Meet Donald Sutherland's 5 Kids
Few actors in history have had a career as rich as Donald Sutherland's. The legendary star's career began all the way back in 1962 with a minor role in "Studio 4." After that, Donald consistently nabbed smaller roles and guest appearances to get his name out there. And, in 1970, the intrepid performer finally got his big break in film through "M*A*S*H." Since then, he has shown no signs of stopping and continues to regularly work into his twilight years.
Although Donald has garnered a stunning net worth after his decades in the film industry, the esteemed actor informed The Seattle Times that his children are his most beloved asset. Donald explained, "Offspring are strange and complicated beings. I've been incredibly fortunate. If there is a wealth that I've had in my life freely, truly it's my five children." In 1966, the Canadian star became a father for the first time when he and his then-wife, Shirley Douglas, welcomed twins Kiefer and Rachel Sutherland.
They were succeeded by Donald's children with his third wife, Francine Racette; Roeg, Rossif, and Angus Sutherland. If you're wondering about the origin of these rather unique names, Donald explained all when he spoke at the 2019 Lumière Festival. "I love filmmakers, I really do," he gushed. "They are part of my life, and I named my four sons after directors I worked with," (via Variety).
Kiefer Sutherland
On December 21, 1966, Donald Sutherland and Shirley Douglas welcomed their twins, Kiefer and Rachel Sutherland. Kiefer is perhaps best known for his Emmy-winning performance as Jack Bauer in "24." But many don't know that Kiefer dabbled in music in 2016 when he released his debut album, "Down In A Hole." Since then, he has put out two more EPs. Kiefer has also had a few notable run-ins with the law. Between 1989 and 2007, he was arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) four times. After his fourth arrest, Kiefer spent 48 days in jail and received a sentence of a five-year probation and attendance of a mandatory alcohol education program.
Despite everything, Kiefer doesn't believe abstinence is the solution. During a 2016 appearance on "The Jess Cagle Interview," Kiefer revealed that alcohol was never a means of escapism but rather a fun social activity that got out of hand. "The Lost Boys" star added that he enjoyed the fun nights when he went out drinking with his friends far too much to give it up, so he instead learned to practice moderation (via People).
Kiefer has been married twice. In 1987, he married Camelia Kath, but they divorced in 1990. The couple welcomed one biological daughter, "Veep" star Sarah Sutherland, and adopted two additional children. It seemed like he would marry Julia Roberts in 1991, but the celebs called off their wedding just three days before. Then, the actor had an eight-year-long marriage to Kelly Winn that ended in 2004. In 2014, Kiefer started dating Cindy Vela, and they got engaged in 2017.
Rachel and Roeg Sutherland
Although Rachel Sutherland doesn't act like her father and twin brother, she is involved in filmmaking regardless. Rachel works as a production manager for TV shows like "Nurses," "Marry Kills People," and "Rookie Blue." Speaking to The Guardian in 2018, Kiefer Sutherland confirmed that he maintains a deep bond with his sister, noting, "Being a twin taught me the value of having a companion. Every time I experienced something I could turn to my left and share it."
He also shared that as a kid, he would often ask their mother, Shirley Douglas, how she dealt with two newborns, and she would sweetly reply that she didn't have to do much because her babies naturally gravitated towards each other for help and companionship. On February 5, 1974, Donald Sutherland and Francine Racette welcomed their first child together, a son named Roeg Sutherland. He has also made a name for himself in the film industry by working as the co-head of Media Finance at the Creative Artists Agency.
As someone who works on the distribution and marketing of tightly budgeted movies, Roeg told Deadline that the 2023 Hollywood strikes brought about a boom in business as audiences wanted to move away from big-studio productions to support independent artists. Although he was stoked that things were working in his favor, Roeg also asserted that he'd be much happier if it was the result of a fairer system. He also acknowledged that the strikes and the pandemic severely impacted the on-set staff who only made money on a day-to-day basis.
Rossif and Angus Sutherland
Donald Sutherland and Francine Racette's second child, Rossif Sutherland, was born on September 25, 1978. Despite growing up around so many film industry personalities, Rossif didn't initially gravitate towards acting. In a 2016 interview with CBC Arts, Rossif revealed that although he went to Princeton to study Philosophy, he ultimately dropped out. Then, a college friend asked him to direct a short film for a project, and he obliged, only to discover that the lead wasn't cutting it.
Rossif saved the day by taking the role for himself. After extensively working on the film, he showed his father the finished product, expecting only some half-hearted encouragement to soften the blow of his average performance, but instead found Donald Sutherland shedding tears because he knew Rossif was made to be an actor. Rossif went on to appear in "The Handmaid's Tale" and "River." In 2016, he tied the knot with his "Reign" co-star, Celina Sinden, and the couple has a son named Theodore Sutherland.
Donald and Racette's youngest child, Angus Sutherland, was born on September 3, 1982. Angus also tried his hand at acting with minor roles in "Commander In Chief," "Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay," and "Dollhouse." Ultimately, Angus decided to shine behind the scenes instead, so he pursued a career in producing and subsequently worked on movies like "November Criminals" and the Oscar-winning "1917." Angus also worked as a production coordinator for the Foo Fighters documentary, "Foo Fighters: Back and Forth."