The 1991 political thrillerJFKis one of the most ambitious films made by writer-director Oliver Stone. With a cast list that includes Kevin Costner, Sissy Spacek, Gary Oldman, and Vincent D’Onofio, the movie is jam-packed with so many stars that it would be easy to blink and miss one. One of those cast members is the late Donald Sutherland.Sutherland was famous for his film rolesinInvasion of the Body Snatchers, Pride and Prejudice,andThe Hunger Gamesfilm franchise.
JFKtells the story of DA Jim Garrison’s (Costner) investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. While based on historical events,JFKis rife with conspiracy theoriesand fictional accounts, making it a hotbed of criticism despite the film winning great acclaim. Though most of the plot is fictional, the movie’s characters are based on real people who were involved in the Kennedy assassination and investigations, and Sutherland’s character is no different.
Donald Sutherland Played “Mr. X” In JFK
Mr. X Is Only In One Scene, And It’s Pivotal To Garrison’s Investigation
InJFK,Garrison has hit a dead end in his investigation when he is contacted by a man mysteriously known as Mr. X, played to perfection by Donald Sutherland.In true political thriller fashion, Mr. X dons a fedora and trenchcoat when he meets with Garrison in a Washington D.C. park.
As a former black ops agent, X has insider intel that is imperative to Garrison’s investigation. Mr. X then begins to spin a web of conspiracy that upends Garrison’s entire world, revealing a series of events that create a domino effect and end with the installment of Lyndon B. Johnson as president.
This scene inJFKis an iconic moment that was perfectly executed by Sutherland’s impressive monologuing skills.The actor barely takes a breath as he describes the nefarious dealings of those in powerand the sordid deals made behind closed doors. The scene is made all the more powerful by interweaving images of historical footage of the events in Dallas, all overlapping with Sutherland’s voice and a tense musical score by master composer John Williams. Although Sutherland only appears in that one scene, the impact of his performance is palpable.
Sutherland’s JFK Character Is Based On L. Fletcher Prouty & Richard Case Nagell
Both Were Former Veterans Who Criticized The CIA
Sutherland’s Mr. X was inspired not by one historical figure, but two. The first, and most closely associated, is L. Fletcher Prouty, who openly criticized the CIA and its secretive methods.Prouty was a U.S. Army and Air Force veteran made Chief of Special Operations with the Joint Staff in 1962 and 1963. Just as Mr. X recounts inJFK,Prouty was stationed in the South Pole as a military escort a month before the Kennedy assassination in Dallas, raising suspicions that he had been purposely sent away to keep him from uncovering plans of a coup d’etat.
The second historical figure wasRichard Case Nagell, also a veteran of the U.S. Army who claimed to be a double agent for the CIA. Nagell also claimed that he had been ordered by the KGB to stop the assassination by killing Lee Harvey Oswald, so that he could not be used as a scapegoat. Nagell was the subject of the book,The Man Who Knew Too Much: Hired to Kill Oswald and Prevent the Assassination of JFK, by Dick Russell, and was a huge inspiration for the Mr. X character.
JFK
Cast
Follows the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy led by New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison.
