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 Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Real Time with Bill Maher

Saturday Night Live

The View

Golden Globe Awards

Golden Globe Awards

Tony Awards

All Movies (132)

• From Roger Moore with Love2024 · as Self (archive footage)
• Morceaux de Cannes2021
• Kubrick by Kubrick2020 · as Self (archive footage)
• Charlie Chaplin, The Genius of Liberty2020 · as Self (archive footage)
• Vincent van Gogh Superstar2019 · as Vincent van Gogh (archive footage)
• Mike Wallace Is Here2019 · as (archive footage)
• The Untameable Kirk Douglas2017 · as Self - Actor
• If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast2017 · as Self
• I Am Spartacus: A Conversation with Kirk Douglas2015 · as Self - Interviewee
• Johnny Cash: American Rebel2015 · as Self (archive photo)
• Hollywood au pied du terril2014 · as Self
• Stanley Kubrick in Focus2012 · as Self
• Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen2012 · as (archive footage)
• Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff2010 · as Self – Interviewee
• Kirk Douglas: Before I Forget2009 · as Self
• Brigitte Bardot: The Icon of France2009
• Making of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest2009 · as Self
• Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices2008 · as Self
• Empire State Building Murders2008 · as Jim Kovalski
• Trumbo2007 · as Self - Interviewee
• A Father… A Son… Once Upon a Time in Hollywood2005 · as Self
• Illusion2004 · as Donald Baines
• The Heroes of Telemark: Location report from Norway2003
• It Runs in the Family2003 · as Mitchell Gromberg
• Lana Turner... a Daughter's Memoir2001 · as Self
• FBI contre Hollywood2001 · as Self
• Diamonds1999 · as Harry Agensky
• Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection1999 · as General Kalthrob
• Completely Cuckoo1997 · as Self
• Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line1997 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Universal Story1996 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Lies Boys Tell1994 · as Ed Reese
• Greedy1994 · as Uncle Joe
• A Century of Cinema1994 · as Self
• The Secret1992 · as Grandpa Mike Dunmore
• Two-Fisted Tales1992 · as General Calthrop
• Welcome to Veraz1991 · as Quentin
• Oscar1991 · as Eduardo Provolone
• Movie Tough Guys1991 · as Self (archive footage)
• Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea1990 · as Ned Land (archive footage)
• The Racing Experience1988 · as Self
• Inherit the Wind1988 · as Matthew Harrison Brady
• Mike Tyson vs Trevor Berbick1986 · as Self
• Tough Guys1986 · as Archie Long
• Looney Tunes 50th Anniversary1986 · as Self
• Amos1985 · as Amos Lasher
• Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers1985 · as Self (archive footage)
• Draw!1984 · as Harry H. Holland aka Handsome Harry Holland
• James Bond: The First 21 Years1983 · as Self
• Eddie Macon's Run1983 · as Carl 'Buster' Marzack
• Remembrance Of Love1982 · as Joe Rabin
• Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid1982 · as (in "I Walk Alone") (archive footage)
• The Man from Snowy River1982 · as Harrison / Spur
• Let Poland Be Poland1982 · as Self
• Home Movies1980 · as Dr. Tuttle
• Saturn 31980 · as Major Adam
• The Final Countdown1980 · as Capt. Matthew Yelland
• The Villain1979 · as Cactus Jack
• The Fury1978 · as Peter Sandza
• Holocaust 20001977 · as Robert Caine
• Victory at Entebbe1976 · as Herschel Vilnofsky
• Once Is Not Enough1975 · as Mike Wayne
• Posse1975 · as Howard Nightingale
• Mousey1974 · as George Anderson
• Scalawag1973 · as Peg
• Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde1973 · as Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde
• The Master Touch1972 · as Steve Wallace
• Kirk Douglas1972 · as Himself
• J'ai tout donné1972 · as Self
• The Special London Bridge Special1972 · as The Indian Fighter
• Catch Me a Spy1971 · as Andrej
• A Gunfight1971 · as Will Tenneray
• The Light at the Edge of the World1971 · as Will Denton
• There Was a Crooked Man...1970 · as Paris Pitman, Jr.
• The Arrangement1969 · as Eddie Anderson
• The Brotherhood1968 · as Frank Ginetta
• A Lovely Way to Die1968 · as Jameson Schuyler
• Rowan & Martin at the Movies1968 · as Self
• The War Wagon1967 · as Lomax
• The Way West1967 · as Sen. William J. Tadlock
• Kirk Douglas1966 · as Self
• Is Paris Burning?1966 · as General Patton
• Cast a Giant Shadow1966 · as Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus
• The Heroes of Telemark1965 · as Dr. Rolf Pedersen
• In Harm's Way1965 · as Commander Paul Eddington, Jr.
• The Making of A Movie1965 · as Self
• Seven Days in May1964 · as Col. Martin "Jiggs" Casey
• For Love or Money1963 · as Deke Gentry
• The List of Adrian Messenger1963 · as George Brougham / Vicar Atlee / Mr. Pythian / Arthur Henderson
• The Hook1963 · as Sgt. P.J. Briscoe
• Two Weeks in Another Town1962 · as Jack Andrus
• Lonely are the Brave1962 · as John W. "Jack" Burns
• Town Without Pity1961 · as Major Garrett
• The Last Sunset1961 · as Brendan 'Bren' O'Malley
• Spartacus1960 · as Spartacus
• Strangers When We Meet1960 · as Larry Coe
• The Devil's Disciple1959 · as Richard Dudgeon
• Last Train from Gun Hill1959 · as Marshal Matt Morgan
• The Vikings1958 · as Einar
• Paths of Glory1957 · as Col. Dax
• Van Gogh: Darkness into Light1957 · as Self
• Gunfight at the O.K. Corral1957 · as Dr. John 'Doc' Holliday
• Top Secret Affair1957 · as Maj. Gen. Melville A. Goodwin
• Lust for Life1956 · as Vincent van Gogh
• Walt Disney's Where Do the Stories Come From?1956 · as Self
• The Indian Fighter1955 · as Johnny Hawks
• Man Without a Star1955 · as Dempsey Rae
• The Racers1955 · as Gino Borgesa
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea1954 · as Ned Land
• Operation Undersea1954 · as Self
• The Disneyland Story1954 · as Self
• Ulysses1954 · as Ulysses
• Act of Love1953 · as Robert Teller
• The Juggler1953 · as Hans Muller
• The Story of Three Loves1953 · as Pierre Narval
• The Bad and the Beautiful1952 · as Jonathan Shields
• The Big Sky1952 · as Jim Deakins
• The Big Trees1952 · as Jim Fallon
• Detective Story1951 · as Det. James McLeod
• Ace in the Hole1951 · as Charles Tatum
• Along the Great Divide1951 · as Marshal Len Merrick
• The Glass Menagerie1950 · as Jim O'Connor
• Young Man with a Horn1950 · as Rick Martin
• Champion1949 · as Midge Kelly
• A Letter to Three Wives1949 · as George Phipps
• The Walls of Jericho1948 · as Tucker Wedge
• My Dear Secretary1948 · as Owen Waterbury
• I Walk Alone1947 · as Noll "Dink" Turner
• Out of the Past1947 · as Whit Sterling
• Mourning Becomes Electra1947 · as Peter Niles
• The Strange Love of Martha Ivers1946 · as Walter O'Neil
• My Life As Roger Moore— · as Self (Archivfilmmaterial)

