Kiefer Sutherland opens up about his estranged relationship with late dad Donald Sutherland

The actor is a proud dad to twins Kiefer and Rachel Sutherland from his marriage to Shirley Douglas.


Daniel Neira
Daniel Neira - Los Angeles
Senior WriterLos Angeles
JULY 1, 2024 2:44 PM EDT

Kiefer Sutherland is opening up about his relationship with his late father Donald Sutherland. The Hollywood star revealed that he did not get to know his father until he turned 15. Kiefer shared the sad news about his dad's death on June 20 and went on to talk about their estranged relationship during his latest interview.

“Me and my dad really got to know each other after I left home at 15,” the Golden Globe winner revealed to The Sunday Times. “My parents split when I was three and my mum, sister and I moved to Canada,” he told the publication.

“I didn’t live with my dad. I would see him at Christmas and for a couple of weeks in the summer. I certainly did see him, but it was really relegated to around holidays," he explained, crediting his dad's career in the entertainment industry to part of his success in Hollywood.

© Michael Tran

“I have to believe that having the same surname as my dad has helped me at times,” Kiefer said during the interview. “There must have been moments where people who were friendly with my dad leant towards helping me," he continued. “But I know of two specific instances where someone was not friendly with my dad and I sat in the office for four hours and never got the meeting.”

The actor is a proud dad to twins Kiefer and Rachel Sutherland from his marriage to Shirley Douglas. He is also a father to sons Roeg, Rossif, and Angus, shared with his third wife, Francine Racette.