Kiefer Sutherland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kiefer Sutherland
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Sutherland in 2024
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Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland
21 December 1966 London, England
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| Years active | 1983–present |
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| Partner(s) | Cindy Vela (2014–present; engaged) |
| Children | Sarah Sutherland |
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Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland (born 21 December 1966) is a Canadian actor and musician. He is famous for playing Jack Bauer in the TV show 24 (2001–2010, 2014). For this role, he won an Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. He also played President Tom Kirkman in the ABC series Designated Survivor.
Kiefer Sutherland is the son of actors Donald Sutherland and Shirley Douglas. His first main movie role was in the Canadian drama The Bay Boy (1984). He has appeared in many popular films. These include Stand by Me (1986), The Lost Boys (1987), Young Guns (1988), and A Few Good Men (1992). More recently, he starred in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (2023).
He also starred in the TV show Touch (2012–2013). He provided the voice and movements for characters in the video games Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (2014) and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015). Kiefer Sutherland has stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Canada's Walk of Fame. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Zurich Film Festival.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Kiefer Sutherland was born on 21 December 1966 in London, England. His parents, Donald Sutherland and Shirley Douglas, were both successful Canadian actors. They were living and working in England at the time. Kiefer's parents divorced when he was three years old. He has a twin sister named Rachel, who works in film production.
His grandfather was Tommy Douglas, a famous Canadian politician. Tommy Douglas is known for helping to create universal health care in Canada. Kiefer was named after Warren Kiefer, a writer and director. Warren Kiefer directed Kiefer's father in his first movie.
Kiefer's family moved to California in 1968. In 1975, he moved with his mother to Toronto, Canada. He went to several schools there. He later moved to Hollywood to become an actor. He shared a home with actor Robert Downey Jr. for three years when they were starting their careers. They also acted together in the movie 1969 (1988).
Acting Career Highlights
Starting Out in the 1980s
Sutherland first appeared on screen in Max Dugan Returns. His father, Donald Sutherland, was also in this movie. Kiefer was considered for a role in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), but the part went to Johnny Depp.
He received praise for his role in The Bay Boy (1985). After this, he moved to Hollywood. His first American film was Stand by Me (1986). In this movie, he played a neighborhood bully. He also appeared as a vampire named David in The Lost Boys (1987).
In the Western film Young Guns (1988), he starred with Emilio Estevez and Lou Diamond Phillips. He later worked with Lou Diamond Phillips again in Renegades (1989). In 1989, he and his father presented an award at the 61st Academy Awards.
Film Success in the 1990s
Sutherland continued his role as 'Doc' in the sequel Young Guns II (1990). He starred in Flatliners (1990) with Julia Roberts and Kevin Bacon. This film was about students who wanted to experience what happens after death. He also played an FBI agent in Flashback (1990).
In 1992, he played a doctor in Article 99. He also had a supporting role in A Few Good Men (1992), which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. In The Vanishing (1993), he played a man searching for his missing girlfriend. He also played Athos in The Three Musketeers (1993).
In 1996, Sutherland appeared in three films. He starred with Reese Witherspoon in Freeway. He also appeared in A Time to Kill alongside his father, Donald Sutherland. In 1998, he starred in the science fiction film Dark City. He also played an air traffic controller in Ground Control.
The 24 Era (2000s)
Since 2001, Kiefer Sutherland has been most known for his role as Jack Bauer in the TV series 24. He was nominated four times for the "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" Primetime Emmy Award. He won the award in 2006 for the show's fifth season. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 2007.
His busy schedule with 24 meant he spent less time making movies. In 2004, he appeared in Taking Lives with Angelina Jolie. In The Sentinel (2006), he starred with Michael Douglas. He also voiced the character Samson in Disney's The Wild. In 2008, he played the main role in the horror film Mirrors. In 2009, he joined the animated film Monsters vs. Aliens, which is his highest-grossing film to date.
Sutherland has often worked with director Joel Schumacher. Their films together include The Lost Boys (1987), Flatliners (1990), Phone Booth (2002), and A Time to Kill (1996).
In 2005, Sutherland was added to Canada's Walk of Fame. In 2008, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has also done voice-overs for commercials, including for Ford Motor Company of Canada and Apple, Inc..