All TV Shows (53)

• Basketball: A Love Story2018 · as Self (archive footage)
• Real Time with Bill Maher2003 · as Self
• Parkinson1998 · as Self
• The View1997 · as Self
• Scene by Scene1997 · as Self
• Clive Anderson All Talk1996 · as Self
• Touched by an Angel1994 · as Ross Berger
• Brisant1994 · as Self
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien1993 · as Self - Guest
• The Simpsons1989 · as Chester J. Lampwick (voice)
• Tales from the Crypt1989 · as Gen. Kalthrob
• Clive James' Postcard from1989 · as Self
• LIVE with Kelly and Mark1988
• Queenie1987 · as David Konig
• Goldene Kamera1984 · as Self
• Wogan1982 · as Self
• Champs-Elysées1982 · as Self
• Champs-Elysées1982 · as Self (archive footage)
• Verstehen Sie Spaß?1980 · as Self
• The Kennedy Center Honors1978 · as Self
• Arthur Hailey's The Moneychangers1976 · as Alex Vandervoort
• Cérémonie des César1976 · as Self - President
• Saturday Night Live1975 · as Self - Host
• People's Choice Awards1975 · as Self
• Les Rendez-vous du dimanche1975 · as Self
• Apostrophes1975 · as Self
• Spécial cinéma1974 · as Self
• Der große Preis1974 · as Self
• The American Film Institute Salute to ...1973 · as Self
• Film '721971 · as Self
• V.I.P. Schaukel1971 · as Self
• Once Upon a Wheel1971
• The Johnny Cash Show1969 · as Self
• The Dick Cavett Show1968 · as Self - Guest
• Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In1968 · as Self (uncredited)
• The Lucy Show1962 · as Kirk Douglas
• The Merv Griffin Show1962 · as Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self
• Tonight Starring Jack Paar1957 · as Self
• The Steve Allen Show1956 · as Self - Recipient
• The Steve Allen Show1956 · as Self - Guest
• Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Presenter
• Cinépanorama1956 · as Self
• The George Gobel Show1954 · as Self
• The Oscars1953 · as Self
• This Is Your Life1952 · as Self
• The Jack Benny Program1950 · as Kirk Douglas
• The Colgate Comedy Hour1950 · as Self
• The Colgate Comedy Hour1950 · as Ulysses (archive footage)
• What's My Line?1950 · as Self
• The Ed Sullivan Show1948 · as Self
• Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self
• Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Presenter