Laughing he explained in an interview that after he played Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life, that John Wayne approached him and said, "Vincent van Gogh was weak. We should only play people who are strong."
Kirk Douglas was a good actor. I like him with Deborah Kerr and Faye Dunaway in "The Arrangement", and especially in "Sparticus".
Just saw that as well I was going to post this because that man was an Icon and one of the most influential stars of his time, he was well regarded all over the world and the man was responsible for ending Senator Joseph McCarthy's Second Red Scare, lasting from the late 1940s through the 1950s.
His list of screen credits are tremendous but I think it's safe to say he is probably best known as Spartacus .
R.I.P.
What a loss. Amazing he lived so long, especially after suffering a stroke in 1996.
from UPI : Born Issur Danielovitch in 1916 New York, Douglas was an actor, producer, director, philanthropist and author who appeared in nearly 100 movies. One of seven children of Jewish immigrants from what is now Belarus, Douglas began his screen career after he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
Best known for his work in the films Champion, Ace in the Hole, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Bad and the Beautiful, The Big Sky, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, Tough Guys, Inherit the Wind and Diamonds.
Despite his status as a beloved cinematic icon, Douglas has candidly spoken about his struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts after he suffered a devastating stroke in 1996 and had to re-learn how to speak.
“I believe much of the divisiveness in the world has been caused by religion, even in the time of Spartacus when they worshipped many gods. What is the purpose of religion? After ninety-five years on this planet, I have come to the conclusion that religion should be based on only one thing: helping your fellow man. If everybody followed that religion—helping his fellow man—armies would vanish overnight.”
- Kirk Douglas, I Am Spartacus!: Making a Film, Breaking the Blacklist
My favorite of all the movies he ever did? "The Villain", 1979. It was like a Roadrunner cartoon with people and Douglas as the Coyote. One of the most hilarious movies I have ever seen, and it really demonstrated the man's incredible range.
18 comments
Laughing he explained in an interview that after he played Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life, that John Wayne approached him and said, "Vincent van Gogh was weak. We should only play people who are strong."
Kirk Douglas was a good actor. I like him with Deborah Kerr and Faye Dunaway in "The Arrangement", and especially in "Sparticus".
SJG
His list of screen credits are tremendous but I think it's safe to say he is probably best known as Spartacus .
R.I.P.
man was responsible for ending Senator Joseph McCarthy's Second Red Scare, lasting from the late 1940s through the 1950s.
25 + 10
SJG
SJG
from UPI : Born Issur Danielovitch in 1916 New York, Douglas was an actor, producer, director, philanthropist and author who appeared in nearly 100 movies. One of seven children of Jewish immigrants from what is now Belarus, Douglas began his screen career after he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
Best known for his work in the films Champion, Ace in the Hole, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Bad and the Beautiful, The Big Sky, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, Tough Guys, Inherit the Wind and Diamonds.
Despite his status as a beloved cinematic icon, Douglas has candidly spoken about his struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts after he suffered a devastating stroke in 1996 and had to re-learn how to speak.
- Kirk Douglas, I Am Spartacus!: Making a Film, Breaking the Blacklist