Kirk Douglas
Born
December 9, 1916
Died
February 5, 2020 (103 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Amsterdam, New York, USA
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
From Roger Moore with Love
Self (archive footage)
2024
Kubrick by Kubrick
Self (archive footage)
2020
Vincent van Gogh Superstar
Vincent van Gogh (archive footage)
2019
Mike Wallace Is Here
(archive footage)
2019
Basketball: A Love Story
Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)
2018
The Untameable Kirk Douglas
Self - Actor
2017
If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast
Self
2017
I Am Spartacus: A Conversation with Kirk Douglas
Self - Interviewee
2015
Hollywood au pied du terril
Self
2014
And the Oscar Goes To...
Self (archive footage)
2014
Stanley Kubrick in Focus
Self
2012
Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen
(archive footage)
2012
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
Self – Interviewee
2010
Kirk Douglas: Before I Forget
Self
2009
Making of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Self
2009
Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices
Self
2008
Empire State Building Murders
Jim Kovalski
2008
Trumbo
Self - Interviewee
2007
A Father… A Son… Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Self
2005
Illusion
Donald Baines
2004
The Heroes of Telemark: Location report from Norway
2003
It Runs in the Family
Mitchell Gromberg
2003
Real Time with Bill Maher
Self · (1 episode)
2003
Lana Turner... a Daughter's Memoir
Self
2001
FBI contre Hollywood
Self
2001
Diamonds
Harry Agensky
1999
Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection
General Kalthrob
1999
Parkinson
Self · (1 episode)
1998
Completely Cuckoo
Self
1997
The View
Self · (1 episode)
1997
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line
Self (archive footage)
1997
Scene by Scene
Self · (1 episode)
1997
Clive Anderson All Talk
Self · (1 episode)
1996
The Universal Story
Self (archive footage)
1996
The Lies Boys Tell
Ed Reese
1994
Touched by an Angel
Ross Berger · (1 episode)
1994
Greedy
Uncle Joe
1994
Brisant
Self · (1 episode)
1994
A Century of Cinema
Self
1994
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
1993
The Secret
Grandpa Mike Dunmore
1992
Two-Fisted Tales
General Calthrop
1992
Welcome to Veraz
Quentin
1991
Oscar
Eduardo Provolone
1991
Movie Tough Guys
Self (archive footage)
1991
Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea
Ned Land (archive footage)
1990
The Simpsons
Chester J. Lampwick (voice) · (1 episode)
1989
Tales from the Crypt
Gen. Kalthrob · (1 episode)
1989
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
(1 episode)
1988
The Racing Experience
Self
1988
Inherit the Wind
Matthew Harrison Brady
1988
Queenie
David Konig · (2 episodes)
1987
Mike Tyson vs Trevor Berbick
Self
1986
Tough Guys
Archie Long
1986
Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes All-Star 50th Anniversary
Self
1986
Amos
Amos Lasher
1985
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
Self (archive footage)
1985
Draw!
Harry H. Holland aka Handsome Harry Holland
1984
Goldene Kamera Verleihung
Self · (1 episode)
1984
James Bond: The First 21 Years
Self
1983
Eddie Macon's Run
Carl 'Buster' Marzack
1983
Remembrance Of Love
Joe Rabin
1982
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
(in "I Walk Alone") (archive footage)
1982
Wogan
Self · (1 episode)
1982
The Man from Snowy River
Harrison / Spur
1982
Let Poland Be Poland
Self
1982
Champs-Elysées
Self · (2 episodes)
1982
Champs-Elysées
Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)
1982
Home Movies
Dr. Tuttle
1980
Saturn 3
Major Adam
1980
The Final Countdown
Capt. Matthew Yelland
1980
Verstehen Sie Spaß?
Self · (1 episode)
1980
The Villain
Cactus Jack
1979
The Kennedy Center Honors
Self · (1 episode)
1978
The Fury
Peter Sandza
1978
Holocaust 2000
Robert Caine
1977
Victory at Entebbe
Herschel Vilnofsky
1976
Arthur Hailey's The Moneychangers
Alex Vandervoort · (4 episodes)
1976
Once Is Not Enough
Mike Wayne
1975
Posse
Howard Nightingale
1975
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
Self · (1 episode)
1975
Apostrophes
Self · (1 episode)
1975
Spécial cinéma
Self · (2 episodes)
1974
Der große Preis
Self · (1 episode)
1974
Mousey
George Anderson
1974
Scalawag
Peg
1973
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Self · (1 episode)
1973
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde
1973
The Master Touch
Steve Wallace
1972
Kirk Douglas
Himself
1972
J'ai tout donné
Self
1972
The Special London Bridge Special
The Indian Fighter
1972
Catch Me a Spy
Andrej
1971
A Gunfight
Will Tenneray
1971
The Light at the Edge of the World
Will Denton
1971
V.I.P. Schaukel
Self · (1 episode)
1971
There Was a Crooked Man...
