Kirk Douglas Net Worth

Kirk Douglas's Quotes

• I've finally gotten away from Burt Lancaster. My luck has changed for the better. I've got nice-looking girls in my films now.
• Virtue is not photogenic. What is it to be a nice guy? To be nothing, that's what. A big fat zero with a smile for everybody.
• I've made a career of playing sons of bitches.
• In order to achieve anything you must be brave enough to fail.
• I came from abject poverty. There was nowhere to go but up.

Interesting Facts about Kirk Douglas

1. In October 1997, he was ranked #53 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.
2. Born Issur Danielovitch (also reported as Issur Danielovitch Demsky) to Jacob Danielovitch and mother Bryna (after whom he later named his production company, Bryna Productions), from Russia, who came to America in 1912.
3. On January 28, 1996, he suffered a stroke that made this very difficult for him to talk. Speech therapy over the years greatly alleviated the problem.
4. Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Jimmy Carter on January 17, 1981. This is the highest civilian honor in the United States.
5. Turned down two Oscar-winning roles: Lee Marvin's in Cat Ballou (1965) and William Holden's in Stalag 17 (1953).
6. Father of four sons: Michael Douglas, Eric Douglas, Joel Douglas and Peter Douglas.
7. Earned $50,000 for saying the only English word at the end of a 1980s Japanese television commercial: "Coffee".
8. He survived a helicopter crash on February 23, 1991, in which two fellow occupants were killed. He was left with a debilitating back injury.
9. Has celebrated his Bar Mitzvah twice: first (as most Jewish boys do) when he was 13 and later when he was 83.
10. Received his Bachelor's degree in English from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. President of the class of 1939.
11. Received the Medal of Honor on June 14, 2002 from the University of California-Los Angeles, during the school's graduation ceremony for theater, film and television students. Previous recipients include former US Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, and actors Laurence Olivier and Carol Burnett.
12. Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum (1983).
13. Father-in-law of Catherine Zeta-Jones.
14. Originally cast to play Colonel Sam Trautman in First Blood (1982), but walked out on the project. He wanted substantial changes made to the script, specifically that John Rambo die at the hands of Trautman, like the character did in the novel. The writers held their ground and refused. Richard Crenna was eventually cast in the role.
15. Was voted the 36th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly magazine.
16. Was named #17 greatest actor on The 50 Greatest Screen Legends list by the American Film Institute.
17. Wore lifts in many of his films, which made him appear about 5' 11" or 6' 0" on screen. Once, as a prank, Burt Lancaster found his lifts on a film set and hid them from him, which allegedly infuriated him.
18. In August 1986, he had a pacemaker fitted after collapsing in a restaurant.
19. Douglas had a fully Jewish upbringing, but did not practice extensively as an adult. This changed when, on his 83rd birthday, he had a second Bar Mitzvah, reaffirming his faith and causing him to practice again.
20. President of the 'Official Competition' jury at the 33rd Cannes International Film Festival in 1980.