Actor Donald Sutherland dead at age 88: son

"With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away," actor Kiefer Sutherland wrote on X.

The elder Sutherland had a distinctive look -- and piercing eyes -- that brought a depth and mystery to the huge range of roles he essayed over half a century on the big screen.

He played dashing leading men as well as antiheroes and villains, most recently making a name among a new generation of fans as the evil President Snow in "The Hunger Games" franchise.

"I personally think (he was) one of the most important actors in the history of film. Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that. A life well lived," wrote Kiefer Sutherland.

After what he himself termed a "meandering" start to his acting career, Donald Sutherland came to prominence in Robert Aldrich's "The Dirty Dozen," where 12 convicts are tasked with carrying out what appears to be a suicide mission in occupied France.

Starring alongside luminaries such as Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin and Telly Savalas, Sutherland's impish charms caught the attention of producers of "MASH."

The sophisticated satire on the Vietnam War, in which he was cast opposite Elliott Gould, turned Sutherland into a household name in 1970s America, and opened the door to a durable career that would see him work with some of the biggest names in show business.