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Keira Knightley Shares Surprising Story Behind Donald Sutherland’s Gas Mask Party Attire
As the world mourned Donald Sutherland's death, Keira Knightley shared a fond memory of the legendary actor wearing a gas mask to a cast party during the filming of Pride and Prejudice.
Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of death.
Some memories are evergreen! Just like the film Pride and Prejudice, which has reshaped the idea of love in the history of literature and cinema. In the wake of Donald Sutherland’s passing at age 88 following a long illness on June 20, 2024, his co-star Keira Knightley fondly recalled the time Sutherland attended a cast party wearing a gas mask for a special reason.
Knightley starred opposite the late actor in Joe Wright’s 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Sutherland played Mr. Bennet, father to five daughters, including Knightley’s Elizabeth. Amidst his death, several celebrities and co-stars, including Knightley, contributed entries to a feature in The Guardian paying tribute to the actor. Kiefer Sutherland announced his father's death and called him “one of the most important actors in the history of film.”
Why did Donald Sutherland wear a gas mask to a party?
During the shoot of Joe Wright's 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, Donald Sutherland attended a cast party wearing a gas mask as a thoughtful gesture to his smoking co-stars. According to Keira Knightley, who played Elizabeth Bennet in the movie, Sutherland had a strict no-smoking policy in his contract due to his sensitivity to smoke.
However, learning that many of his younger co-stars in their late teens and early twenties were smokers, he used to wear a gas mask at most film parties to adjust their habits without compromising his health. Knightley fondly remembered the look of Sutherland in the gas mask, which permitted the cast to smoke without fear of his disapproval.
Keira Knightley's impression of Donald Sutherland
Keira Knightley, who was 20 years old when Pride and Prejudice was shot, opened up about her thoughts on the legendary actor and recalled feeling quite intimidated by his size and reputation when she first met him ( the actor was 70 at the time and very accomplished).
In addition, Knightley described him as a legendary actor who was "terrifying, playful, and generous," noting that he had gone above and beyond by inviting the cast of the film to visit him at his lake in Canada.
Sutherland’s portrayal of Mr. Bennet was responsible for several of the most memorable moments in the film.
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