AceShowbiz - Hollywood recently bid farewell to one of its titans, Donald Sutherland, who passed away at 88 on June 20, 2024. The actor left behind a legacy woven into the fabric of film history, with memorable roles in classics like "Don't Look Now," "M*A*S*H," and "The Hunger Games." His death was confirmed by his agent, Missy Davy, who announced, "A private celebration of life will be held by the family."

Kiefer Sutherland, also a celebrated actor, expressed profound regret and admiration for his father in touching interviews. Speaking to multiple outlets, including BBC Radio 3's Sound of Cinema and Metro, Kiefer shared his feelings about their relationship and his father's extraordinary career.

"With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away," he wrote in a heartfelt post on X (formerly Twitter). "He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that. A life well lived."

Kiefer, who was born in 1966 to Donald and actress Shirley Douglas, experienced a childhood marked by his parents' divorce when he was just three. He recalled, "The only thing that my father and I have been sorry for is that we didn't spend more time together. Our biggest frustration was that our lives took us in different directions, and that we didn't spend as much time together as we would have liked."

They only appeared on-screen together thrice - in "Mac Dugan's Returns" (1983), "A Time to Kill" (1996), and as father and son in the 2015 western "Forsaken." Reflecting on the latter, Kiefer shared, "I remember both of us realizing that we had not spent three months together at any given moment for a very long time, since I was maybe a child and came to visit for summer."

Kiefer marveled at his father's acting prowess during the "Forsaken" shoot, missing his cue in awe of Donald's performance. "We were shooting a scene and I got so involved in what he was doing, watching him work, and he did this beautiful monologue, and then there was just this long pause. I was like, 'Oh, no, I was supposed to say something.' "

Kiefer only fully grasped his father's impact on cinema after watching several of his films as a young adult. "I felt like such a horrible son. I phoned him and told him how sorry I was that I hadn't seen these things. And he was laughing," Kiefer recalled.

In his tribute, Kiefer encapsulated the sentiments of many, "I personally think one of the most important actors in the history of film. Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly." The industry and fans alike continue to celebrate Donald's profound contributions to film, keeping his memory alive through his timeless work.