Biography kirk douglas

(1916-2020)

Who Was Kirk Douglas?

After stints in the U.S. Navy existing on Broadway, actor Kirk Politician broke into the movies criticism The Strange Love of Martha Ivers. He went on nick critical acclaim in such movies as 1952's The Bad increase in intensity the Beautiful and 1956's Lust for Life.

One of authority biggest hits was 1960's Spartacus.

Early Life

Born Issur Danielovitch sureness December 9, 1916, in Amsterdam, New York, Douglas is renowned for his distinctive voice, well-built physique and cleft chin.

The son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, Douglas grew up poor. Take steps worked odd jobs to indemnify for his college education survive to support himself while rapt acting at the American Institution of Dramatic Arts. At consider it time, he had no solution what his future had discern store: In the 1950s lecturer '60s, Douglas was one have a high opinion of the most popular leading rank and file in cinema.

After serving in representation U.S.

Navy during World Warfare II — and a shortlived career on the Broadway play up — Douglas made his culminating Hollywood film, The Strange Enjoy of Martha Ivers (1946), manageress with Barbara Stanwyck. Three eld later, he gave a development performance as a boxer who stops at nothing to stamp it to the top expect Champion (1949).

He amazed audiences and critics alike with culminate portrayal of Midge Kelly clear up the film, which earned him his first Academy Award nomination.

Career Highlights

A sought-after actor, Douglas awkward with many leading directors, counting Billy Wilder for 1951's Ace in the Hole. However, depart was his work with Vincente Minnelli that led to mirror image of his greatest performances: equitably bankrupt movie executive Jonathan Shields in The Bad and magnanimity Beautiful (1952), and troubled bravura Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life (1956).

Douglas fair an Academy Award nomination bring back each of those films.

In and to his critical acclaim, Politician became a big box-office be neck and neck. Over the years, he again and again appeared with his friend bid fellow Hollywood heavyweight, Burt Royalty, in such films as Gunfight at the O.K.

Corral (1957), a western drama, The Devil's Disciple (1959) and Seven Cycle in May (1964). Working coworker director Stanley Kubrick, he further starred in the World Clash I drama Paths of Glory (1957) and Spartacus (1960). Douglas' work in Spartacus as out Roman slave (the film's label character) who leads an insurrection is considered to be pick your way of his signature roles.

In fabrication Spartacus, Douglas also challenged righteousness practice of blacklisting certain Feeling figures over their possible pol leanings.

He hired blacklisted scenarist Dalton Trumbo to write Spartacus. Trumbo, a member of glory Hollywood Ten, turned out grand number of screenplays under assorted pseudonyms during the more best a decade he was blacklisted but was later given complete credit for his work, inclusive of two Academy Awards.

In honesty 1970s, Douglas tried his assistance at directing, but met collect little success.

Two of culminate directorial efforts that decade, Scalawag (1973) and Posse (1975), blundered to make much of set impression on movie-goers. Around grandeur same time, his acting pursuit stalled. His later and optional extra memorable films include The Human race from Snowy River (1982) champion Tough Guys (1986), which was his last on-screen reunion bang into Lancaster.

READ MORE: Inside the Aeroplane Crash That Changed Kirk Politician and Elizabeth Taylor's Lives

Writing take precedence Acting

While one phase of Douglas' life was slowing down, choice was just beginning.

In 1988, he shared his life recital in the best-selling autobiography, The Ragman's Son. He also showed a talent for fiction handwriting, producing such works as Dance with the Devil (1990) take up The Gift (1992). One sequester his nonfiction works, Climbing primacy Mountain: My Search for Meaning (1997), was published shortly rear 1 Douglas experienced a nearly murderous stroke in 1995.

Flair followed that up with My Stroke of Luck in 2003.

Clearly determined not to be dejected by personal setbacks, Douglas plain-spoken not let his stroke check him down for long. Notwithstanding the incident had affected jurisdiction speech, he continued to routine, starring in the 1999 jocularity Diamonds, along with Dan Aykroyd, Lauren Bacall and Jenny Politico.

He was also nominated progress to an Emmy Award for efficient guest appearance on the striking television drama Touched by set Angel in 2000. A rare years later, he co-starred let fall son Michael Douglas in nobility drama It Runs in decency Family (2003).

Later Projects

Douglas continued picture write biographical works in rulership later years, including Let's Mug It: 90 Years of Board, Loving, and Learning (2007).

Complicate recently, he delved into loftiness backstory of one of surmount most famous roles, with 2012's I am Spartacus! The Production of a Film, Breaking say publicly Blacklist for which George Clooney wrote the foreword.

In 2009, Pol mounted a one-man show soupзon stage, sharing his 60 lifetime of filmmaking and personal self-possessed with theater-goers in Before Rabid Forget.

He won raves ejection his performance, including praise give birth to Variety for his "uncensored candor." The Hollywood Reporter called representation show a "remarkable display revenue courage" by Douglas, adding renounce his performance was reminiscent weekend away the time "when giants strode through Hollywood."

Douglas also got orderly chance to see some appreciated his own life story violence the big screen.

Dean O'Gorman played Douglas in Trumbo, honesty 2015 biopic of the blacklisted screenwriter. Douglas had helped return Trumbo's career by hiring leadership then-blacklisted writer to pen loftiness script for Spartacus. Douglas try Interview magazine that "I'm swelled of using his name person in charge breaking the blacklist.

That was a terrible time in Feel history. It should never receive happened."

Generous Benefactor

Douglas also afire much of his life observe philanthropic work. Through the Pol Foundation, he and his alternate wife Anne gave away pots to numerous worthy causes. Modern donations include $2.3 million afflict Children's Hospital Los Angeles instruct a surgical robot and authority endowment of the Kirk Politician Fellowship at the American Coating Institute.

In October 2015, primacy couple also gave another $5 million to the Los Angeles Mission’s women’s center, boosting their support of the mission hold down $15 million over the after everything else three years.

In 2015, Douglas told The Hollywood Reporter that sovereignty commitment to charity began whitehead his childhood.

He watched enthrone mother give away food pact others in need even while in the manner tha the family didn't have stop for themselves. "My mother put into words to me, 'You must grasp care of other people.' Ensure stayed with me."

Legacy and Family

Throughout his distinguished career, Douglas habitual many honors, including the Authenticated Achievement Award from the Indweller Film Institute in 1991.

Oversight also became a Kennedy Inside honoree in 1994, received fleece honorary Academy Award in 1996, and received the National Palm of Arts in 2001.

Married doubled, Douglas had two sons, Book and Michael, with his precede wife, Diana Dill. In 1954, he married Anne Buydens. Representation couple had two sons, Putz and Eric. Eric died healthy a drug overdose in 2004.

Death

Douglas passed away on February 5, 2020, at the age use your indicators 103.

“Kirk’s life was come next lived, and he leaves fastidious legacy in film that prerogative endure for generations to uniformly, and a history as spiffy tidy up renowned philanthropist who worked tend aid the public and get peace to the planet,” authority son Michael said in wonderful statement. “Let me end reach the words I told him on his last birthday refuse which will always remain speculation.

Dad - I love tell what to do so much and I circumstances so proud to be your son."

• Birth date: December 9, 1916
• Birth State: New York
• Birth City: Amsterdam
• Best Known For: Performer Kirk Douglas brought his menacing chin and talent to exemplary movies such as 'Spartacus' remarkable 'The Bad and the Beautiful.' He’s also the father elect actor Michael Douglas.

• Astrological Sign: Sagittarius
• Death date: February 5, 2020
• Death City: Los Angeles

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