Shirley Douglas obit

Kiefer Sutherland pays tribute to 'extraordinary' mother, actress Shirley Douglas, dead at 86

She was not on the list.

Veteran actress Shirley Douglas has died at 86 of pneumonia, actor son Kiefer Sutherland announced on Twitter Sunday, paying tribute to his "extraordinary" mother.

"Early this morning my mother, Shirley Douglas, passed away due to complications surrounding pneumonia," Sutherland wrote in his Twitter statement, making it clear her death was not related to the coronavirus. "My mother was an extraordinary women who lived an extraordinary life. Sadly, she had been battling for her health for quite some time and we, as a family, knew this day was coming."

The longtime Toronto-based actress Douglas was married to actor Donald Sutherland from 1966 until 1971, with twin children, Kiefer and Rachel. Her granddaughter is "Veep" star Sarah Sutherland, her father was former Saskatchewan premier Tommy Douglas, the founder of Canada's Medicare system.

The actress appeared as Mrs. Starch in director Stanley Kubrick's "Lolita" (1962) and in David Cronenberg's "Dead Ringers" (1988) and as a widowed mother during the Depression in the television drama "Wind at My Back" (1996). She won a Gemini Award for her performance in the 1999 TV film "Shadow Lake."

Filmography

Film

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1955      Joe MacBeth      Patsy     Crime drama film directed by Ken Hughes

1962      Lolita     Mrs. Starch        

1983      The Wars             Mrs. Lawson      

1988      Dead Ringers      Laura    

1988      Shadow Dancing               Nicole  

1992      Passage of the Heart       Katherine Ward               

1992      The Shower        Marie   

1994      Mesmer               Duchess DuBarry             

1998      Barney's Great Adventure            Grandma            

2000      Woman Wanted               Peg        

2000      The Law of Enclosures    Myra    

2000      Franklin and the Green Knight    Narrator               Video

Television

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1955      Rheingold Theatre           Molly Gaines      Episode: "The Long White Line"

1978      Nellie McClung Nellie McClung TV film

1982      Hangin' In            Mrs. Ricardo       Episode: "Barnum and Baby"

1985      Turning to Stone               Lena      TV film

1986      Loose Ends          Elder Seth's Wife              TV film

1987      Really Weird Tales           Edna Besley        TV film

1989      Alfred Hitchcock Presents             Monica Logan    Episode: "Driving Under the Influence"

1990–1991          Street Legal        Mayor Riley        Recurring role (4 episodes)

1992      Road to Avonlea               Miss Cavendish Episode: "High Society"

1992      The Hat Squad                   Episode: "Pilot"

1993      Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story Vivian Karney     TV film

1995      Redwood Curtain             Schyler Noyes    TV film

1995      Johnny's Girl       Mrs. Hardwick   TV film

1996–1997          Flash Gordon     Additional Voices             25 episodes

1996–2001          Wind at My Back              May Bailey          Main role (65 episodes)

1998      Silver Surfer        Infectia (voice) Unknown episodes

1998–2000          Franklin                Narrator               20 episodes

1999      Shadow Lake      Margaret Richards           TV film

2000      A House Divided               Elizabeth Dickson             TV film

2001      Made in Canada                Cybill Thornbush              Episode: "Beaver Creek Commercials"

2002      The Christmas Shoes       Ellen Layton        TV film

2005      Robson Arms      Pauline Dubois Recurring role (4 episodes)

2005      Corner Gas          Peg         Episode: "Trees a Crowd"

2006      The Path to 9/11              Madeleine Albright          TV film

2008      Degrassi: The Next Generation   Professor Dunwoody      Episode: "Bust a Move: Part 2"