When Donald Sutherland died on Thursday, tributes and remembrances started pouring in, together with from President Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The Canadian actor labored on a large and diversified physique of movies throughout many genres, together with “The Soiled Dozen,” “MASH,” “Klute,” “Don’t Look Now,” “Animal Home,” “Invasion of the Physique Snatchers” and extra not too long ago the 2005 adaptation of “Satisfaction & Prejudice” and the “Starvation Video games” franchise.Julie Christie appeared alongside Sutherland in Nicolas Roeg’s 1973 movie “Don’t Look Now,” an emotionally devastating portrait of a pair struggling to beat the demise of their younger daughter.In an unique assertion to The Occasions, Christie stated, “Donald’s distinctive intelligence and mischievous humour is what elevated him and rendered him so fascinating as an actor.”Arguably few performers are as intently aligned with Sutherland as Elliott Gould, as the 2 co-starred in Robert Altman’s 1970 anti-war dramedy “MASH,” which launched each actors to new ranges of fame.They subsequently appeared collectively in 1971’s darkish satire “Little Murders,” directed by Alan Arkin from the play by Jules Feiffer and produced by Gould, in addition to 1974’s espionage comedy “SPYS,” helmed by Irvin Kershner.Reached by telephone on Friday, Gould mirrored warmly on his work with Sutherland. Elliott Gould and Donald Sutherland in a scene from the 1974 comedy “SPYS.” (Stanley Bielecki Film Assortment / Getty Photos) I’m so honored to be speaking to you, however I remorse a lot the circumstances below which we’re talking.No, I see it in another way. It strikes me so. I see that I might be unhappy for us, however that we’re celebrating the magnificence of this human being, Donald Sutherland, who I had such a privilege to work intently with, I really feel it’s not a loss, it’s a achieve.Once you consider Donald, what first involves thoughts for you?The professionals from Dover. That was Donald. He made us the professionals from Dover in “MASH.” Oh my God, I don’t know anybody like Donald. I’d seen him in movie, however that was fairly early. It was principally “The Soiled Dozen.” And when Bob Altman requested me to have lunch. As soon as he solid me to play reverse Donald, he requested me to have lunch alone with Donald on the commissary of twentieth Century Fox. I went there and simply sat down with Donald, and my first feeling was, “Oh, I don’t suppose this man likes me.” And, after all, we received to be so shut and made superb chemistry collectively as two totally reverse human beings. I’ve by no means labored with higher. He’s my brother. The place do you suppose that chemistry got here from? How would you describe it?Our relationship was all about nature, human nature and being a human being. And we by no means intellectualized about it. We couldn’t have been extra various. So far as I’m involved, as long as I’m dwelling, Donald will all the time be with me.Once you began working collectively on “MASH,” was that power between the 2 of you obvious immediately? In your first scene within the film, you don’t say a lot and he can’t cease speaking. It’s unbelievable.And, after all, by no means neglect Tom Skerritt or every other superb parts from the image. However the way in which we shot it, I recall the primary time that Lew Alcindor [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar] performed towards Wilt Chamberlain, that Altman was screening the image for the entire solid at twentieth Century Fox. And we might have seen it, as a result of I believe they could have had a sneak preview in San Francisco, however I don’t like to invest. And so I used to be exhibiting Donald a sport that I realized on the streets of Brooklyn, New York, which was referred to as “towards the wall.” You performed baseball towards the wall. And it was simply me and Donald. And we didn’t go in.We additionally stayed actually separate. All people was with Altman. We labored for Altman, there’s no query or doubt about that, however we have been just about segregated aside from within the scenes. And Ring Lardner, Jr. stepped exterior after the screening and walked as much as me, and I assumed, “What are you strolling as much as me? I’m simply appearing right here.” And Donald, after all, was with me as a result of we have been all the time collectively. And Ring Lardner, Jr. stated, “How might you do that to me? There’s not a line I wrote that’s on-screen.” And Ring Lardner went on to win the Academy Award that yr for the perfect screenplay. In fact, that was because of the brilliance and genius of Robert Altman. However Robert Altman put us collectively and allowed us to make a chemistry the likes of which I’ll by no means know once more.“MASH” was actually the primary time audiences noticed what grew to become Altman’s signature fashion with the chaotic power, overlapping dialogue and the stressed digicam. Was it arduous for you and Donald and the opposite actors to get in sync with that course of?Completely. And Donald and I complained as soon as. I had by no means labored like that. I had participated in three movies earlier than then, which I bear in mind fairly clearly, however I’d by no means improvised on movie. And so far as info or what dialogue transports, what it serves, Donald and I complained about Robert Altman, which, after all, was horrible for Bob. Bob thought we wished him fired, which is completely unfaithful. We have been simply uncomfortable in that method of labor. However then Bob reshot one thing, which flaunted to me that he was keen to work with us and permit us to be the actors that we have been. And