Trying to summarize Kiefer Sutherland’s career in one sentence is nearly impossible. Is he the guy from “24”? The vampire movie? The bratty friend group that dominated ’80s cinema? Or the country musician touring venues across America and Europe?
All of those are true, which is exactly why his career resists easy categorization. He’s moved between film, television, and music in ways that suggest restlessness—or maybe just refusal to be pinned down by one role, one medium, one version of himself. Over four decades, his public image has shifted from teen heartthrob to action star to comeback story to character actor to singer-songwriter. Most careers don’t survive that many transformations.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland |
| Date of Birth | December 21, 1966 |
| Nationality | British-Canadian |
| Profession | Actor, Producer, Musician, Director |
| Known For | Jack Bauer (24), The Lost Boys, Stand by Me, Designated Survivor |
Growing Up Inside Hollywood
He was born Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland on December 21, 1966, in London, England. His parents were Canadian actors Donald Sutherland and Shirley Douglas, which meant Hollywood wasn’t some distant dream—it was home.
But being the son of Donald Sutherland came with complications. His maternal grandfather, Tommy Douglas, was a Scottish-born Canadian politician who served as Premier of Saskatchewan for over 17 years. His mother’s family was politically prominent. His father was becoming one of Canada’s most respected actors.
When his parents divorced in 1970, he moved with his mother and twin sister to Toronto. According to interviews, he rarely saw his father outside holidays and summer vacations. That distance probably shaped how he approached his own career—he wasn’t riding anyone’s coattails because those coattails weren’t readily available.
He attended several high schools in Toronto, never quite settling. At 15, he left school entirely to pursue acting. That decision could have backfired spectacularly, but he had talent and the kind of independence born from not having constant parental oversight.
Early Career and the Search for Identity
His screen debut came in 1983’s “Max Dugan Returns,” a film that also happened to star his father. But his first real role came the following year in the Canadian drama “The Bay Boy,” which earned him a Genie Award nomination for best actor. Critics noticed him. Doors started opening.
He moved to Los Angeles and, like many young actors chasing work, ended up sharing an apartment with Robert Downey Jr. for three years. Both were talented. Both were heading toward success. Both would eventually face very public struggles, though in different ways at different times.
In 1986, he played the neighborhood bully Ace Merrill in Rob Reiner’s “Stand by Me.” The film became a defining coming-of-age story, and his performance made him recognizable. He followed that with “The Lost Boys” in 1987, playing a vampire in what became a cult classic that still holds up decades later.
Suddenly he was part of Hollywood’s new wave—grouped loosely with the Brat Pack, though never quite fully belonging to that circle. He starred in “Young Guns” (1988) and “Flatliners” (1990), establishing himself as a leading man in his early 20s. Everything seemed to be working.
Career Detours, Setbacks, and Reputation
Then came the 1990s, which weren’t kind to him professionally or personally. In 1991, he was engaged to Julia Roberts—at the peak of her “Pretty Woman” fame. Days before their wedding, she called it off and reportedly left with his friend Jason Patric. The tabloid coverage was brutal and relentless.
That public humiliation coincided with a career slowdown. The high-profile films dried up. He appeared in “A Few Good Men” (1992) alongside Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, but his role was supporting, not starring. He directed “Last Night” in 1993, which earned decent reviews but didn’t launch a directing career.
He’s admitted in interviews that during the ’90s, “You could say I was not on everybody’s first list to do the bigger films.” He worked steadily—”The Three Musketeers,” “A Time to Kill,” “Dark City”—but none of them recaptured his late-’80s momentum.
There were also arrests for DUI and other incidents that suggested he was dealing with personal issues the way many people in their 20s and 30s do—just with cameras watching. He wasn’t a disaster, but he wasn’t the golden boy anymore either.
24 and the Reinvention of His Career
In 2001, at age 34, he took a role that most film actors would have passed on. Fox was developing a television series called “24” about a counter-terrorism agent named Jack Bauer. The concept was unusual—each season covered 24 hours in real time, with each episode representing one hour.
Television was still considered a step down from film in 2001. Taking a TV role meant admitting your film career wasn’t where you wanted it. But he took it anyway, and “24” premiered in November 2001, just weeks after 9/11.
The timing couldn’t have been more relevant. A show about terrorism, torture, and impossible moral choices resonated in ways the creators probably hadn’t anticipated. His portrayal of Jack Bauer—intense, damaged, willing to do terrible things for what he believed was the greater good—became iconic.
