Kirk Douglas
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- December 9, 1916
- Died
- February 5, 2020
- Birthplace
- 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.
Filmography
Monsters of the Deep TBA
as Himself
My Life As Roger Moore 2026
as Self (Archive film material)
From Roger Moore with Love 2024
as Self (archive footage)
Morceaux de Cannes 2021
as Self (archive footage)
Kubrick by Kubrick 2020
as Self (archive footage)
Charlie Chaplin, The Genius of Liberty 2020
as Self (archive footage)
Vincent van Gogh Superstar 2019
as Vincent van Gogh (archive footage)
Mike Wallace Is Here 2019
as (archive footage)
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: The Shocking Truth
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: The Shocking Truth 2018
as Self
The Untameable Kirk Douglas 2017
as Self - Actor
If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast 2017
as Self
- I Am Spartacus: A Conversation with Kirk Douglas
I Am Spartacus: A Conversation with Kirk Douglas 2015
as Self - Interviewee
Johnny Cash: American Rebel 2015
as Self (archive photo)
- Hollywood au pied du terril
Hollywood au pied du terril 2014
as Self
Discovering: Robert Mitchum 2014
as Self (archive footage)
- Stanley Kubrick in Focus
Stanley Kubrick in Focus 2012
as Self
Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen 2012
as (archive footage)
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff 2010
as Self – Interviewee
Kirk Douglas: Before I Forget 2009
as Self
Brigitte Bardot: The Icon of France 2009
Actor
Making of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 2009
as Self
Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices 2008
as Self
- Empire State Building Murders
Empire State Building Murders 2008
as Jim Kovalski
Trumbo 2007
as Self - Interviewee
A Father… A Son… Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 2005
as Self
Illusion 2004
as Donald Baines
The Heroes of Telemark: Location report from Norway 2003
Actor
It Runs in the Family 2003
as Mitchell Gromberg
Lana Turner... a Daughter's Memoir 2001
as Self
- FBI contre Hollywood
FBI contre Hollywood 2001
as Self
Diamonds 1999
as Harry Agensky
Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection 1999
as General Kalthrob
Completely Cuckoo 1997
as Self
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line 1997
as Self (archive footage)
The Universal Story 1996
as Self (archive footage)
The Lies Boys Tell 1994
as Ed Reese
Greedy 1994
as Uncle Joe
A Century of Cinema 1994
as Self
The Secret 1992
as Grandpa Mike Dunmore
Two-Fisted Tales 1992
as General Calthrop
Welcome to Veraz 1991
as Quentin
Oscar 1991
as Eduardo Provolone
Movie Tough Guys 1991
as Self (archive footage)
Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea 1990
as Ned Land (archive footage)
- The Racing Experience
The Racing Experience 1988
as Self
Inherit the Wind 1988
as Matthew Harrison Brady
- All-Time Movie Greats
All-Time Movie Greats 1988
as Self (archive footage)
Mike Tyson vs Trevor Berbick 1986
as Self
Tough Guys 1986
as Archie Long
Looney Tunes 50th Anniversary 1986
as Self
Amos 1985
as Amos Lasher, Executive Producer
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers 1985
as Self (archive footage)
- A Day in the Country: Impressionism and the French Landscape
A Day in the Country: Impressionism and the French Landscape 1984
as Narrator
Draw! 1984
as Harry H. Holland aka Handsome Harry Holland
- Salute to Lady Liberty
Salute to Lady Liberty 1984
Actor
James Bond: The First 21 Years 1983
as Self
Something Wicked This Way Comes 1983
Executive Producer
Eddie Macon's Run 1983
as Carl 'Buster' Marzack
Remembrance Of Love 1982
as Joe Rabin
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid 1982
as (in "I Walk Alone") (archive footage)
The Man from Snowy River 1982
as Harrison / Spur
Let Poland Be Poland 1982
as Self
Home Movies 1980
as Dr. Tuttle
Saturn 3 1980
as Major Adam
The Final Countdown 1980
as Capt. Matthew Yelland
The Villain 1979
as Cactus Jack
The Fury 1978
as Peter Sandza
Holocaust 2000 1977
as Robert Caine
Victory at Entebbe 1976
as Herschel Vilnofsky
Once Is Not Enough 1975
as Mike Wayne
Posse 1975
as Howard Nightingale, Director, Producer
Mousey 1974
as George Anderson
Scalawag 1973
as Peg, Director, Writer
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 1973
as Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde
The Master Touch 1972
as Steve Wallace
Kirk Douglas 1972
as Himself
J'ai tout donné 1972
as Self
The Special London Bridge Special 1972
as The Indian Fighter
Catch Me a Spy 1971
as Andrej
A Gunfight 1971
as Will Tenneray, Executive Producer
The Light at the Edge of the World 1971
as Will Denton, Producer
Summertree 1971
Producer
There Was a Crooked Man... 1970
as Paris Pitman, Jr.