Paris Pitman, Jr.
1970
The Arrangement
Eddie Anderson
1969
The Johnny Cash Show
Self · (1 episode)
1969
The Brotherhood
Frank Ginetta
1968
The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest · (2 episodes)
1968
A Lovely Way to Die
Jameson Schuyler
1968
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Self (uncredited) · (2 episodes)
1968
Rowan & Martin at the Movies
Self
1968
The War Wagon
Lomax
1967
The Way West
Sen. William J. Tadlock
1967
Kirk Douglas
Self
1966
Is Paris Burning?
General Patton
1966
Cast a Giant Shadow
Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus
1966
The Heroes of Telemark
Dr. Rolf Pedersen
1965
In Harm's Way
Commander Paul Eddington, Jr.
1965
The Making of A Movie
Self
1965
Seven Days in May
Col. Martin "Jiggs" Casey
1964
For Love or Money
Deke Gentry
1963
The List of Adrian Messenger
George Brougham / Vicar Atlee / Mr. Pythian / Arthur Henderson
1963
The Hook
Sgt. P.J. Briscoe
1963
The Lucy Show
Kirk Douglas · (1 episode)
1962
The Merv Griffin Show
Self · (1 episode)
1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self · (4 episodes)
1962
Two Weeks in Another Town
Jack Andrus
1962
Lonely are the Brave
John W. "Jack" Burns
1962
Town Without Pity
Major Garrett
1961
The Last Sunset
Brendan 'Bren' O'Malley
1961
Spartacus
Spartacus
1960
Strangers When We Meet
Larry Coe
1960
The Devil's Disciple
Richard Dudgeon
1959
Last Train from Gun Hill
Marshal Matt Morgan
1959
The Vikings
Einar
1958
Paths of Glory
Col. Dax
1957
Van Gogh: Darkness into Light
Self
1957
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Self · (1 episode)
1957
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Dr. John 'Doc' Holliday
1957
Top Secret Affair
Maj. Gen. Melville A. Goodwin
1957
Lust for Life
Vincent van Gogh
1956
The Steve Allen Show
Self - Recipient · (1 episode)
1956
The Steve Allen Show
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
1956
Walt Disney's Where Do the Stories Come From?
Self
1956
Tony Awards
Self - Presenter · (2 episodes)
1956
Cinépanorama
Self · (4 episodes)
1956
The Indian Fighter
Johnny Hawks
1955
Man Without a Star
Dempsey Rae
1955
The Racers
Gino Borgesa
1955
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Ned Land
1954
Operation Undersea
Self
1954
The Disneyland Story
1954
Ulysses
Ulysses
1954
The George Gobel Show
Self · (1 episode)
1954
Act of Love
Robert Teller
1953
The Juggler
Hans Muller
1953
The Story of Three Loves
Pierre Narval
1953
The Oscars
Self · (8 episodes)
1953
The Bad and the Beautiful
Jonathan Shields
1952
This Is Your Life
Self · (1 episode)
1952
The Big Sky
Jim Deakins
1952
The Big Trees
Jim Fallon
1952
Detective Story
Det. James McLeod
1951
Ace in the Hole
Charles Tatum
1951
Along the Great Divide
Marshal Len Merrick
1951
The Glass Menagerie
Jim O'Connor
1950
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self · (2 episodes)
1950
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Ulysses (archive footage) · (1 episode)
1950
Young Man with a Horn
Rick Martin
1950
What's My Line?
Self - Mystery Guest · (2 episodes)
1950
Champion
Midge Kelly
1949
A Letter to Three Wives
George Phipps
1949
The Walls of Jericho
Tucker Wedge
1948
My Dear Secretary
Owen Waterbury
1948
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self · (4 episodes)
1948
I Walk Alone
Noll "Dink" Turner
1947
Out of the Past
Whit Sterling
1947
Mourning Becomes Electra
Peter Niles
1947
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
Walter O'Neil
1946
Golden Globe Awards
Self · (1 episode)
1944
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Presenter · (1 episode)
1944