Kirk Douglas

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

173

Gender

Male

Birthday

1916-12-09

Day of death

2020-02-05 (103 years old)

Place of Birth

Amsterdam, New York, USA

Kirk Douglas

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

  • The Simpsons

    The Simpsons

  • The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

    The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

  • Real Time with Bill Maher

    Real Time with Bill Maher

  • Tony Awards

    Tony Awards

  • Golden Globe Awards

    Golden Globe Awards

  • Golden Globe Awards

    Golden Globe Awards

  • LIVE with Kelly and Mark

    LIVE with Kelly and Mark

  • Wogan

    Wogan

  • The Merv Griffin Show

    The Merv Griffin Show

  • The View

    The View

  • Champs-Elysées

    Champs-Elysées

  • Champs-Elysées

    Champs-Elysées

  • The Colgate Comedy Hour

    The Colgate Comedy Hour

  • The Colgate Comedy Hour

    The Colgate Comedy Hour

  • Touched by an Angel

    Touched by an Angel

  • Late Night with Conan O'Brien

    Late Night with Conan O'Brien

  • The Lucy Show

    The Lucy Show

  • Apostrophes

    Apostrophes

  • Spécial cinéma

    Spécial cinéma

  • The Dick Cavett Show

    The Dick Cavett Show

  • Les Rendez-vous du dimanche

    Les Rendez-vous du dimanche

  • What's My Line?

    What's My Line?

  • Tales from the Crypt

    Tales from the Crypt

  • This Is Your Life

    This Is Your Life

  • Brisant

    Brisant

  • The Ed Sullivan Show

    The Ed Sullivan Show

  • Parkinson

    Parkinson

  • The Steve Allen Show

    The Steve Allen Show

  • The Steve Allen Show

    The Steve Allen Show

  • Basketball: A Love Story

    Basketball: A Love Story

  • Tonight Starring Jack Paar

    Tonight Starring Jack Paar

  • The Oscars

    The Oscars

  • Der große Preis

    Der große Preis

  • Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

    Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

  • Cinépanorama

    Cinépanorama

  • The Kennedy Center Honors

    The Kennedy Center Honors

  • Spartacus

    Spartacus

  • Goldene Kamera

    Goldene Kamera

  • Verstehen Sie Spaß?

    Verstehen Sie Spaß?

  • V.I.P. Schaukel

    V.I.P. Schaukel

  • The George Gobel Show

    The George Gobel Show

  • Kirk Douglas

    Kirk Douglas

  • 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

    20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

  • The Man from Snowy River

    The Man from Snowy River

  • The Bad and the Beautiful

    The Bad and the Beautiful

  • Two Weeks in Another Town

    Two Weeks in Another Town

  • The Heroes of Telemark

    The Heroes of Telemark

  • The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

    The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

  • Oscar

    Oscar

  • Mousey

    Mousey

  • Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection

    Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection

  • The Fury

    The Fury

  • From Roger Moore with Love

    From Roger Moore with Love

  • Vincent van Gogh Superstar

    Vincent van Gogh Superstar

  • The American Film Institute Salute to ...

    The American Film Institute Salute to ...

  • The Villain

    The Villain

  • The Walls of Jericho

    The Walls of Jericho

  • James Bond: The First 21 Years

    James Bond: The First 21 Years

  • Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers

    Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers

  • The Disneyland Story

    The Disneyland Story

  • The Johnny Cash Show

    The Johnny Cash Show

  • Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen

    Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen

  • Ulysses

    Ulysses

  • Tough Guys

    Tough Guys

  • Stanley Kubrick in Focus

    Stanley Kubrick in Focus

  • The Universal Story

    The Universal Story

  • Kirk Douglas

    Kirk Douglas

  • Saturn 3

    Saturn 3

  • In Harm's Way

    In Harm's Way

  • Last Train from Gun Hill

    Last Train from Gun Hill

  • Scene by Scene

    Scene by Scene

  • Operation Undersea

    Operation Undersea

  • The Vikings

    The Vikings

  • Making of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

    Making of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

  • Is Paris Burning?

    Is Paris Burning?

