Michael Douglas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Douglas
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Douglas at the 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2025
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| Born |
Michael Kirk Douglas
September 25, 1944 |
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| Alma mater | University of California, Santa Barbara (B.A.) |
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| Years active | 1966–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Partner(s) | Brenda Vaccaro (1971–1976) |
| Children | 3, including Cameron Douglas |
| Parent(s) | Kirk Douglas Diana Dill |
| Relatives | Joel Douglas (brother) Peter Douglas (half-brother) Eric Douglas (half-brother) Anne Buydens (stepmother) |
| Awards | Full list |
Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is a famous American actor and film producer. He has won many important awards, including two Academy Awards (also known as Oscars) and five Golden Globe Awards. He also received the Primetime Emmy Award for his work on television.
Michael Douglas is the older son of two actors, Kirk Douglas and Diana Dill. He studied drama at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He became a successful producer, winning an Oscar for Best Picture for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975). He also won an Oscar for Best Actor for his role as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street (1987).
Douglas has starred in many popular movies like The China Syndrome (1979), Romancing the Stone (1984), The Jewel of the Nile (1985), Fatal Attraction (1987), The War of the Roses (1989), Falling Down (1993), and The American President (1995). He also played Hank Pym in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films from 2015 to 2023.
On television, he was known for the police series The Streets of San Francisco (1972–1976). He won an Emmy for playing Liberace in Behind the Candelabra (2013) and a Golden Globe for The Kominsky Method (2018–2021). In 2024, he played Benjamin Franklin in the Apple TV+ series Franklin. He announced in 2025 that he would be acting less to spend more time with his family.
Beyond acting, Michael Douglas is known for his work helping others and his political activism. He supports nuclear disarmament and was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 1998. He has been married to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones since 2000.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Michael Douglas was born on September 25, 1944, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. His parents were both actors, Kirk Douglas and Diana Dill. They met while studying acting.
His father, Kirk, was Jewish, and his grandparents came from Belarus. His mother, Diana, was from Devonshire Parish, Bermuda, and had a mix of European backgrounds. Michael Douglas is a citizen of both the U.S. and Bermuda.
He has a younger brother, Joel Douglas, and two half-brothers, Peter Douglas and Eric Douglas.
Michael attended several schools, including The Allen-Stevenson School in New York City. He earned his college degree in dramatic art from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1968. He also studied acting in New York City.
Career Highlights
Starting in Film and TV
Michael Douglas began his acting career in the late 1960s. He appeared in early films like Hail, Hero! and Summertree. His role in Hail, Hero! earned him a nomination for a Golden Globe Award.
His first big TV role was in the series The Streets of San Francisco from 1972 to 1976. He starred alongside Karl Malden, who became a close friend and mentor to him.
In 1971, Michael Douglas got the rights to the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest from his father. He then produced the movie version, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
After leaving The Streets of San Francisco, Douglas starred in the medical thriller Coma (1978). In 1979, he produced and starred in The China Syndrome, a film about a nuclear power plant accident. This movie was released just before a real nuclear incident happened, making it very impactful.
Becoming a Hollywood Star
Michael Douglas became a major star when he produced and acted in the romantic adventure comedy Romancing the Stone (1984). This film also starred Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito, who was a friend of Douglas's. A year later, they made a sequel called The Jewel of the Nile.
In 1987, Douglas starred in the thriller Fatal Attraction with Glenn Close. That same year, he played the powerful businessman Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone's Wall Street. This role earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor. He played Gekko again in the sequel Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps in 2010.
He also starred in The War of the Roses (1989) with Turner and DeVito again. Other popular films from this time include Falling Down (1993), The American President (1995), The Game (1997), and A Perfect Murder.
In 2000, Douglas received praise for his roles in Traffic and Wonder Boys. The cast of Traffic won a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Later Career and New Roles
In 2003, Douglas starred in It Runs in the Family, which included his parents and his son, Cameron. In 2004, he received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for his lifetime achievements in film. He and his father, Kirk, are the only father-son duo to both receive this honor.
Douglas continued to act in films like The Sentinel (2006) and Solitary Man (2009). In 2009, he was honored with the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2013, Douglas played the famous entertainer Liberace in the film Behind the Candelabra, earning him an Emmy, SAG, and Golden Globe Award. He also starred in the comedy Last Vegas with Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Kline.
From 2015 to 2023, Michael Douglas joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Hank Pym in the Ant-Man movies and Avengers: Endgame. In 2018, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
More recently, he starred in the Netflix series The Kominsky Method (2018–2021), winning another Golden Globe. In 2024, he played Benjamin Franklin in the Apple TV+ miniseries Franklin. In July 2025, Douglas shared that he was mostly stepping back from regular acting roles.