The Arrangement 1969
as Eddie Anderson
The Brotherhood 1968
as Frank Ginetta, Producer
A Lovely Way to Die 1968
as Jameson Schuyler
Rowan & Martin at the Movies 1968
as Self
The War Wagon 1967
as Lomax
The Way West 1967
as Sen. William J. Tadlock
Kirk Douglas 1966
as Self
Grand Prix 1966
Executive Producer
Is Paris Burning? 1966
as General Patton
Seconds 1966
Co-Executive Producer
Cast a Giant Shadow 1966
as Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus
The Heroes of Telemark 1965
as Dr. Rolf Pedersen
In Harm's Way 1965
as Commander Paul Eddington, Jr.
- The Making of A Movie
The Making of A Movie 1965
as Self
Seven Days in May 1964
as Col. Martin "Jiggs" Casey, Co-Executive Producer
For Love or Money 1963
as Deke Gentry
The List of Adrian Messenger 1963
as George Brougham / Vicar Atlee / Mr. Pythian / Arthur Henderson, Executive Producer
The Hook 1963
as Sgt. P.J. Briscoe
Two Weeks in Another Town 1962
as Jack Andrus
Lonely are the Brave 1962
as John W. "Jack" Burns, Executive Producer
Town Without Pity 1961
as Major Garrett
The Last Sunset 1961
as Brendan 'Bren' O'Malley, Executive Producer
Spartacus 1960
as Spartacus, Executive Producer
Strangers When We Meet 1960
as Larry Coe, Executive Producer
The Devil's Disciple 1959
as Richard Dudgeon
Last Train from Gun Hill 1959
as Marshal Matt Morgan
The Vikings 1958
as Einar, Executive Producer
Ride Out for Revenge 1957
Executive Producer
Paths of Glory 1957
as Col. Dax, Producer
- Van Gogh: Darkness into Light
Van Gogh: Darkness into Light 1957
as Self
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral 1957
as Dr. John 'Doc' Holliday
Lizzie 1957
Executive Producer
Top Secret Affair 1957
as Maj. Gen. Melville A. Goodwin
Lust for Life 1956
as Vincent van Gogh
Walt Disney's Where Do the Stories Come From? 1956
as Self
The Indian Fighter 1955
as Johnny Hawks, Executive Producer
Man Without a Star 1955
as Dempsey Rae
The Racers 1955
as Gino Borgesa
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 1954
as Ned Land
Operation Undersea 1954
as Self
The Disneyland Story 1954
as Self
Ulysses 1954
as Ulysses
Act of Love 1953
as Robert Teller
The Juggler 1953
as Hans Muller
The Story of Three Loves 1953
as Pierre Narval
The Bad and the Beautiful 1952
as Jonathan Shields
The Big Sky 1952
as Jim Deakins
The Big Trees 1952
as Jim Fallon
Detective Story 1951
as Det. James McLeod
Ace in the Hole 1951
as Charles Tatum
Along the Great Divide 1951
as Marshal Len Merrick
The Glass Menagerie 1950
as Jim O'Connor
Young Man with a Horn 1950
as Rick Martin
Champion 1949
as Midge Kelly
A Letter to Three Wives 1949
as George Phipps
The Walls of Jericho 1948
as Tucker Wedge
My Dear Secretary 1948
as Owen Waterbury
I Walk Alone 1947
as Noll "Dink" Turner
Out of the Past 1947
as Whit Sterling
Mourning Becomes Electra 1947
as Peter Niles
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers 1946
as Walter O'Neil
Credits from TMDB.