Kirk Douglas: Hollywood Legend and Star of Spartacus Dies at 103

Kirk Douglas was an American actor, producer and author, one of the last great stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, whose career lasted more than six decades. Born Issur Danielovitch on December 9, 1916, in Amsterdam, New York, the son of Jewish immigrants, he rose from poverty to become an icon.

Douglas appeared in more than 90 films, earning three Oscar nominations for Champion, The Bad and the Beautiful and Lust for Life. His best-known roles include the title role in Spartacus (1960), Paths of Glory (1957) and Lonely Are the Brave (1962). He founded Bryna Productions in 1949 and insisted that blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo receive screen credit for Spartacus, helping to end the blacklist.

Douglas received an Honorary Academy Award in 1996, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1981, the AFI Life Achievement Award and the Kennedy Center Honors. He survived a helicopter crash in 1991 and a severe stroke in 1996. He married Diana Dill in 1943 and Anne Buydens in 1954, and he had four sons, including actor Michael Douglas. He died at his home in Beverly Hills on February 5, 2020, at age 103.

Achievements: Three Oscar nominations, starred in Spartacus (1960), Golden Globe for Lust for Life, Honorary Academy Award (1996), Presidential Medal of Freedom (1981).

Birth: December 9, 1916 - Amsterdam, New York.

Profession: Actor, producer and author.

Interesting Facts: He wrote ten books, including his 1988 memoir The Ragman's Son. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.