The 'Hollywood Legend' Who Enjoyed Life as an Unemployed Person and Passed Away

Hollywood Legendary Actor Kirk Douglas Passes Away

Kirk Douglas in the movie 'The Douglas Family'

Hollywood's legendary actor Kirk Douglas passed away on the 5th (local time) at the age of 103. His son, Hollywood star Michael Douglas, announced the death of his father on the same day.

He was born in 1916 in New York, USA, as the son of Jewish Russian immigrants. After graduating from St. Lawrence University, he entered the Drama Arts Academy to pursue his dream of becoming an actor and made his screen debut in 1946 with "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers."

He rose to stardom with his impressive performance in the 1949 film "Champion." With his sunken chin and cynical smile, he portrayed a ruthless boxer who stops at nothing to become a champion. Although he wins the championship belt, he grows distant from his family and friends, and ultimately dies lonely from injuries sustained during a match. Although it was a boxing-themed movie, it encapsulated all aspects of life, drawing audiences in.

Kirk Douglas (left) and his son Michael Douglas

After "Champion" earned more box office revenue than expected, Warner Bros. quickly offered him a large exclusive contract for a long-term deal. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor that year for "Champion" and was named "Star of the Year" by the adult magazine Playboy. At the time, he joked, "Everyone suddenly feels my sex appeal, but I was that kind of man from the start."

He received critical acclaim for his roles as the uncontrollable police officer Jim McLeod in "Detective Story" (1951) and the delusional film producer Jonathan in "The Bad and the Beautiful" (1952). In "Lust for Life" (1956), he convincingly portrayed Vincent van Gogh, who wanders on the edge of madness, establishing himself as Hollywood's top casting choice. His intense acting also shone in Westerns, with notable roles such as the tuberculosis patient Doc Holliday in "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" (1957) and cowboy Jack Burns in "Lonely Are the Brave" (1962).

He starred twice in films directed by Stanley Kubrick (1928?1999). In "Paths of Glory" (1957), he played Colonel Dax, representing French soldiers retreating during World War I, and in "Spartacus" (1960), he portrayed the slave Spartacus who led a rebellion against the Roman Empire. Notably, for "Spartacus," he founded the production company "Bryna Company," named after his mother, and took charge of production and overall direction.

Kirk Douglas in the movie 'Spartacus'

While making "Spartacus," he helped overturn the Hollywood blacklist policy that fostered suspicion and ruined the careers of promising actors. He hired Dalton Trumbo, who was on the blacklist at the time, to write the screenplay and was the first to credit Trumbo's real name instead of a pseudonym. This led to the gradual disappearance of the blacklist. He detailed this experience in his book titled "I Am Spartacus."

He appeared in about forty films even after the 1970s. He also transformed into a director, making films such as "Posse" (1973) and "Scalawag" (1975). After retiring, he devoted himself to promoting public welfare by selling artworks to build school playgrounds and donating tens of millions of dollars. He became a role model for many actors and received lifetime achievement awards at the 1996 Academy Awards and the 1999 Screen Actors Guild Awards.

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