Awards and Recognitions
Throughout his career, Michael Douglas has earned many significant awards. These include:
- Two Academy Awards (Oscars)
- A BAFTA Award
- Five Golden Globe Awards
- A Primetime Emmy Award
- Two Screen Actors Guild Awards
He has also received special honors like the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2009, two Honorary César awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018.
Personal Life
Family and Relationships
In 1977, Michael Douglas married Diandra Luker. They had one son, Cameron, born in 1978. They later divorced in 1995.
In March 1999, Douglas began dating Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. They married on November 18, 2000. They have two children together: a son, Dylan Michael (born 2000), and a daughter, Carys Zeta (born 2003). The family has a home in Mallorca, Spain.
In 2013, there were reports that Douglas and Zeta-Jones were living separately, but they later reconciled and continued their marriage.
Health Challenges
In 1980, Michael Douglas had a serious skiing accident that kept him from acting for three years. In 1992, he sought treatment for health challenges.
In August 2010, it was announced that Douglas was battling throat cancer. He underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment. He later shared that the cancer was at an advanced stage. Douglas has credited the Canadian health system for helping diagnose his condition after other doctors had missed it. He has since supported fundraising efforts for the hospital where he was diagnosed.
In January 2011, Douglas announced that the tumor was gone. He continued to have regular check-ups. He has also spoken about the importance of public health education regarding certain types of cancer.
Beliefs and Charity Work
Michael Douglas was born to a Jewish father and an Anglican mother. He was not raised with a specific religion but later identified as a Reform Jew. His son, Dylan, had a Bar Mitzvah ceremony, and the family traveled to Jerusalem for the occasion.
In 2015, Douglas received the Genesis Prize, a $1 million award for Jewish achievement. He donated the prize money to programs that promote inclusion and diversity.
Michael Douglas is very active in charity work, especially in healthcare, nuclear disarmament, and human rights. Since 1998, he has been a United Nations Messenger of Peace, focusing on disarmament. He supports organizations that help people in the entertainment industry and has raised money for hospitals. He also helps raise awareness about health issues.
Activism and Public Service
Political Involvement
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Michael Douglas is a member of the Democratic Party in the United States. He has supported the campaigns of several political figures.
He is also a board member of the Council on Foreign Relations and RepresentUs, an organization working for political reform. In 2019, he appeared in a short film for RepresentUs.
In October 2023, Douglas signed a letter supporting Israel during the conflict in Gaza. In June 2024, he visited Israel and toured sites affected by attacks, later meeting with the Israeli President.
Supporting Disarmament and Gun Control
Douglas has been a strong supporter of gun control since 1980. He works with organizations like Everytown for Gun Safety and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
He is also a big supporter of nuclear disarmament and works with foundations focused on preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. As a UN Messenger of Peace, he often speaks about peace and disarmament.
In 2003, Douglas hosted a film about child soldiers in countries like Sierra Leone. He interviewed children who were forced to fight, highlighting the terrible impact of war on young people.
In 2006, he spoke at a United Nations conference about the illegal trade of weapons. He emphasized that this issue affects everyone and fuels conflict and violence worldwide.
In 2009, Douglas joined the "Soldiers of Peace" project, a film promoting global peace. In 2012, he appeared in a public service announcement for the FBI, encouraging people to report financial crimes.
Philanthropy
Michael Douglas is known for his generous giving to many organizations. He has supported over 70 different groups, including hospitals like Memorial Sloan-Kettering, where he received cancer treatment.
He is a supporter and board member of the Perelman Performing Arts Center in New York City. He also has a long history with the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Connecticut, where he worked during college.
Douglas supports PEN America, an organization that promotes literature and human rights. In 1999, he helped fund the Michael Douglas Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Center at UC San Francisco.
He is also a supporter of the Clinton Global Initiative, which works on global challenges. For 12 years, he hosted a celebrity golf tournament that raised over $10 million for the Motion Picture & Television Fund.
At UC Santa Barbara, his former university, he supports the Center for Film, Television, and New Media. He also created a program to bring visiting artists to the Department of Theater and Dance.
Douglas serves on the Board of Trustees for The Douglas Foundation. This foundation, started by his father and stepmother, has given over $118 million to groups focused on education, healthcare, and the arts.
Images for kids
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Douglas at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival
See also
In Spanish: Michael Douglas para niños
