Exclaim!

R.I.P. Shirley Douglas

The Canadian actress, activist and mother to Kiefer Sutherland was 86
R.I.P. Shirley Douglas
By Sarah Murphy
Published Apr 06, 2020
Shirley Douglas — the Canadian actress, activist and mother of Kiefer Sutherland — has died due to complications from pneumonia (not related to the coronavirus). She was 86.
 
Born in Saskatchewan, Douglas was the daughter of premier, Medicare founder and first federal leader of the National Democratic Party Tommy Douglas.
 
She began her acting career with the Regina Little Theatre company, then attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England. After graduating, she acted on stage and television in the U.K., before returning to Canada in 1957.
 
She continued to act in television and theatre in Canada, the United States and England, including roles in Wind at My Back, The Stone Angel and The Glass Menagerie, as well as appearances on Canadian classics like Street Legal, Corner Gas and Degrassi: The Next Generation.
 
Douglas received the Order of Canada in 2003 for her contributions to the performing arts. She was also awarded a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in 2004.
 
In addition to her acting, Douglas was a passionate activist, continuing her father's legacy of supporting publicly funded health care. In the '60s, living in Los Angeles, she was also involved in the American Civil Rights Movement and the campaign against the Vietnam War.
 
She helped create a fundraising group called "Friends of the Black Panthers" and was even arrested in 1969 for allegedly trying to buy hand grenades for the Black Panthers. She was subsequently denied a work visa and returned to Canada.
 
Douglas was also the mother to three children — Thomas Emil Sicks with her first husband Timothy Emil Sicks, and twins Kiefer Sutherland and Rachel Sutherland with her second husband Donald Sutherland (1966-70).
 
Her actor son shared a tribute to his mother on social media yesterday (April 5). Read it below.
 
 
A number of others — spanning the realms of entertainment and politics — have also paid their tributes to Douglas. Read some of those messages below.