Shirley Douglas death: Kiefer Sutherland leads tribute to ‘extraordinary’ mother and Lolita actor

‘My mother was an extraordinary women who lived an extraordinary life,’ wrote the star of 24

Kiefer Sutherland has delivered a moving tribute to his late mother Shirley Douglas, the veteran actor who starred in films including Lolita and Dead Ringers.

Writing on Twitter on 5 April, the 24 star said: ”Early this morning my mother, Shirley Douglas, passed away due to complications surrounding pneumonia.”

“My mother was an extraordinary women who lived an extraordinary life. Sadly, she had been battling for her health for quite some time and we, as a family, knew this day was coming.”

Across her distinguished career, Douglas was best known for portraying Mrs Starch in Stanley Kubrick‘s adaptation of Lolita.

She also won acclaim as a widowed mother in Depression-era TV drama Wind at My Back in 1996, and for her role in the 1999 TV film Shadow Lake.

Douglas was married to actor Donald Sutherland between 1966 and 1971; their twin children Kiefer and Rachel both work in the TV industry. Her granddaughter is Sarah Sutherland, who starred in the HBO series Veep.

Tributes poured in on Twitter and elsewhere for Douglas, with one user describing the late star as a “force of nature and an incredible advocate for public health”.