described as “sweet.” Kiefer further explained that the emotional conversation marked a significant turning point in their relationship, bringing them even closer as they worked together on the 2016 western movie, Forsaken.
