Kiefer Sutherland’s journey in Hollywood was forever shaped by the guidance of director Joel Schumacher, with whom he first worked on the iconic 1987 movie The Lost Boys. The actor opened up about his deep connection with the Batman Forever director, whose mentorship profoundly shaped his career. Sutherland said the unique bond he shared with Schumacher, who helped guide him through both his personal and professional life.
According to Sutherland, Schumacher’s experience as a young man, particularly his substance use, played a significant role in how he approached filmmaking. The actor shared some darkest secrets of the late director’s past that shaped his career.
Kiefer Sutherland reflected on Joel Schumacher’s dark past at the beginning of his career
Kiefer Sutherland has opened up about his profound relationship with the director Joel Schumacher. He recalled how the legendary filmmaker not only shaped his career but also offered him guidance during challenging times.
In a 2022 interview with the Independent, Sutherland shared that Schumacher’s unconventional approach to filmmaking was rooted in his youth during the late Sixties and early Seventies, a time when he was grappling with addiction, “Joel, I think had such a unique perspective on films because he was a curious drug addict in the late Sixties and early Seventies.” He added,
He couldn’t afford air conditioning in the summer, so he would take his drugs and then he’d go to the movies where they had air-con and sit there all day high off his ass watching these great films that were coming out in America and from England and France.
Sutherland believes that the director’s altered state allowed him to develop a distinctive filmmaking style, “He’d be in this very altered state as he was taking those movies in, which I think made him a really interestingly stylized artist.”
These unusual experiences along with his curiosity, contributed to the vibrant, larger-than-life styles that defined much of Schumacher’s work. Likewise, he went on to make movies like Batman Forever, replacing Tim Burton as the director. The movie claimed to be a stylistic departure from Burton’s Batman movies, which was a classic hit in 1993 and then made Batman & Robin in 1997.
Kiefer Sutherland shared how Schumacher became a mentor during his tough moments
Schumacher’s artistic vision not only left a profound impact on Sutherland, but he also played a crucial role as a mentor at the start of Sutherland’s career. The actor shared a personal story, revealing how the director became a mentor during a particularly tough time. Sutherland described experiencing what he called a “mini nervous breakdown” while filming a movie.
At that time, he was overwhelmed by the pressure of his career. Schumacher, sensing his unease, stepped in and said some profound words. In the words of Sutherland,
He put his hand on my shoulder and said: ‘If you don’t think that every morning I wake up, I know that your future is in my hands and that I take that responsibility really seriously, you’re out of your mind.’
Sutherland recalled, “For him to take that much responsibility for the future of my life… Not a lot of people will do that.” His gratitude to the director is evident in his words. The Lost Boy became both a critical and commercial hit, praised for its unique blend of horror and teen drama.
After the movie’s success, Sutherland went on to collaborate with Schumacher in several movies. The two then collaborated in three more movies— Flatliners in 1990, A Time to Kill in 1996, and Phone Booth in 2002. The director Schumacher passed away in 2020 but his impact on Sutherland’s career is undeniable, and his legacy as both a filmmaker and mentor continues to resonate in the actor’s career.
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