Made Up, But Still True

The long-awaited, bracingly candid, and utterly unpredictable personal story of movie legend Donald Sutherland, sharing his deep passion for acting, his intense journey through success and loss, and every wild story in between

As one of the most enduring actors in Hollywood, Donald Sutherland has made an indelible mark on the industry since his life-changing role in M*A*S*H catapulted him into the public eye nearly sixty years ago. With his raw honesty and wicked sense of humour, the renowned actor chronicles his life in this generation-defining book, cataloging with powerful detail his far too many brushes with death, his loving relationship with his parents, and behind-the-scenes stories of the movies he’s starred in, including M*A*S*H, Klute, Kelly’s Heroes, Don't Look Now, Ordinary People, JFK, The Eye Of the Needle, Fellini’s Casanova, 1900, The Hunger Games, and more.

In Made Up, But Still True, Sutherland offers an unfiltered account of his memories of his life that is deeply insightful, emotional, and often very funny. In 1937 he was treated for infantile paralysis, followed a couple of years later by a bacterial infection that required a hammer and chisel to clean up his mastoiditis. Later in life, a rheumatic fever could have killed him, and after that, a bout with spinal meningitis did kill him, but only for a few seconds, then left him in a coma that took him a good while to come out of. As a 16-year-old he experienced his first sexual relationship, his first love, his first lessons in love. She was twice his age and they had a wonderful time. He also reveals the onstage triumphs that began his career; the pitfalls that threatened it and the movies that burnished it; and the on and off-set hijinks that gave it all colour.

With surprising candor and powerful, lyrical prose, these unforgettable reminiscences offer an unprecedented look at the remarkable life of a legendary—and legendarily private—Hollywood icon.