Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland has built an illustrious career with his outstanding performances, including his Emmy-winning role as Jack Bauer in 24, along with an impressive music career. However, long before rising to Hollywood stardom, he had an encounter at the age of two that he still vividly remembers.
In a previous interview, Sutherland recalled witnessing the FBI storm into his house, an experience that left a lasting impression on him while suggesting that the intense scrutiny his family faced at the time was due to his father’s fame and political views.
Kiefer Sutherland on witnessing the FBI raiding his house at the age of 2
Born to the late Hollywood star Donald Sutherland and Shirley Douglas in 1966, Kiefer Sutherland vividly remembers the day when he witnessed the FBI raiding his house in 1969 as a two-year-old.
Recounting the day in an interview with The Independent, he said, “It doesn’t matter what age you are… when the FBI comes running through your house with their guns drawn, you’re gonna remember it.”
The raid was regarding his mother, Shirley Douglas’ involvement with the fundraising group Friends of the Black Panthers. The actress and a dedicated civil rights activist was arrested for allegedly attempting to buy explosives for the Panthers, a charge she always insisted was a set-up.
The Emmy-winning actor also reflected on his mother’s experience in prison, saying, “They made it as difficult for her to operate as possible, to the degree that they put her in prison.”
He further explained,
In prison she organised the first Prisoner’s Union, at which point they said: ‘You know what, how about we just deport you?’ She said: ‘Only if I can take my children’ and off we went to Canada!
The Lost Boys star also expressed his belief that his family was likely targeted due to his father, Donald Sutherland’s fame and political views.
Kiefer Sutherland believed his father’s political views put a target on his family
Known for his legendary performances in films like The Dirty Dozen, Kelly’s Heroes, and The Hunger Games, Donald Sutherland was not only a celebrated actor but also a committed anti-war activist.
The late actor was a high-profile opponent of the Vietnam War, and his outspoken stance, combined with his rising fame, reportedly put him under scrutiny from the U.S. establishments.
Kiefer Sutherland echoed this belief in a 2022 interview with The Independent, saying,
Because of my father’s politics, they felt he was a Social Democrat, a socialist, who believed in nationalized health care and large government, and those were not necessarily ‘American values.’
The classified documents released at the CIA’s request in 2017 further validated this belief, revealing that Donald Sutherland was placed on an NSA watch list between 1971 and 1973 due to his anti-war activism.
Despite that, the late actor remained vocal about his political views, continuing to express his opinions on public issues throughout his life. He passed away on June 20, 2024, at the age of 88, after a long illness.
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