Kirk Douglas

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

175

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

  • Saturday Night Live

    Saturday Night Live

  • Real Time with Bill Maher

    Real Time with Bill Maher

  • Golden Globe Awards

    Golden Globe Awards

  • Golden Globe Awards

    Golden Globe Awards

  • Tony Awards

    Tony Awards

  • The View

    The View

  • Wogan

    Wogan

  • LIVE with Kelly and Mark

    LIVE with Kelly and Mark

  • The Merv Griffin Show

    The Merv Griffin Show

  • Touched by an Angel

    Touched by an Angel

  • Champs-Elysées

    Champs-Elysées

  • Champs-Elysées

    Champs-Elysées

  • Late Night with Conan O'Brien

    Late Night with Conan O'Brien

  • The Dick Cavett Show

    The Dick Cavett Show

  • Tales from the Crypt

    Tales from the Crypt

  • The Lucy Show

    The Lucy Show

  • Apostrophes

    Apostrophes

  • Spécial cinéma

    Spécial cinéma

  • Les Rendez-vous du dimanche

    Les Rendez-vous du dimanche

  • What's My Line?

    What's My Line?

  • The Steve Allen Show

    The Steve Allen Show

  • The Steve Allen Show

    The Steve Allen Show

  • The Oscars

    The Oscars

  • The Ed Sullivan Show

    The Ed Sullivan Show

  • This Is Your Life

    This Is Your Life

  • Goldene Kamera

    Goldene Kamera

  • The Colgate Comedy Hour

    The Colgate Comedy Hour

  • The Colgate Comedy Hour

    The Colgate Comedy Hour

  • Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff

    Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff

  • Parkinson

    Parkinson

  • Tonight Starring Jack Paar

    Tonight Starring Jack Paar

  • Cinépanorama

    Cinépanorama

  • The Kennedy Center Honors

    The Kennedy Center Honors

  • Ulysses

    Ulysses

  • Spartacus

    Spartacus

  • Brisant

    Brisant

  • Basketball: A Love Story

    Basketball: A Love Story

  • Paths of Glory

    Paths of Glory

  • Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

    Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

  • Saturn 3

    Saturn 3

  • The Heroes of Telemark: Location report from Norway

    The Heroes of Telemark: Location report from Norway

  • Scalawag

    Scalawag

  • Verstehen Sie Spaß?

    Verstehen Sie Spaß?

  • The Secret

    The Secret

  • Two-Fisted Tales

    Two-Fisted Tales

  • Tough Guys

    Tough Guys

  • The Villain

    The Villain

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

    If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast

  • Der große Preis

    Der große Preis

  • The Way West

    The Way West

  • Mousey

    Mousey

  • Diamonds

    Diamonds

  • The Arrangement

    The Arrangement

  • The Fury

    The Fury

  • Oscar

    Oscar

  • V.I.P. Schaukel

    V.I.P. Schaukel

  • Champion

    Champion

  • Amos

    Amos

  • 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

    20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

  • Posse

    Posse

  • Kirk Douglas

    Kirk Douglas

  • Draw!

    Draw!

  • The Brotherhood

    The Brotherhood

  • The Universal Story

    The Universal Story

  • Detective Story

    Detective Story

  • Operation Undersea

    Operation Undersea

  • A Gunfight

    A Gunfight

  • The George Gobel Show

    The George Gobel Show

  • The Final Countdown

    The Final Countdown

  • Greedy

    Greedy

  • Out of the Past

    Out of the Past

  • Last Train from Gun Hill

    Last Train from Gun Hill

  • The Light at the Edge of the World

    The Light at the Edge of the World

  • Kirk Douglas

    Kirk Douglas

  • Is Paris Burning?

    Is Paris Burning?

  • In Harm's Way

    In Harm's Way

  • A Letter to Three Wives

    A Letter to Three Wives

  • Holocaust 2000

    Holocaust 2000

  • The Johnny Cash Show

    The Johnny Cash Show

  • The Big Sky

    The Big Sky

  • The Last Sunset

    The Last Sunset

  • The American Film Institute Salute to ...

    The American Film Institute Salute to ...

