Jane Fonda delivered a heartbreaking tribute to her ‘brilliant’ Klute co-star and former flame Donald Sutherland in wake of his death at age 88 on Thursday.
‘I am stunned to hear that Donald Sutherland has died. He was my fascinating co-star in Klute and we loved working together,’ the ‘heartbroken’ actress, 86, wrote on Instagram.
She included a black and white photo of herself and Sutherland on set of the 1971 crime thriller with director Alan Pakula.
Fonda won the Oscar for Best Actress for her work in the acclaimed film that spawned a secret romance with Sutherland that lasted from 1970 to 1972.
‘In this photo we are on the Klute set with director Alan Pakula,’ Fonda remarked, before recalling her many ‘adventures’ with Sutherland.
Jane Fonda delivered a heartbreaking tribute to her ‘brilliant’ Klute co-star and former flame Donald Sutherland in wake of his death at age 88 on Thursday
‘I am stunned to hear that Donald Sutherland has died. He was my fascinating co-star in Klute and we loved working together,’ the actress, 86, wrote on Instagram
She included a black and white photo of herself and Sutherland on set of the 1971 crime thriller with director Alan Pakula
‘Donald was a brilliant actor and a complex man who shared quite a few adventures with me, such as the FTA Show, an anti-Vietnam war tour that performed for 60,000 active duty soldiers, sailors, and marines in Hawaii, Okinawa, the Philippines, and Japan in 1971.
Fonda, who was an outspoken opponent of the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War, recruited Sutherland and other top talents of the 1970s to partake in the road show launched by ex-US Army doctor Howard Levy in response to Bob Hope’s pro-War USO tours that were funded in part by the Department of Defense.
‘I am heartbroken,’ the Barbarella star concluded.
Both Jane and Donald were at the height of their careers when rumors of a love affair erupted in the early 1970s.
Sutherland was married to actress Shirley Douglas at the time and they were parents to twins Kiefer and Rachel.
But the Klute co-stars stayed tight-lipped about their romance, that is, until years later, when Donald finally confirmed it to Rolling Stone.
During a 2018 interview, he confessed that he and Jane were indeed ‘lovers for a few years,’ explaining that the whirlwind romance began just before shooting kicked off for Klute.
And it turns out, Jane was the one who initiated it – despite him being a married man.
After being cast in Klute, Sutherland and Fonda had an affair from 1970 to 1972; seen in April 1972
In her tribute post, Fonda recalled her many ‘adventures’ with Sutherland, including in the FTA Show (pictured in 1972)
‘We’d already been cast but had not started shooting,’ he explained.
‘And one day, she made it very clear, via a somewhat provocative suggestion, that I should come home with her. And I just said, “OK.”‘
After ending things with Fonda in 1972, Sutherland went on to meet and marry his third and final wife Francine Racette, 76, that same year.
Sutherland died Thursday in Miami after suffering a long illness, his talent agency CAA told The Hollywood Reporter.
Donald’s career in Hollywood spanned decades, including appearances in The Hunger Games and the 1970s horror movie Don’t Look Now.
He won a number of awards for his eclectic array of movie and TV roles, including a supporting actor Emmy for Citizen X in 1995.
Sutherland also picked up nine separate Golden Globe nominations for hits including M*A*S*H and Ordinary people, winning two.
Both Jane and Donald were at the height of their careers when rumors of a love affair erupted in the early 1970s; seen in Klute
But the two stayed tight-lipped about their romance, that is, until years later, when Donald finally confirmed it to Rolling Stone in 2018; seen in November 1971
Sutherland’s most recent appearance came last year as Judge Parker in Lawmen: Bass Reeves, and he was set to star in upcoming apocalyptic flick Heart Land, which is in pre-production.
24 star Kiefer Sutherland paid a touching tribute to his late father on social media.
Kiefer said his father ‘loved what he did and did what he loved’, as he announced his passing on Thursday via X (formerly Twitter).
‘With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away. I personally think one of the most important actors in the history of film,’ Kiefer said on Instagram.
‘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. A life well lived.’
Kiefer – who went on to emulate his father with starring roles in flicks such as Flatliners and Designated Survivor – shared a heartwarming image of himself as a young boy alongside his father during his heyday.
Michael Douglas, Henry Winkler, and Nancy Sinatra were also among the Hollywood stars taking to social media to remember Sutherland.
‘What a lovely, talented, and curious man. RIP Donald Sutherland,’ Douglas, 79, captioned a photo of him with Sutherland from their 1994 film Disclosure.
Sutherland died Thursday in Miami after suffering a long illness, his talent agency CAA told The Hollywood Reporter; seen in 2019
24 star Kiefer Sutherland paid a touching tribute to his late father on social media
Kiefer said his father ‘loved what he did and did what he loved’, as he announced his passing on Thursday via X (formerly Twitter); seen in 2015
Michael Douglas, Henry Winkler, and Nancy Sinatra were among the A-listers taking to social media to remember Donald Sutherland
Henry Winkler addressed Donald’s son Kiefer Sutherland directly on X
Meanwhile Nancy, the daughter of Frank Sinatra, tweeted: ‘This hurts. godspeed, Donald Sutherland,’ along with a broken heart emoji
Elijah Wood took to X to remember Donald, writing, ‘aww man. farewell, Donald Sutherland’
Winkler, 78, who starred opposite Donald’s son Kiefer Sutherland in the 1998 film Ground Control, wrote to Kiefer directly on X, tweeting: ‘Stacey and I send you our deepest sympathies .. Your dad was indeed singular . Warmly , Henry.’
Meanwhile Nancy, 84, the daughter of Frank Sinatra, tweeted: ‘This hurts. godspeed, Donald Sutherland,’ along with a broken heart emoji.
Director Ron Howard wrote in his tribute: ‘#RIPDonaldSutherland. I was blessed to direct him in #Backdraft. One of the most intelligent, interesting & engrossing film actors of all time. Incredible range, creative courage & dedication to serving the story & the audience with supreme excellence.’
Elijah Wood took to X to remember Donald, sharing a photo of the actor along with the message, ‘aww man. farewell, Donald Sutherland.’
