| Mostly Credited As: | Kirk Douglas |
| Sometimes Credited As: | Issur Danielovitch
|
| Birth Name: | Issur Danielovitch Demsky |
| Date Of Birth: | December 09, 1916 |
| Country Of Birth: |  USA |
| Birth Place: | Amsterdam, New York |
| Height: | 5' 9" (1.75 m) |
| Spouse |
| Anne Buydens |
May/29/1954 - Present |
(2 children) |
| Diana Douglas (1) |
Nov/02/1943 - 1951 |
((divorced) 2 sons) (2 children) |
|
Kirk Douglas, patriarch of the Douglas family, was born Issur Danielovitch Demsky on December 9, 1916 in Amsterdam, New York. After attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Douglas made his debut on Broadway, acting several minor roles before joining the Navy during World War II. When the war ended in 1945, Douglas returned to the entertainment business and was cast as the lead in the 1946 film,
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, which lead him to land more work including
I Walk Alone,
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and
Seven Days in May.
Douglas' first Oscar nomination came in 1949 for his role as Midge Kelly in
Champion. With the attention he received from the Oscar nod lead him additional nods for his roles in 1952's
The Bad and the Beautiful and 1956's
Lust for Life.
Throughout the 1960s, Douglas continued to act in many films, from a cowboy in
Lonely Are the Brave, and alongside legend John Wayne in
In Harm's Way and
The War Wagon. His career remained strong during the 1970s and 1980s as well, and earned an Oscar in 1996 for "50 years as a moral and creative force in the motion picture community".
Currently, Douglas continues to act despite suffering a stroke in 1996.
