A Son’s Reflection: Rossif Sutherland on Family, Loss, and “Murder in a Small Town”
In a heartfelt conversation about his role in Fox’s “Murder in a Small Town,” Rossif Sutherland opened up about the poignant connection between the show and his late father, Donald Sutherland. “I always have the beautiful reality of being able to think of my own dad as the person who would play my dad,” Rossif, 47, shared with Us Weekly, reflecting on the “tricky” question of who might portray his character Karl’s father in the series. The younger Sutherland revealed that his legendary father, who passed away in June 2024 at age 88, had actually been attached to an adaptation of L.R. Wright’s novels some three decades ago. “The weird thing is that my father was tied to this 30 years ago. It’s a little surreal, really—serendipitous I guess,” he explained. “But here I am telling a story that my father would’ve told 30 years ago. I don’t know that I’m following in his footsteps, but I love the man and I miss him.” This touching coincidence adds a layer of emotional resonance to Rossif’s performance, turning what might have been simply another acting job into something that feels almost like a family legacy continued.
The loss of Donald Sutherland clearly weighs on Rossif’s mind as he navigates his role in the show, which follows a small-town police chief investigating mysterious murders. “I think of [my dad] every day,” he shared candidly. “And my beautiful mother that I love and adore, I hope she watches this. I hope this brings her joy… one day at a time.” Though Rossif hasn’t settled on who might play his on-screen father now, he has clear ideas about the character’s nature. “I would like somebody who is tall—just so that I could look him in the eye. I imagine this character to be not a weak [and] not a broken man. I see him as surprisingly quite strong and put together,” he noted. “But he just made choices that Karl disagrees with. So they should be able to look at each other straight.” These reflections suggest that Rossif brings depth to his character by drawing on real-life complexities of father-son relationships, perhaps even his own.
After filming two seasons of “Murder in a Small Town,” Rossif has found his rhythm portraying the lovable police chief Karl, embracing the unique charm of the show’s setting and community dynamics. “There is a charm to those [small town] environments. Of course it is idyllic but there is telling a story within a context like that. The community is small so you actually get to know who everybody is,” he explained, highlighting the show’s emphasis on character development and interconnected relationships. “That’s another thing that we were trying to do. If we get to do this again, we would do it even more. It is very much about all these characters that make this place a home.” This focus on community creates an interesting contrast with the show’s darker murder elements, as Rossif notes with a touch of humor: “It’s a home that absurdly has become a bit of a murder capital but there has to be a reason why people stay. That’s because they have each other.” The actor’s comments suggest an appreciation for how the show balances its crime procedural aspects with genuine human connections.
The series, which airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox, features an impressive cast of guest stars including James Cromwell, Stana Katic, Devon Sawa, Paula Patton, and Noah Reid. At its heart, though, Rossif sees “Murder in a Small Town” as being about much more than just solving crimes. “It was always that theme of relationships, of finding love and what it means to keep that love alive,” he shared with genuine enthusiasm. His character Karl’s relationship with girlfriend Cassandra (played by Kristin Kreuk) forms the emotional core of the show. “It was this idea of Karl, who has this natural ability to solve crimes, to unlock mysteries and to make people speak the truth. All the while there are a lot of mysteries about his own life and abilities that he has to actually speak his own truth,” Rossif explained, revealing the complexity behind his character’s development. This duality—being able to solve external mysteries while struggling with internal ones—creates a compelling tension that drives the narrative forward.
What makes the relationship between Karl and Cassandra particularly interesting, according to Rossif, is their differences. “He finds somebody in Cassandra who was very different from him. Because of this love, they’re negotiating how best to be and this is not what they’d imagined,” he noted. This exploration of how two different people navigate a relationship feels refreshingly authentic, avoiding the simplistic portrayals sometimes seen in television dramas. “They want to make it work. With that will come conversations, vulnerability, intimacy and the building of a family,” Rossif continued, highlighting the show’s commitment to showing the real work that goes into maintaining relationships. It’s this grounding in emotional reality that helps elevate “Murder in a Small Town” beyond a typical crime procedural.
In his final thoughts about the series, Rossif distilled what he believes makes “Murder in a Small Town” special: “These are all grand themes but we address them in our own little way in a beautiful place. We tell our little murder stories but it’s very much to me a show about love. There’s a lot of love while we film it and hopefully it translates to the screen.” This sentiment—that behind the murder mysteries lies a story fundamentally about connection, family, and love—speaks to why audiences might find themselves drawn to the show. And for Rossif Sutherland, the experience seems to have taken on additional meaning as he carries forward a project that, in some small way, connects him to the father he misses. As viewers tune in each week to watch Karl solve crimes in his idyllic yet dangerous small town, they’re also witnessing a son honoring his father’s legacy through storytelling—a fitting tribute to Donald Sutherland’s remarkable career and the lasting impact he had on his son’s life and work.
