Childhood & Early Life
Kirk Douglas was born in Amsterdam, New York, USA, on December 9, 1916 to Herschel Danielovitch and Bryna Sanglel Danielovitch. Kirk grew up with six sisters.
During his early days he worked at different jobs to support himself and his family and wanted to become a professional actor.
After completing high school he was able to get a loan from the Dean of the St. Lawrence University to pay for his studies.
He got a scholarship for studying acting from New York’s ‘American Academy of Dramatic Arts’ which recognized his acting talent.
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Career
Kirk Douglas started his acting career with a handful of minor roles in various Broadway productions.
He joined the US Navy in 1941 during the Second World War and returned to acting in the theater after the end of the war in 1945.
In 1946 Hal B. Wallis gave Kirk the lead role in ‘The Strange Love of Martha Ivers’ which brought rave reviews.
In 1948 he acted in the low-key drama ‘I Walk Alone’ alongside Burt Lancaster for the first time.
He received his first nomination for the Oscar in 1949 for his role in ‘Champion’.
He acted in the film ‘Ace in the Hole’ in 1951. The ‘Bad and the Beautiful’ brought him his second Oscar nomination in 1952.
He started his own production company ‘Bryna Productions’ in 1955.
His third Oscar nomination came with the film ‘Lust for Life’ in 1956.
The film ‘Gunfight at the O.K. Corral’ in 1957 was another of his films with Burt Lancaster.
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He acted in the anti-war epic ‘Paths of Glory’ in 1957 and the magnificent film ‘Spartacus’ in 1960 under the banner of Bryna Productions.
In 1962 he acted in the western ‘Lonely Are the Brave’ while in 1963 he appeared in the stage adaptation of ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’ which was made into a film in 1975 by his son Michael.
In 1964 he acted in the political thriller ‘Seven Days in May’. He acted alongside John Wayne in the Second World War film ‘in Harm’s Way’ in 1965.
In 1966 he acted in the film ‘Cast a Giant Shadow’ based on the Israeli freedom struggle.
His second film with John Wayne was ‘The War Wagon’ in 1967
He paired up with Burt Lancaster for the last time in a gangster comedy called ‘Tough Guys’ in 1968.
He directed ‘Scalawag’ in 1973 and ‘Posse’ in 1975 but did not have much success at the box-office.
He starred alongside a young Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Western comedy film ‘The Villain’ in 1979.
His sci-fi film ‘Saturn 3’ with Farah Fawcett came out in 1980.
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He travelled to Australia in 1982 to act in the film ‘The Man from Snowy River’.
He produced two great movies ‘Dance with the Devil’ and ‘The Gift’ in 1990 and 1992 respectively.
He starred in the comedy ‘Diamonds’ in 1999.
He was nominated for the Emmy Award for a guest appearance in ‘Touched by an Angel’ in 2000.
In 2003 he acted with his son Michael in the film ‘It Runs in the Family’.
In 2009 he staged a one-man show ‘Before I Forget’ and was greatly appreciated for his performance.
In 1988 he brought out his autography titled ‘The Ragman’s Son’, which was a best-seller.
He published the non-fiction, ‘Climbing the Mountain: My Search for Meaning’ in 1997’ and in 2003 and ‘My Stroke of Luck’.
He published the biographical work ‘Let’s face It: 90 Years of Living, Loving, and Learning’ in 2007 and ‘I am Spartacus! The making of a Film, Breaking the Blacklist’ in 2012.
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Awards & Achievements
Kirk Douglas received the American ‘Presidential Medal of Freedom’ in 1981 and the Jefferson Award in 1983 for his humanitarian activities.
He received the ‘American Cinema Award’ and the ‘German Golden Kamera Award’ in 1987, the ‘National Board of Reviews Career Achievement Award’ in 1989, an honorary ‘Academy Award in 1995, the ‘Recipient of the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award’ in 1999 and the ‘UCLA medal of Honor’ in 2002.
Personal Life & Legacy
Kirk Douglas married Diana Dill on November 2, 1943 and divorced her on February 23, 1951. He has two sons, Michael and Joel from this marriage.
He married Anne Budyens on May 29, 1954 and they had two sons, Peter and Eric from this marriage.
Kirk Douglas contributed millions of dollars in aid to hospitals and other institutions. He was the ‘Goodwill Ambassador’ of the US government since 1963.
Kirk Douglas died on 5 February 2020, at his home in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 103.
