It's a dream pairing – Sutherland senior and junior on the same film set. In this case the young hunk in question is not 24 hero Kiefer, it's his half brother, 30-year-old Rossif.
Rossif, Donald's son with his French-Canadian actress third wife Francine Racette has appeared in films such as Timeline and Red Doors. He also has a recurring role in the tenth season of ER. When he was cast as the lead in The Love Child, a comedy about a paroled ex-con trying to extricate himself from crime with a new career as a sculptor, the actor passed the script on to his dad.
"(His agents) said: 'Well, funnily enough, Donald's read the script and loves it'," recalls director Paul Barkin. "And I was like, 'That's incredible. What a coup'!" Audiences will also be bowled by Rossif, who is named after late French film director Frederic Rossif, promises the filmmaker.
"He's got that thing, that star quality. He's smart. He's astute. He's really passionate about his work… Plus the camera just loves him," he enthused.
The film, also featuring Ugly Betty star Rebecca Romijn, has been shooting in Toronto's Chinatown since March 31 and wraps in May.
Photo: Getty Images
