Kirk Douglas Dies Aged 103
Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas, whose acting career spanned seven decades, has died at the age of 103.
Kirk Douglas, a stage and screen actor, was well-known for a range of roles, including the 1960 classic Spartacus, in which he played the titular character.
Born in New York in 1916, Kirk Douglas rose to prominence during Hollywood’s “golden age”, earning his first Oscar nomination for the 1949 film Champion.
The legendary actor was also the father of Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas.
Michael Douglas said in a statement: “It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today.”
“To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies… but to me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad,” the statement read.
“Let me end with the words I told him on his last birthday and which will always remain true. Dad – I love you so much and I am so proud to be your son.”
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Michael Douglas’s wife and Kirk’s daughter-in-law, Welsh actress Catherine Zeta Jones, posted a photo of the two together, writing: “I shall love you for the rest of my life. I miss you already.”
Kirk Douglas was prolific as a film actor, with more than 90 credits to his name – ranging from the 1940s to the 2000s.
He is perhaps best-known for Spartacus, a Stanley Kubrick film which won four Oscars and was so popular that its iconic “I am Spartacus” scene entered the pop cultural lexicon.
Kirk Douglas was himself nominated for an Oscar three times – for Champion (1949), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), and Lust for Life (1956). He eventually won the honorary award in 1996 in recognition of his 50 years in the industry.
The actor faced difficulties in his personal life. He narrowly survived a helicopter crash in 1991 that left two people dead. Five years later, he suffered a major stroke that affected his speech.
In 2004, his son Eric died at the age of 46 of an accidental drug overdose.
In his later years, Kirk Douglas turned his attention to charity. He donated millions of dollars to charitable causes and helped fund an Alzheimer’s unit at a retirement home in Los Angeles.