"In 1977, I had the privilege of hosting the hospitality suite at the TIFF. Among the many famous faces that graced the event, I had the pleasure of meeting Donald Sutherland. Although we had crossed paths at the club 22 in the Windsor Arms, we had never really had a chance to converse. That all changed when he arrived at the hospitality suite accompanied by the legendary Peter O'Toole. In need of a private space, they approached me and I quickly showed them to one of the bedrooms, fully stocked with a bar. They were grateful and thanked me profusely.
With almost 200 credits to his name and 6ft 3in to his frame, the late Donald Sutherland cast a literal and figurative shadow over his industry for almost 50 years.
Born in July 1935 in Saint John, New Brunswick, he was a radio news reporter in his youth and graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in engineering.
But it was not long before the acting bug took hold, prompting him to leave his native Canada and travel to London in 1957.
After an unrewarding stint studying at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (Lamda), he spent 18 months at Perth Repertory Theatre in Scotland.
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