  • The Racers

    The Racers

  • The Way West

    The Way West

  • Diamonds

    Diamonds

  • Champion

    Champion

  • A Lovely Way to Die

    A Lovely Way to Die

  • The Last Sunset

    The Last Sunset

  • Paths of Glory

    Paths of Glory

  • The Hook

    The Hook

  • The List of Adrian Messenger

    The List of Adrian Messenger

  • Once Is Not Enough

    Once Is Not Enough

  • Victory at Entebbe

    Victory at Entebbe

  • Seven Days in May

    Seven Days in May

  • Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

    Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

  • Holocaust 2000

    Holocaust 2000

  • Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices

    Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices

  • The Final Countdown

    The Final Countdown

  • Detective Story

    Detective Story

  • The Big Trees

    The Big Trees

  • Two-Fisted Tales

    Two-Fisted Tales

  • The Big Sky

    The Big Sky

  • Act of Love

    Act of Love

  • Clive Anderson All Talk

    Clive Anderson All Talk

  • Amos

    Amos

  • Out of the Past

    Out of the Past

  • Ace in the Hole

    Ace in the Hole

  • Inherit the Wind

    Inherit the Wind

  • The Arrangement

    The Arrangement

  • Van Gogh: Darkness into Light

    Van Gogh: Darkness into Light

  • Walt Disney's Where Do the Stories Come From?

    Walt Disney's Where Do the Stories Come From?

  • Lust for Life

    Lust for Life

  • The Indian Fighter

    The Indian Fighter

  • I Walk Alone

    I Walk Alone

  • Greedy

    Greedy

  • The Light at the Edge of the World

    The Light at the Edge of the World

  • It Runs in the Family

    It Runs in the Family

  • Young Man with a Horn

    Young Man with a Horn

  • There Was a Crooked Man...

    There Was a Crooked Man...

  • Posse

    Posse

  • A Gunfight

    A Gunfight

  • Draw!

    Draw!

  • My Dear Secretary

    My Dear Secretary

  • Mourning Becomes Electra

    Mourning Becomes Electra

  • Scalawag

    Scalawag

  • The War Wagon

    The War Wagon

  • Arthur Hailey's The Moneychangers

    Arthur Hailey's The Moneychangers

  • Kirk Douglas: Before I Forget

    Kirk Douglas: Before I Forget

  • The Master Touch

    The Master Touch

  • Along the Great Divide

    Along the Great Divide

  • Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea

    Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea

  • Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

    Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

  • Town Without Pity

    Town Without Pity

  • The Brotherhood

    The Brotherhood

  • Catch Me a Spy

    Catch Me a Spy

  • Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

    Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

  • Queenie

    Queenie

  • Let Poland Be Poland

    Let Poland Be Poland

  • Cast a Giant Shadow

    Cast a Giant Shadow

  • A Father… A Son… Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

    A Father… A Son… Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

  • The Secret

    The Secret

  • Top Secret Affair

    Top Secret Affair

  • The Juggler

    The Juggler

  • Eddie Macon's Run

    Eddie Macon's Run

  • Strangers When We Meet

    Strangers When We Meet

  • Mike Wallace Is Here

    Mike Wallace Is Here

  • Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line

    Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line

  • Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff

    Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff

  • The Devil's Disciple

    The Devil's Disciple

  • Movie Tough Guys

    Movie Tough Guys

  • Man Without a Star

    Man Without a Star

  • Once Upon a Wheel

    Once Upon a Wheel

  • A Century of Cinema

    A Century of Cinema

  • A Letter to Three Wives

    A Letter to Three Wives

  • Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes All-Star 50th Anniversary

    Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes All-Star 50th Anniversary

  • Illusion

    Illusion

  • The Making of A Movie

    The Making of A Movie

  • For Love or Money

    For Love or Money

  • FBI contre Hollywood

    FBI contre Hollywood

  • Lonely are the Brave

    Lonely are the Brave

  • Mike Tyson vs Trevor Berbick

    Mike Tyson vs Trevor Berbick

  • The Story of Three Loves

    The Story of Three Loves

  • Rowan & Martin at the Movies

    Rowan & Martin at the Movies

  • Welcome to Veraz

    Welcome to Veraz

  • The Lies Boys Tell

    The Lies Boys Tell

  • Remembrance Of Love

    Remembrance Of Love

  • Trumbo

    Trumbo

  • I Am Spartacus: A Conversation with Kirk Douglas

    I Am Spartacus: A Conversation with Kirk Douglas

  • Empire State Building Murders

    Empire State Building Murders

  • Lana Turner... a Daughter's Memoir

    Lana Turner... a Daughter's Memoir

  • The Untameable Kirk Douglas

    The Untameable Kirk Douglas

  • Home Movies

    Home Movies

  • The Glass Menagerie

    The Glass Menagerie

  • The Racing Experience

    The Racing Experience

  • Completely Cuckoo

    Completely Cuckoo

  • The Special London Bridge Special

    The Special London Bridge Special

  • If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast

    If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast

  • The Heroes of Telemark: Location report from Norway

    The Heroes of Telemark: Location report from Norway

  • J'ai tout donné

    J'ai tout donné

  • Hollywood au pied du terril

    Hollywood au pied du terril