Kirk Douglas, one of the last stars of Hollywood's golden age, has passed away at the age of 103. Kirk Douglas' son, Michael Douglas, gave a statement to People following the death of his father.
It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103. To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to. But to me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad, to Catherine, a wonderful father-in-law, to his grandchildren and great grandchild their loving grandfather, and to his wife Anne, a wonderful husband. Kirk’s life was well lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come, and a history as a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet. 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.
Over the course of a career which spanned more than six decades, Kirk Douglas has appeared in all manner of productions, but it was his friend Lauren Bacall, who he met at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, who helped him to get his first feature-film role in THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS. Douglas' popularity would soar just a few years later with his starring role in CHAMPION as boxer Midge Kelly, which earned Douglas his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Douglas would go on to appear in films such as ALONG THE GREAT DIVIDE, DETECTIVE STORY, THE BIG SKY, THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, ULYSSES, LUST FOR LIFE, GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL, PATHS OF GLORY, and THE VIKINGS, but he's probably best known for starring in SPARTACUS, Stanley Kubrick's sprawling historical epic. By publicly crediting Dalton Trumbo as the screenwriter of SPARTACUS, who had been blacklisted thanks to McCarthyism, Douglas also helped to bring an end to Hollywood blacklisting.
Following SPARTACUS, Kirk Douglas would appear in LONELY ARE THE BRAVE, SEVEN DAYS IN MAY, THE HEROES OF TELEMARK, THE WAY WEST, THE BROTHERHOOD, HOLOCAUST 2000, SATURN 3, THE FINAL COUNTDOWN, TOUGH GUYS, and much more. Douglas also voiced Chester J. Lampwick, the true creator of Itchy & Scratchy, in an episode of The Simpsons. A true screen legend; you will be missed, Mr. Douglas.