Kiefer Sutherland reveals he was oblivious to father's fame while growing up

Kiefer Sutherland has revealed he grew up oblivious to the fact that his father was a famous film star.

The 24 actor, 58, was heartbroken in June when his father, Donald Sutherland, died at the age of 88 after battling a lung disease called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

While Donald made a name for himself starring in iconic films including M*A*S*H and The Dirty Dozen, Kiefer has revealed he had no idea of his father's level of fame while he was growing up.

Speaking in a BBC documentary that airs on Sunday night, the proud son recalled, "So I'm 17 years old, I've moved to Los Angeles and a friend had this incredible collection of all of my father's films on VHS."

Going on to explain he spent three days watching his father's work, he continued, "When I see his work, it's just astounding... (I told him) 'I didn't realise how special and great you are as an actor.' And he was so sweet - he kind of almost cried and said, 'Well, how could you? You were just a boy.'

"And that was a really special moment for both of us and our relationship kind of took a turn at that point."

Donald's impressive career began in the 1960s and he continued to enjoy success throughout his life - appearing in huge franchises including The Hunger Games and The Italian Job.

His final performance was a voice role, playing the character Smiley in the 2023 film Ozi: Voice of the Forest.