Recent Projects (2010s and 2020s)
In 2011, Sutherland starred in the drama-thriller Melancholia. He also made his Broadway debut in the play That Championship Season in March 2011.
In 2012, Sutherland starred in the TV series Touch. He played a father whose autistic son communicates future events through numbers. In 2013, he played a supporting role in The Reluctant Fundamentalist.
In 2014, 24 returned for a special twelve-episode series called 24: Live Another Day. He was also an executive producer for 24: Legacy in 2017. Sutherland was cast in the historical movie Pompeii (2014). He found making this film "much more fun" than many of his other roles.
Sutherland has also provided voices for video games. He voiced Sgt. Roebuck in Call of Duty: World at War. He also voiced Big Boss in Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
In 2015, he starred with his father, Donald Sutherland, in the Western film Forsaken. This was a special chance for them to work together.
From 2016, Sutherland played the lead role of Tom Kirkman in the political drama series Designated Survivor. He played the President of the United States in this show. The third season was released on Netflix in June 2019.
In 2016, Sutherland released his first music album, Down in a Hole. He also released a music video for "Not Enough Whiskey." The songs are country music, written by Sutherland and Jude Cole. The Kiefer Sutherland Band began touring in 2016 and performed at the Grand Ole Opry. Their second album, Reckless and Me, was released in April 2019.
In 2020, Sutherland played Det. Clay Bryce in the TV series The Fugitive. He also starred as John Weir in the 2023 thriller show Rabbit Hole. In the 2023 film The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, he played Lieutenant Commander Phillip Queeg. Critics praised his performance in this film.
In December 2023, Sutherland narrated the Apple TV+ docuseries John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial. In 2024, he starred in Clint Eastwood's courtroom drama Juror No. 2.
Personal Life
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Kiefer Sutherland has been married. He has one daughter, Sarah, born in 1988. Sarah is also an actress.
Sutherland is engaged to model and actress Cindy Vela. They have been together since 2014.
Business and Interests
Sutherland is a co-owner of an independent record label called Ironworks. He also enjoys country music and performs with his band.
Political Views
Kiefer Sutherland believes in the importance of people taking care of each other. He supports ideas like universal health care and free universities. He sees these as common sense ways to help everyone.
As a Canadian citizen living in the United States, he cannot vote in either country. However, he has said he would support the New Democratic Party in Canada, partly because of his family's history. His grandfather, Tommy Douglas, was a well-known politician who helped create Canada's health care system. Sutherland also supports the Liberal Party's efforts to protect universal health care.
Charity Work
Sutherland is a member of a Canadian charity called Artists Against Racism. This group works to fight against racism.
Awards and Recognition
- 2003: Sweden TNT award for Best Foreign TV Personality – Male
- 2005: Canada's Walk of Fame
- 2008: Hollywood Walk of Fame
- 2013: Hasty Pudding Theatricals for Man of the Year
- 2015: Zurich Film Festival for Lifetime Achievement Award
Filmography
Discography
Albums
| Album | Details | Peak position | Singles | ||
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UK |
US Country | |||
| Down in a Hole |
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— | — | 35 | "Not Enough Whiskey" "Can't Stay Away" |
| Reckless & Me |
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28 | 9 | — | "Open Road" "This Is How It's Done" "Something You Love" |
| Bloor Street |
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42 | 16 | — | "Bloor Street" "Two Stepping in Time" "So Full of Love" |
| "—" denotes album that did not chart or was not released | |||||
Music videos
| Year | Song | Director |
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| 2016 | "Not Enough Whiskey" | Kiefer Sutherland / Frank Borin |
| "Can't Stay Away" | Cal Aurand | |
| 2017 | "I'll Do Anything" | |
| "Shirley Jean" | ||
| 2019 | "This Is How It's Done" | |
| "Something You Love" | Tom Kirk | |
| "Open Road" | ||
| 2021 | "Bloor Street"
"Two Stepping in Time" |
Tom Kirk |
| 2022 | "Chasing the Rain" | Nathan Clark |
Images for kids
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Sutherland's star on Canada's Walk of Fame
See also
In Spanish: Kiefer Sutherland para niños
- Sutherland family
