The left-wing The Hunger Games star admits he is appalled by the fact so many people voted for the Republican despite him causing offence to women, disabled people, Latinos, and Muslims, among others, throughout his election campaign and through his conservative policies.

Sutherland, who was born in Canada but lives in the U.S., only really realised how much of an advantage his race and sex is in today's society after his The Leisure Seeker co-star Helen Mirren pointed it out to him in the middle of filming.

"Helen Mirren came up to me on the set and... she said, 'You are the most privileged person on earth...,'" he recalled on U.S. breakfast show Today. "I said, 'How can you say that?' And she said, 'You are a white male.'"

Sutherland was left speechless by the remark, and it really got him thinking about the world the women in his life will grow up in, now Trump is set to take charge of the White House.

"There's no reply. I was ashamed. I was stunned," he admitted. "And I have gotten more ashamed (since Trump's election). It's interesting to realise that you are seen as an integral part of a group that many of whom are mendacious, misogynist, bigots, racists, and it's appalling."

Sutherland, 81, believes the future looks bleak under Trump's presidency, particularly for women, and he can only do his best to help his loved ones smile through the tough time.

"How can I give them a hopeful view?" he asked. "I have a wife, I have a daughter, a daughter-in-law, and a granddaughter. What do I say to them? Their women's rights have gone, the environment has gone, minimum pay has gone (sic), what can I say to them? I can only say one thing: I am a comedian. And that's what I am."