Will Smith Pays Tribute to Late Donald Sutherland: ‘Rest in Peace’ ArticlePure

Will Smith is honoring Donald Sutherland. 

The Oscar winner, 55, shared a short message via social media in memory of his late friend and Six Degrees of Separation costar following news of his June 20 death after a long illness. Sutherland was 88.

“Rest in Peace, Donald,” the King Richard actor captioned his Instagram carousel. The post contained two photos of him and Sutherland on the set of their 1993 film.

Six Degrees of Separation also starred Stockard Channing, Ian McKellen, Mary Beth Hurt and Bruce Davidson. Smith played Paul, a con artist who weaseled his way into the lives of an Upper East Side couple (Channing and Sutherland) while pretending to be a friend of their Ivy League children. 

The mystery film was an adaption of a Broadway play of the same name, and inspired by the real-life story of scammer David Hampton, who conned wealthy families by telling them he was the son of Sidney Poitier. 

CAA’s Missy Davy confirmed Sutherland’s death with PEOPLE on Thursday, saying the actor died in Miami after a long illness. “A private celebration of life will be held by the family,” Davy said.

Sutherland had an extensive movie career, appearing as Mr. Bennet in 2005’s Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley and Hawkeye Pierce in 1970’s M*A*S*H. He also had countless notable film roles in projects such as Ordinary People (1980) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978). More recently, he was known as the villainous President Snow in all four Hunger Games movies with Jennifer Lawrence.

The Canadian-born actor is survived by five children — including his son Kiefer Sutherland, whom he shared with ex-wife actress Shirley Douglas. He also has five grandchildren. 

Sutherland was previously married to Lois Hardwick, and wed actress Francine Racette in 1972. The former couple shared kids Roeg, Rossif and Angus. He is also dad to daughter Rachel with Douglas, who died in 2020 at 86.

Following Sutherland’s death, Kiefer shared a heartfelt tribute on X (formerly Twitter) paying homage to his father’s legacy. 

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“With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away,” Kiefer wrote, sharing a black-and-white photo of himself as a child with his father. “I personally think 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,” he concluded. “A life well lived.”