The show ran for eight seasons plus a limited revival series. He won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, two Screen Actors Guild Awards. He spent 15 hours a day, six days a week on set for years. According to his own account, he spent more time on screen as Jack Bauer than in all his film roles combined.
“24” didn’t just revive his career—it made him more famous and respected than he’d ever been in the ’80s. But it also typed him. For years, he was Jack Bauer, and everything else felt like a shadow of that role.
Life Beyond Acting Roles
After “24” ended in 2010, he could have retired comfortably. Instead, he kept working across multiple areas. He produced projects. He did voice work for video games, including the “Metal Gear Solid” series and “Call of Duty” franchise.
He returned to television with “Touch” (2012-2013), playing the father of a boy with supernatural abilities. When that was canceled, he signed on for “Designated Survivor” (2016-2019), playing a low-level cabinet member who becomes president after a terrorist attack kills most of the government.
But perhaps his most unexpected move was into music. In 2016, he released his debut album “Down in a Hole,” followed by “Reckless & Me” in 2019 and “Bloor Street” in 2024. The music is country and Americana—think Springsteen, Tom Petty, whiskey-soaked road songs.
Critics were surprisingly kind. Record Collector said Springsteen and Petty fans would “find its whiskey-soaked Americana hard to resist.” He toured extensively, playing intimate clubs and major festivals across North America and Europe. According to his official website at kiefersutherland.com, he’s set attendance records at European festivals and achieved multiple #1 positions on Americana charts.
This wasn’t a vanity project. He’d been writing songs for years but kept it private. Going public with it in his late 40s took courage—risking mockery from people who’d assume an actor playing musician was just indulging a midlife crisis.
Personal Life, Relationships, and Privacy
He’s been married twice—first to Camelia Kath from 1987 to 1990, with whom he has a daughter, Sarah Sutherland (who became an actress herself, appearing in “Veep”). His second marriage to Kelly Winn lasted from 1996 to 2004.
The Julia Roberts broken engagement in 1991 remains the most publicly discussed relationship of his life, though both have long since moved on. He’s been linked to various people over the years but generally keeps romantic relationships out of media attention.
Since 2014, he’s been with Cindy Vela, a model and actress. They got engaged but haven’t publicly married, and he’s mentioned preferring to keep that part of his life private now that he’s older and hopefully wiser about what to share.
He has one daughter, Sarah, born in 1988. She followed him into acting, which he’s said gives him both pride and concern given how difficult the industry can be.
Health, Responsibility, and Public Accountability
He’s faced DUI arrests and served 48 days in jail in 2007 for violating probation related to a DUI. Rather than hiding it, he acknowledged the consequences publicly and moved forward.
In interviews, he’s discussed how touring for his music career helped him maintain sobriety because he was accountable to band members and crew every night. Having structure and people depending on him made a difference.
He doesn’t talk extensively about personal struggles, but he also doesn’t pretend they didn’t happen. That honesty—admitting mistakes without dwelling on them or using them for sympathy—feels like growth that took time to develop.
Net Worth and Professional Stability
His estimated net worth is reported around $75-100 million, though exact figures aren’t publicly confirmed. That wealth comes from multiple sources accumulated over 40+ years.
“24” salary in later seasons was reportedly around $550,000 per episode. Over eight seasons, that’s substantial. His film work from the ’80s and ’90s, even the less successful projects, paid well by the standards of that era.
Voice work for video games and animation, producing credits, music sales and touring, residuals from decades of work—all contribute. According to his IMDb profile, he has over 100 acting credits spanning film, television, and voice work.
The financial stability allows him to choose projects based on interest rather than paychecks, which shows in his recent work. He appeared in Clint Eastwood’s “Juror #2” (2024) because he wanted to work with Eastwood, not because he needed the money.
Questions Audiences Often Ask
Who is Kiefer Sutherland’s father?
Donald Sutherland, the legendary Canadian actor who appeared in “MAS*H,” “Don’t Look Now,” “Ordinary People,” “The Hunger Games” series, and dozens of other films over six decades. The two worked together occasionally, including “Max Dugan Returns” (1983) and “Forsaken” (2015).
What is he best known for?
Jack Bauer in “24” is probably his most recognizable role globally. For people who grew up in the ’80s, he’s known for “Stand by Me,” “The Lost Boys,” and “Young Guns.” More recently, he’s known for music and “Designated Survivor.”
Is he married?
He’s been married twice but is currently unmarried. He’s engaged to Cindy Vela, whom he’s been with since 2014, but they haven’t publicly married. He has one daughter, Sarah Sutherland, from his first marriage.
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