Kirk Douglas
- Acting
- December 9, 1916 · Amsterdam, New York, USA
- February 5, 2020
Biography
Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor, producer, director and author. He grew up as Izzy Demsky and legally changed his name to Kirk Douglas before entering the United States Navy during World War II. During his career, Douglas appeared in more than 90 movies and was known for his explosive acting style. He became an international star for his leading role as an unscrupulous boxing hero in Champion (1949), which brought him his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Other early films include Young Man with a Horn (1950), Ace in the Hole (1951), and Detective Story (1951), a film for which he received a Golden Globe nomination as Best Actor in a Drama. He received a second Oscar nomination for his role in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), and his third nomination for portraying Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life (1956), which landed him a second Golden Globe nomination. In 1955, Douglas established Bryna Productions, which produced films as varied as Paths of Glory (1957) and Spartacus (1960). He took the lead roles in both films. Douglas has been praised for helping to break the Hollywood blacklist by having Dalton Trumbo write Spartacus with an official on-screen credit. In 1963 Douglas starred in the Broadway play One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a story that he purchased and later gave to his son Michael Douglas, who turned it into an Oscar-winning film. As an actor and philanthropist, Douglas received an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. As an author, he wrote ten novels and memoirs. He is No. 17 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male screen legends of classic Hollywood cinema. Kirk Douglas died at age 103.
Known for
Filmography
- My Life As Roger Moore · Self
- From Roger Moore with Love · Self
- Morceaux de Cannes · Self
- Kubrick by Kubrick · Self
- Charlie Chaplin, The Genius of Liberty · Self
- Vincent van Gogh Superstar · Vincent van Gogh (archive footage)
- Mike Wallace Is Here · (archive footage)
- Basketball: A Love Story · Self
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: The Shocking Truth · Self
- The Untameable Kirk Douglas · Self
- If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast · Self
- I Am Spartacus: A Conversation with Kirk Douglas · Self
- Johnny Cash: American Rebel · Self
- Hollywood au pied du terril · Self
- Discovering: Robert Mitchum · Self
- Stanley Kubrick in Focus · Self
- Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen · (archive footage)
- Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff · Self
- Kirk Douglas: Before I Forget · Self
- Brigitte Bardot: The Icon of France
- Making of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest · Self
- Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices · Self
- Empire State Building Murders · Jim Kovalski
- Trumbo · Self
- A Father… A Son… Once Upon a Time in Hollywood · Self
- Illusion · Donald Baines
- The Heroes of Telemark: Location report from Norway
- It Runs in the Family · Mitchell Gromberg
- Real Time with Bill Maher · Self
- Lana Turner... a Daughter's Memoir · Self
- FBI contre Hollywood · Self
- Diamonds · Harry Agensky
- Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection · General Kalthrob
- Parkinson · Self
- Completely Cuckoo · Self
- The View · Self
- Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line · Self
- Scene by Scene · Self
- Clive Anderson All Talk · Self
- The Universal Story · Self
- The Lies Boys Tell · Ed Reese
- Touched by an Angel · Ross Berger
- Greedy · Uncle Joe
- Brisant · Self
- A Century of Cinema · Self
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien · Self
- The Secret · Grandpa Mike Dunmore
- Two-Fisted Tales · General Calthrop
- Welcome to Veraz · Quentin
- Oscar · Eduardo Provolone
- Movie Tough Guys · Self
- Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea · Ned Land (archive footage)
- The Simpsons · Chester J. Lampwick (Voice)
- Tales from the Crypt · Gen. Kalthrob
- Clive James' Postcard from · Self
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark
- The Racing Experience · Self
- Inherit the Wind · Matthew Harrison Brady
- All-Time Movie Greats · Self
- Queenie · David Konig
- Mike Tyson vs Trevor Berbick · Self
- Tough Guys · Archie Long
- Looney Tunes 50th Anniversary · Self
- Amos · Amos Lasher, Executive producer
- Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers · Self
- A Day in the Country: Impressionism and the French Landscape · Narrator
- Draw! · Harry H. Holland aka Handsome Harry Holland
- Salute to Lady Liberty
- Goldene Kamera · Self
- James Bond: The First 21 Years · Self
- Something Wicked This Way Comes · Executive producer
- Eddie Macon's Run · Carl 'Buster' Marzack
- Remembrance Of Love · Joe Rabin
- Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid · (in "I Walk Alone") (archive footage)
- Wogan · Self
- The Man from Snowy River · Harrison / Spur
- Let Poland Be Poland · Self
- Champs-Elysées · Self
- Home Movies · Dr. Tuttle
- Saturn 3 · Major Adam