Yesterday, at the age of 88, actor Donald McNichol Sutherland has passed away. Born on July 17, 1935 in Saint John (New Brunswick), Canada, the actor was of Scottish, English and German descent. He graduated from the University of Victoria with a double degree in engineering and drama. In 1958, he gave up on his career in engineering and moved to Britain, where he studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).

His film career began with small roles on television. The real breakthrough came in 1966, when he starred in one of the episodes of the series "The Saint". This particular one was directed by the star of the show, Roger Moore. He was asked by Sutherland to recommend him to film producers, so Moore showed an rough version of the episode to the right people, which resulted in Sutherland being offered a role in "The Dirty Dozen." The film, which starred such actors as Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson and Telly Savalas, became a real hit and paved Sutherland road to stardom.

After moving to Hollywood in 1968, Donald Sutherland's career gained traction and he played in such movies as "M*A*S*H", "Kelly's Heroes", "The Eagle Has Landed", "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", "Fellini's Casanova" and "Ordinary People", a movie that won an Oscar for the best picture of 1980. His later roles include such films as "JFK", "Outbreak", "A Time to Kill", "Space Cowboys", and the "Hunger Games" series. In total, he appeared in over 200 cinema and television productions.

However, for most WMASG readers, this actor will forever be remembered for his role in "Kelly's Heroes", where he played Oddball, the commander of an M4 Sherman tank, who had a very original and relaxed approach to many aspects of life. May he rest in peace.