How Rossif Sutherland fell into the family business
Young actor overcame nerves to show his dad his first short film
Rossif Sutherland is a proud member of an acting family that includes his father, veteran actor Donald Sutherland, his mother, Francine Racette (who starred in acclaimed projects with directors Louis Malle and Dario Argento in the 1970s and 1980s), and his half-brother Kiefer, of 24 fame among other things. Amazingly, Rossif claims he never wanted to be an actor, but as we'll learn in this Storytellers clip from the Fear episode of Exhibitionists, he found himself drawn into the family business. (Sort of sounds like a movie, doesn't it?)
In this story, Rossif recalls his anxiety showing his directorial and acting debut to his famous father and what happened after the screening. He's has come a long way since then; he is currently starring in Paul Gross' war drama Hyena Road and Bruce McDonald's horror film Hellions, both of which are in theatres now, and in the upcoming feature River, about a young American in Laos forced to flee the authorities, which premiered at TIFF and which will be released theatrically in 2016.
Watch Exhibitionists Sunday at 4:30pm (5pm NT) on CBC Television.