Michael Douglas's biography
Michael Douglas is a famous actor and director, the representative of a famous acting dynasty. His awards include two Oscars and the hearts of millions of viewers worldwide. Michael's career has been nothing but upward trajectory, with each role showcasing his flawless talent. Net worth: $350 million.
Childhood and family
Michael Kirk Douglas is the eldest son of legendary Spartacus star Kirk Douglas, whose parents emigrated from Russia in the early 1900s, and actress Diana Darrid (died in 2015). Michael was born in New Jersey on September 25, 1944, and two and a half years later he had a younger brother, Joel.
Despite the fact that Michael studied well, he was expelled from school. The teenager skipped classes, rode motorcycles, drank, and challenged teachers, recognizing no authority except his father's. Kirk was an ideal for him because as the son of a Jewish ragman, he'd managed to rise from the very bottom of society to become a cinema icon for all of America.

Career. Stellar beginning
Critics claimed that Michael's father had a hand in the brilliant start of his son's career, but this was just gossip. What can't be denied is that Michael clearly inherited his father's talent and steely determination, along with his mother's delicate features and striking eyelashes.

That same year, the young actor starred in the family film Napoleon and Samantha, which became a classic of American children's cinema. Ten-year-old Jodie Foster played the main role. She was injured on the set being attacked by a lion.

Douglas Sr. wanted to play the lead role in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest since he owned the film rights to Ken Kesey's famous novel. It took Michael a lot of time and nerves to dissuade his father and insist on Jack Nicholson. In 1975 the film won four Oscars and brought fabulous profits to the Douglas dynasty. Much later, in his autobiography The Ragman's Son, Kirk would write that he'd give everything down to his last cent to have played that role instead of Nicholson.


Best roles
One of Michael Douglas's most memorable roles is adventurer Jack Colton in the adventure films Romancing the Stone (1985) and The Jewel of the Nile (1986). Michael's co-star was Kathleen Turner, and his college friend Danny DeVito played an antique dealer in the film.
In the 1987 psychological thriller Fatal Attraction, the actor played in a duet with Glenn Close, who terrorized the family of Michael's character. The film earned countless nominations and awards, landing in the year's top ten best pictures.

Douglas's role as detective Nick Curran investigating a rock star's murder in the 1992 thriller Basic Instinct is also considered one of his most successful. His character falls under Sharon Stone's spell and can't see the obvious truths. But no matter how astute the viewer is, the end is unpredictable.


In the 2007 black comedy King of California, the actor played a genuine psycho who returned from the hospital but couldn't shake his obsessive idea to find treasure. His irresponsible character's daughter was played by Evan Rachel Wood.
In Steven Soderbergh's Haywire, the actor assembled a brilliant cast around him including Gina Carano, Ewan McGregor, and Channing Tatum.
In 2014, Michael took on the role of a cynical, wealthy businessman seeking new thrills in the thriller Beyond the Reach. The following year he joined the Marvel Universe, playing Hank Pym in Ant-Man.
At the end of 2018, Michael Douglas received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of his career.

Michael Douglas's personal life
The actor's first wife wasn't connected to the entertainment industry. Austrian Diandra Luker was the daughter of a high-ranking official. Michael and Diandra married in 1977. Their son Cameron was born in 1978. The couple had a smooth relationship until Michael grew restless with routine life and left Diandra in 1997.
In 1998 at the Mask of Zorro premiere, Michael Douglas spotted Catherine Zeta-Jones and was so smitten that he boldly told her he wanted to father her children. Whether Catherine was more put off by Michael's boldness or his ongoing divorce proceedings remains unclear, but she declined to pursue things further. But Michael inherited his father's determination, and no obstacle could stop him – Catherine included. After six months of pursuit, she gave in.


Michael Douglas nowadays
One of Michael Douglas's most memorable recent roles was in the comedy series "The Kominsky Method," where he played an aging acting coach. In January 2019, Michael received another Golden Globe for this role.Michael Douglas remains active in Hollywood, with new projects featuring the actor released regularly. In 2019, Douglas reprised his role as Hank Pym in "Avengers: Endgame," and in 2020, he voiced the same character in the animated series "What If...?"