  • It Runs in the Family

    It Runs in the Family

  • Once Is Not Enough

    Once Is Not Enough

  • Victory at Entebbe

    Victory at Entebbe

  • The Man from Snowy River

    The Man from Snowy River

  • The Vikings

    The Vikings

  • A Lovely Way to Die

    A Lovely Way to Die

  • Ace in the Hole

    Ace in the Hole

  • The Heroes of Telemark

    The Heroes of Telemark

  • The War Wagon

    The War Wagon

  • Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen

    Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen

  • Illusion

    Illusion

  • Lonely are the Brave

    Lonely are the Brave

  • Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

    Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

  • Cast a Giant Shadow

    Cast a Giant Shadow

  • Scene by Scene

    Scene by Scene

  • The List of Adrian Messenger

    The List of Adrian Messenger

  • The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

    The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

  • The Indian Fighter

    The Indian Fighter

  • The Big Trees

    The Big Trees

  • The Bad and the Beautiful

    The Bad and the Beautiful

  • Van Gogh: Darkness into Light

    Van Gogh: Darkness into Light

  • The Disneyland Story

    The Disneyland Story

  • My Dear Secretary

    My Dear Secretary

  • There Was a Crooked Man...

    There Was a Crooked Man...

  • Lust for Life

    Lust for Life

  • The Walls of Jericho

    The Walls of Jericho

  • Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

    Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

  • Seven Days in May

    Seven Days in May

  • Young Man with a Horn

    Young Man with a Horn

  • Catch Me a Spy

    Catch Me a Spy

  • Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers

    Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers

  • Vincent van Gogh Superstar

    Vincent van Gogh Superstar

  • James Bond: The First 21 Years

    James Bond: The First 21 Years

  • Mourning Becomes Electra

    Mourning Becomes Electra

  • The Master Touch

    The Master Touch

  • Strangers When We Meet

    Strangers When We Meet

  • I Walk Alone

    I Walk Alone

  • Man Without a Star

    Man Without a Star

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

    Walt Disney's Where Do the Stories Come From?

  • Clive Anderson All Talk

    Clive Anderson All Talk

  • Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection

    Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection

  • Stanley Kubrick in Focus

    Stanley Kubrick in Focus

  • From Roger Moore with Love

    From Roger Moore with Love

  • Two Weeks in Another Town

    Two Weeks in Another Town

  • Inherit the Wind

    Inherit the Wind

  • The Devil's Disciple

    The Devil's Disciple

  • Top Secret Affair

    Top Secret Affair

  • Arthur Hailey's The Moneychangers

    Arthur Hailey's The Moneychangers

  • Eddie Macon's Run

    Eddie Macon's Run

  • Act of Love

    Act of Love

  • Along the Great Divide

    Along the Great Divide

  • The Story of Three Loves

    The Story of Three Loves

  • Making of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

    Making of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

  • The Glass Menagerie

    The Glass Menagerie

  • A Century of Cinema

    A Century of Cinema

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

    Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes All-Star 50th Anniversary

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

    Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea

  • Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices

    Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices

  • Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

    Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

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

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

  • For Love or Money

    For Love or Money

  • Home Movies

    Home Movies

  • Queenie

    Queenie

  • Mike Wallace Is Here

    Mike Wallace Is Here

  • The Racing Experience

    The Racing Experience

  • Mike Tyson vs Trevor Berbick

    Mike Tyson vs Trevor Berbick

  • Trumbo

    Trumbo

  • Kirk Douglas: Before I Forget

    Kirk Douglas: Before I Forget

  • Clive James' Postcard from

    Clive James' Postcard from

  • The Racers

    The Racers

  • J'ai tout donné

    J'ai tout donné

  • Let Poland Be Poland

    Let Poland Be Poland

  • The Hook

    The Hook

  • Once Upon a Wheel

    Once Upon a Wheel

  • Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line

    Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line

  • Town Without Pity

    Town Without Pity

  • The Untameable Kirk Douglas

    The Untameable Kirk Douglas

  • Completely Cuckoo

    Completely Cuckoo

  • The Special London Bridge Special

    The Special London Bridge Special

  • The Juggler

    The Juggler

  • Movie Tough Guys

    Movie Tough Guys

  • The Lies Boys Tell

    The Lies Boys Tell

  • Rowan & Martin at the Movies

    Rowan & Martin at the Movies

  • FBI contre Hollywood

    FBI contre Hollywood

  • Lana Turner... a Daughter's Memoir

    Lana Turner... a Daughter's Memoir

  • Welcome to Veraz

    Welcome to Veraz

  • The Making of A Movie

    The Making of A Movie

  • Empire State Building Murders

    Empire State Building Murders

  • Remembrance Of Love

    Remembrance Of Love

  • I Am Spartacus: A Conversation with Kirk Douglas

    I Am Spartacus: A Conversation with Kirk Douglas

  • Hollywood au pied du terril

    Hollywood au pied du terril