Summary

• Donald Sutherland's willingness to experiment and step outside his comfort zone has led to memorable performances in some of the best movies of all time.
• Throughout his career, Sutherland has worked with legendary directors and writers, showcasing his taste and understanding of film as an art form.
• Sutherland's significant contributions to film history are evident in his work, from classics like "The Dirty Dozen" to more recent hits like "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire."

Donald Sutherland is a generation-defining actor whose best movies have captured hearts and minds since the 1960s up through the present day. At the height of his fame, he was a sought-after movie star in Hollywood with his pick of projects. However, his greatest works show how willing he was to experiment and step outside his comfort zone. When an actor of the caliber of Sutherland is in a film, it's almost guaranteed to be memorable, and Sutherland is frequently the best part.

Throughout his career, Sutherland has worked with legendary directors and writers, showing his taste and understanding of film as an art form.

In recent years, younger generations have come to know Sutherland best for his work as President Snow in The Hunger Games franchise. However, the decades of work he has under his belt before this includes some of the best movies of all time and illustrates his significant contributions to film history. Throughout his career, Sutherland has worked with legendary directors and writers, showing his taste and understanding of film as an art form. His son, Kiefer Sutherland, has also shown himself to be a fantastic performer and adds to their family's legacy.

10 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

As President Snow

Thanks to Sutherland's performance, there are many theories about President Snow in The Hunger Games universe. His portrayal of the villain was so insidious and well-developed it informed the actor who played him in the sequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Tom Blyth. Even in a dystopian YA fantasy series, Sutherland lends the weight of his skill and experience to the world of the narrative. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is the most notable of the first four films because it also includes fantastic actors like Jeffery Wright and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

9 Pride & Prejudice (2005)

As Mr. Bennet

Mr. Bennet is the grounding force of the Bennet clan in both the 2005 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice and the original novel of the same name by the incomparable Jane Austen. The usual forcefulness that Sutherland imbues into a role disappears into the agreeable and placid Mr. Bennet, who wants a peaceful life but can never seem to get one among his wife and many daughters. However, one of the best parts is the relationship between Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth (Kiera Knightley). The love and sensitivity he shows toward Elizabeth is a familiar and touching aspect that shouldn't be overlooked.

Watch Pride & Prejudice on Peacock.

8 Animal House (1978)

As Professor Dave Jennings

The raunchy and iconic collegiate satire Animal House boasts many famous actors in addition to Sutherland. Though Sutherland had lent his talents to roles considered more traditionally serious, he easily stepped into the archetype of a classic young professor. Although he's only in the film for a short time, he lent enormous credibility to a movie that was considered a monetary risk to make at the time. Sutherland was quite a star at the time, and the makers of Animal House were still unknown. Today, the film is known as a seminal comedic work and a highlight of Sutherland's filmography.

Watch Animal House on Netflix.

7 Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)

As Matthew Bennell

The 1978 iteration of Invasion of the Body Snatchers updated the original from 1956 and did an excellent job representing the prevailing fears, political and culture, of the 1970s. Matthew Bennell (Sutherland) fights against a race of aliens who arrive on Earth and quickly take over San Francisco. The execution of the sci-fi horror film is excellent, and the audience feels the terror of Matthew and his allies as if they were in the middle of an invasion themselves. Invasion of the Body Snatchers is referenced as an example of what makes remakes great and why they should be made.

6 JFK (1991)

As Mr. X