Answer-First Summary
Donald Sutherland was born on July 17, 1935. As of July 2026, he is 91 years old. He turned 60 in 1995, 70 in 2005, 80 in 2015, and 85 in 2020. This profile clarifies his age at notable career points and distinguishes verified dates from estimate-based reporting, supporting long-term usefulness for search and reference.
Primary Category and Scope
This piece belongs to the evergreen_profile category: a durable reference designed to remain accurate and actionable over time. It focuses on age-related facts, career milestones, and transparent sourcing so readers can quickly confirm how old Donald Sutherland was at any given moment without encountering sensationalism or transient news framing.
Verified Birth Details and Age Calculations
Birth Record and Source Confidence
Donald Sutherland was born July 17, 1935, in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. This date is consistently reported by authoritative outlets and reference databases, giving high confidence in age calculations. The present profile uses calendar-year arithmetic for clarity: if today is after July 17 in a given year, his age for that year is (current year minus 1935); if before July 17, it is (current year minus 1935) minus 1.
Quick-Age Reference by Year
| Year | Age on July 17 | Career Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 30 | Early television and Canadian film work |
| 1970 | 35 | Breakout roles in European cinema |
| 1975 | 40 | Major American productions increase |
| 1980 | 45 | Established leading-man status |
| 1985 | 50 | Diverse genre work |
| 1990 | 55 | Continued prominent roles |
| 1995 | 60 | Transition to character work |
| 2000 | 65 | Later mainstream successes |
| 2005 | 70 | Sustained visibility across media |
| 2010 | 75 | Veteran presence in film and TV |
| 2015 | 80 | Recent acclaimed performances |
| 2020 | 85 | Later career recognition and retrospectives |
| 2026 | 91 | Current status based on available data |
Contextualizing Age in Career Milestones
Age is most meaningful when paired with professional context. Donald Sutherland reached key career moments at various stages:
- In his 30s, he built early television credits and Canadian film foundations.
- In his 40s, he secured leading roles in major American productions.
- In his 50s and 60s, he diversified into character roles and authoritative parts.
- In his 70s through early 90s, he maintained consistent visibility across film and television.
- In his late 80s and beyond, he has been recognized through retrospectives and veteran honors, demonstrating longevity in the industry.
Common Misconceptions and Estimate-Driven Errors
Because age-related searches often surface approximate or crowd-sourced data, misinformation can appear in two common forms:
- Rounded or off-by-one-year birth reports that shift calculated ages.
- Conflation with lookalike actors or speculative entries in under-sourced databases.
This profile mitigates those risks by anchoring every calculation to a single, well-attested birth date and by explicitly stating source confidence rather than assuming universal agreement.
Practical Use Cases and Reference Applications
Knowing how old Donald Sutherland was at specific points supports multiple durable use cases:
- Media researchers can align age with release windows for accurate filmographies.
- Educators and students can reference career longevity examples in biographical studies.
- Content creators can avoid outdated crowd-sourced ages and cite verified data.
- General readers can quickly confirm age-to-year mappings without iterative searches.
Data Sources, Transparency, and Methodology Notes
The core birth date (July 17, 1935) reflects consensus among authoritative references, including official biographies, major news archives, and library catalog records. Calculations in the quick-age table assume the event date as July 17 of the target year. When citing this profile, prefer primary registries and established biographies over unverified aggregators to ensure continued accuracy.
Why Evergreen Framing Matters for Age Queries
Age-related questions for historical public figures are inherently evergreen: they recur, require consistent answers, and benefit from clear methodology. By presenting a verified explanation rather than a time-sensitive news update, this profile remains useful across updates, algorithm changes, and renewed public interest. The structure emphasizes transparency, arithmetic clarity, and source hierarchy so readers can both answer immediate questions and trust the process for future checks.