the remainder is historical past. Elliott Gould, from left, Tom Skerritt and Donald Sutherland in “MASH.” (twentieth Century Fox) The success of “MASH” made each you and Donald a lot greater stars within the second. Was it good so that you can have somebody there who was having that very same trip at that very same time? Did you are feeling the 2 of you have been going by that second collectively?I don’t need to be sentimental, I don’t need to be pretentious. Folks maybe make mental justifications out of something, however Donald and I have been collectively, and I even imagine now that he’s out of physique and never right here any longer aside from with these of us the place his spirit lives. Once we have been going to do “SPYS,” which was one other title, and it had been conceived for 2 different actors, the opposite actors being David Niven and Carroll O’Connor, two washed-up CIA brokers. And it was despatched to me, and I turned it down.And this might be the one time, or one of many only a few instances, that Donald ever referred to as me. And he referred to as me to say, I perceive you turned down “Moist Stuff,” which grew to become “SPYS.” I stated, “Sure, I didn’t suppose the script was as much as the thought of the story.” And Donald then stated to me, “Would you make it with me?” And I stated, “You imply you’ll make this with me?” And he stated, “Yeah.” I stated, “Properly, that’s a special story.” We make chemistry, our chemistry. I stated, “In fact, I’ll do something along with you.” After which Irvin Kershner was the director, and I grew to like Kershner, after which they received the proper folks to rewrite it. They by no means talked with me in relation to the rewrite. And it’s not about me, however I’ve this intuition. And they also rewrote it.And now we have been in London, and this was the primary day of taking pictures “SPYS,” and it wasn’t even referred to as “SPYS” but, and Donald and I have been being pushed in a elaborate automobile to the place we have been going to shoot the primary day’s work. And Donald requested me what I consider this script. And I stated, “It’s a chunk of s—.” I rolled the window down and I threw the script out the window. I stated the one method it will probably work is when you play the half they suppose I’m going to play, and I play the half they suppose you’re going to play. We’d be capable of do one thing. However the producers, who have been extraordinarily profitable producers, Bob Chartoff and Irwin Winkler, they couldn’t hear of it. And so we did the image. However our historical past in movie, I all the time wished to make one other movie with Donald. Inform me about his half in “Little Murders.” You produced that image as effectively and he is available in to ship this unbelievable monologue throughout a marriage scene. What made you need Donald for that half?He was excellent. We have been doing the image, I produced it; I had completed the primary model of it on stage and Jules Feiffer is a good friend of mine. And we requested Donald to do it, and he did. I believe we paid him $5,000 to do it. In fact, that was one other time and issues have been cheaper. However Donald was unbelievable in it. And I bear in mind he had a chilly — he got here to work, he had a cough. And I walked across the nook, as a result of the church that we shot in is there in Manhattan. I received him some contemporary squeezed orange juice. And Donald performed that character past perception. Donald Sutherland in “Little Murders.” Wow. It doesn’t get higher.Do you have got any favourite performances of Donald’s apart from the work that you just did collectively? The final shot of his “Invasion of the Physique Snatchers” is terrifying. Simply that final silent dream of his is kind of one thing. And “Satisfaction & Prejudice,” as a result of it touches me. Donald got here actually deep right here. His efficiency in “Satisfaction & Prejudice,” to me, it’s completely magnificent.Lately, he discovered a complete new viewers along with his look within the “Starvation Video games” footage. And it’s just like what you skilled while you have been on “Mates,” a complete new technology discovering you as a performer. It’s so nice that each of you had an analogous sort of explosion later in your careers.Or part of an explosion. I performed a bit basketball with Donald and he didn’t play basketball, however he was an enormous and he had huge fingers. And, after all, he got here from a special tradition. We couldn’t have been extra completely different, which was superb for the chemistry that we made. He was so beneficiant, so delicate, so sort and such an asset. He confirmed me “Don’t Look Now” in London and I confirmed him “The Lengthy Goodbye” in London. We by no means frolicked an excessive amount of. I believe that Donald probably, most likely, did extra work than me, however I don’t know. We deeply, deeply bonded on “MASH” and, agreed, he informed me that we have been brothers.I like a lot the thought of you sharing your movies with one another, particularly these two, that are actually iconic works for every of you. There’s one thing actually great about that.Properly, Donald Sutherland was great. And so far as I’m involved, we have been great collectively. I bear in mind when Donald did “Alex in Wonderland,” which [Paul Mazursky] actually wished me to do. And within the scene the place Donald takes Jean Moreau on a horse and buggy with the music from “Jules and Jim,” I began to weep. Donald’s sensitivity. The reward of working as intently with Donald Sutherland and for us to get to know each other, totally opposites who merged within the work in excellent chemistry.