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The film industry lost another legendary actor asHunger Gamesactor Donald Sutherland passed away on Thursday. Sutherland rose to prominence in the ’70s with the roles inThe Dirty DozenandMAS*H. However, he had a less prominent role in the former until one actor’s refusal to do a scene landed him a bigger part and the main role in the latter.
Sutherland had nearly 200 films to his name in his career and the role of Hawkeye Pierce in Robert Altman’sMAS*Halways had a special place in the audience’s hearts. Unfortunately, the actor never received an Academy Award in his lifetime, but received an Academy Honorary Award in 2017.
Donald Sutherland Should Thank One Unexpected Scene InThe Dirty DozenFor HisMAS*HRole
Donald Sutherlandwas cast as one of the 12 American soldiers in Robert Aldrich’s ambitious World War II film,The Dirty Dozen. Aldrich’s film had an ensemble cast of leading Hollywood names of that time, including Lee Marvin, Telly Savalas, Clint Walker, John Cassavetes, Robert Ryan, Charles Bronson, and Ernest Borgnine. Sutherland played the role of Vernon L. Pinkley in the film.
During an interview with The Guardian in 2005, Sutherland revealed that he initially only had a single line throughout the movie. However, one of his interesting scenes in the film came after another actor refused to perform that scene. In a scene, Marvin’s character Reisman asks Pinkley to pose as a visiting General. Pinkley had to behave in a General-like fashion, with Reisman instructing him to“walk slow, look dumb, and act stupid.”
“The all-time piece of sh*t”: If Jamie Lee Curtis Could Turn Back Time, She’d Erase Herself from $75M Donald Sutherland Movie
Sutherland executed the scene very well in the film, adding some laughing moments to the movie. However, Aldrich initially wanted Clint Walker to do the scene. As Sutherland recalled, Walker refused to do the scene because it was inappropriate for a big star like him to play the“stupid”scene. Aldrich immediately turned to Sutherland, who recalled that the director didn’t even know his name. TheJFKactor shared withThe Guardian:
Then one day we were all around this big table. […] And Clint Walker got up and said, ‘I don’t think it’s appropriate for me, as a star in Hollywood, and a representative of the Native American people, to play this stupid scene where I pretend to be a general.’ And the director Robert Aldrich, who had a huge authoritarian streak, turned to me — we’d all had our heads shaved — and said, ‘You! With the big ears! You do it!’ He didn’t even know my name!
Luckily for Sutherland, producer Ingo Preminger was present on set that day and was impressed with his performance as the general. A couple of years later, he would cast him in the breakout role of Hawkeye Pierce inMAS*H, notablyagainst the wish of director Robert Altman.
The 1970 film went on to spawn a franchise, including the 1972 series of the same name. The film is considered to be one of the greatest films ever made. Interestingly,The Dirty Dozenwas also critically acclaimed and was nominated for four Academy Awards. The film won the Oscar for Best Sound Effects Editing for John Poyner.
Donald Sutherland Has Died at 88 After Prolonged Illness
With a film career spanning more than half a century, Donald Sutherland leaves behind a legacy with his passing. The actor died at the age of 88 after suffering from a long illness. His son, actorKiefer Sutherland, released a statement announcing the death of his father. He called him“one of the most important actors in the history of film”. He added in his statement (via BBC):
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.
Several celebrities shared their tribute to the legendary actor. U.S. President Joe Biden said in his statement that Sutherland was a“one-of-a-kind actor”who entertained the viewers for decades. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called him a“great Canadian artist”with“a strong presence”and“a brilliance in his craft”.
The Suicide Squad Fame Viola Davis Replaces Donald Sutherland as New Hunger Games Villain in Prequel ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’
ActressJane Fonda, who dated Sutherland for two years, wrote on herInstagramthat she was“heartbroken”by the news. Rob Lowe wrote onXthat he would“never forget [Sutherland’s] charisma and ability”.
The Dirty DozenandMAS*Hare both available for rent on AppleTV+.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3019
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
