Tributes have started to pour in for Canadian actor Donald Sutherland, who died in Miami on Thursday at the age of 88 following a long illness.

Sutherland’s death has been confirmed by his son Kiefer Sutherland. “With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away,” he wrote on X.

Sutherland’s son, who has followed in his father’s footsteps, also paid tribute to the late actor. “I personally think one of the most important actors in the history of film. 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,” he added.

Sutherland first gained attention with his role in the 1967 war film The Dirty Dozen, followed by standout performances in M.A.S.H (1970) and Kelly's Heroes (1970). He continued to build his reputation with critically acclaimed roles in Don’t Look Now (1973) and the 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. He also captivated a new generation of fans as the ruthless President Snow in The Hunger Games series.

The makers of The Hunger Games paid tribute to Sutherland, recalling his rare ability to step into the shoes of any character. “We asked the kindest man in the world to portray the most corrupt, ruthless dictator we’ve ever seen. Such was the power and skill of Donald Sutherland’s acting that he created one more indelible character among many others that defined his legendary career. We are privileged to have known and worked with him, and our thoughts are with his family,” they wrote on X.

Director Ron Howard, who worked with Sutherland in Backdraft (1991), called Sutherland “one of the most intelligent, interesting & engrossing film actors of all time” in a social media post.

Director Edgar Wright shared his admiration for Sutherland on Instagram, mentioning two of his favorite films featuring the actor — Don't Look Now (1973) and Invasion Of The Bodysnatchers (1978).

“He was a funny, laconic, but also intense and dramatic presence in so many memorable movies, starting with his break-through in ‘The Dirty Dozen’, and then on an incredible run in the 70’s, 80’s and beyond with ‘M*A*S*H’, ‘Kelly’s Heroes’, ‘Little Murders’, ‘Klute’, ‘The Day Of The Locust’, ‘National Lampoon’s Animal House’, ‘Ordinary People’ and ‘JFK’, among many others,” Wright wrote in a heartfelt note.

Actor Rob Lowe, who worked with Sutherland in the 2004 miniseries Salem’s Lot, wrote on X, “Today we lost one of our greatest actors, Donald Sutherland. It was my honor to work with him many years ago, and I will never forget his charisma and ability. If you want a master class in acting, watch him in ‘Ordinary People’. My condolences to Kiefer.”

Jon Cassar, who directed Sutherland in Forsaken (2015), shared on X, “Sad news today. We lost a legend, a journeyman actor that created unique and believable characters every time he stepped in front of the camera. I was one of the fortunate directors to have worked with him and got to see the brilliance up close in the film #Forsaken. RIP sir.”