Kirk Douglas (born 1916) is a veteran American actor, producer, director, and author. He is one of the oldest living actors. He has also written books like Dance with the Devil (1990), The Gift (1992), etc. He has acted in many Hollywood movies and has worked with many famous actresses.
Early life, biography, parents, siblings and education
Issur Danielovitch was born into a Jewish family in 1916 (age 103 years) in Amsterdam, New York. Every year he celebrates his birthday on December 9. His zodiac sign is Sagittarius. Kirk’s parents were immigrants from Belarus.
Doug’s mother’s name is Bryna and his father’s name is Herschel Danielovitch. His siblings include six sisters. The family used to speak Yiddish at home.
Kirk Douglas’s father was a horse trader in Belarus. The economic situation of the family was not good and that is why he spent his childhood in poverty.
The same man used to sell sandwiches to the factory workers during his childhood just to cover the expenses of his family’s milk and bread. They live in the most backward area of the town. He has even worked as a gardener to pay off his debts.
He has written his autobiography “El hijo del trapero” in which he describes the challenges he has faced in his life.
Douglas during his early days.
In school, he used to participate in dramas and plays and was honored for his performance many times. The man himself had the talent from his childhood. He graduated from St. Lawrence University.
Body statistics, height, weight and appearance
He is a Jewish boy who was born in the United States. He is known for his elegant appearance and a dimple on his chin. Actor Kirk Douglas has a height of 5 feet 9 inches and weighs 152 pounds.
A scene from Kirk’s movie Spartacus.
He has beautiful blue eyes and gray hair. During the beginning of his career, he used to be the crush of many girls. It is worth mentioning that he is still alive and healthy. He is 103 (in the year 2019) years old and doing well.
Marriage, girlfriend, spouse and children
According to his personal life, Kirk Douglas married his wife Dianna Dill in 1943. Dianna is also an actress who has worked in more than 50 movies. In September of 1944 they were blessed with a son and named him Michael Douglas. In January 1947 she gave birth to his second child, Joel Douglas. Life was going well, but in the year 1951, Dianna and Kirk broke up.
Douglas with his sons Michael Douglas and Joel Douglas.
His second marriage occurred in 1954 to Anne Buydens (Anne Douglas). Issur Danielovitch first met in 1953 and soon began dating. The first son is Peter Douglas who was born in the year 1955. Their second son was Eric Douglas who was born in June 1958. But Eric died of a drug overdose in 2004.
Kirk Douglas surprises Anne Buydens on her birthday.
There was a girl, Lauren Bacall, who was his classmate. Once, in a letter, she accepted that she was very much in love with Kirk, but when he realized that he wasn’t interested in her, he backed away from her.
The man got his name attached to many of his co-stars like Betty Kelly, Gene Tierney, Ann Southern, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, Marilyn Maxwell.
| Lifestyle/Biography | |
|---|---|
| Real full birth name | Issur Danielovich. |
| popularly known as | kirk douglas |
| Profession | American actor, producer, director and author. |
| famous as | American actor |
| Age (How old, as of 2019) | 103 years . |
| Date of Birth (DOB), Birthday | 1916 |
| Birthplace/Hometown | Amsterdam, New York, United States. |
| Nationality | American. |
| Gender | Male. |
| Sexuality (gay or lesbian) | Heterosexual |
| Religion | Jewish. |
| At home | New Delhi. |
| sun sign (zodiac sign) | Sagittarius. |
| Social Media Account Statistics | Nope. |
| Physical Statistics | |
| height (height) | Feet inches: 5′ 9″ . Centimeters: 175cm . Meters: 1.75 meters . |
| Weight | Kilograms: 69 kg . Pounds: 152 pounds . |
| Tattoo details? | Nope. |
| eye color | Blue. |
| Hair color | Gray. |
| Family | |
| Fathers | Father : Herschel Danielovich. Mom : Bryna. |
| Brothers | 6 sisters |
| personal life relationship | |
| Marital status | Married. |
| Girlfriend | He’s been with Betty Kelly, Gene Tierney, Ann Southern, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, Marilyn Maxwell. |
| Wife | 1.Dianna Dill (1943-1951). 2.Anne Buydens (1954-Present). |
| Kids | From first marriage: Michael Douglas, Joel Douglas. From the second marriage: Peter Douglas, Eric Douglas. |
| Education | |
| Highest Rating | Graduate. |
| College | Local high school. |
| Alma mater. | University of San Lorenzo. |
| Can | |
| source of income | Movies, shows, books. |
Acting Career, Film List and Heritage
Doug always wanted to be an actor. In 1941 he joined the US Navy, where he worked as a communications officer in anti-submarine warfare for World War II. After returning from the war, he got a job at a radio studio in New York.
Kirk got the movie of his career on the recommendation of his friend Lauren Bacall.
Lauren recommended her name to producer Hall B. Wallis. She thus got the film of her The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946). He was praised for the acting skills that he carried through the role of him.
After this many other hit movies also like:
- Spartacus (1960).
- The Vikings (1958).
- Paths of Glory (1957).
- Lust for Life (1956).
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954).
- THE FINAL COUNTDOWN (1980).
- The Man from Snowy River (1982).
- The chariot of war (1967).
- Shootout at the OK Corral (1957).
- Ulysses (1954).
- It runs in the family (2003).
- Greedy (1994)
- Last Train from Gun Hill (1959).
These are all hit movies. He was the producer of the movie Spartacus (1960) with production costs of 12 million dollars. It was one of the most expensive movies of the time.
Danielovitch has even worked in shows. His first show was Floor Show. The man worked as a theater artist at the beginning of his career. Little by little he became one of the highest paid stars. He once charged $50,000 for a coffee ad.
Kirk dancing at a party.
During the year he earned fame, as well as the name. Kirk Douglas’ net worth is around $60 million.
Issur has even written books including:
- The Trapper’s Son (1988).
- My lucky break (2002).
- I am Spartacus (2012).
- Kirk and Anne (2017).
- Climbing the mountains (1997).
- Let’s Face It (2007).
- Life could be verse (2014).
- Last Tango in Brooklyn (1994).
Awards and Achievements
- AFI Life Achievement Award accepted
- Honored in 1994.
- Honorary Award for 50 years as a creative and moral force in the film community in 1996.
- Lust for Life nominated for Best Actor in 1956.
- Touched by an Angel nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Emmy Awards) in 2002.
- Tales from the Crypt nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Emmy Award) in 1992.
- Amos nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special (Emmy Award) in 1986.
- Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.
- César de Honor (César Award) in 1980.
Some Lesser Known Facts About Kirk Douglas
- Once his helicopter crashed in which 2 of his friends were killed but he was badly injured.
- His film was one of the most expensive of its time, costing $12 million to produce.
- Issur Danielovitch had a friend in his class who helped him land his first solo film as a lead artist.
- Currently, he is the only star of his time who is alive.
- Michael Douglas has a son named “Dylan Michael Douglas” and a daughter “Carys Zeta Douglas” by his wife Catherine-Zeta-Jones (Welsh actress).
Kirk Douglas with his wife Dianna Dill and their son Michael Douglas.
- Kirk Douglas charged a coffee company $50,000 for saying 1 single word in the ad and that word is “Coffee”.
- During his fighting days, he even worked as a janitor.
- Once he had a heart attack.
- Due to his heart attack, he lost the ability to speak, but with the help of therapy, he slowly regained the ability to speak again.
- Write blogs at regular intervals.
- Once, Lauren Bacall gave her her father’s old coat to keep her warm.
- Once he went to jail because he had nowhere to spend the night.