Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor, producer, director and author. He grew up as Izzy Demsky and legally changed his name to Kirk Douglas before entering the United States Navy during World War II. During his career, Douglas appeared in ... more than 90 movies and was known for his explosive acting style. He became an international star for his leading role as an unscrupulous boxing hero in Champion (1949), which brought him his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Other early films include Young Man with a Horn (1950), Ace in the Hole (1951), and Detective Story (1951), a film for which he received a Golden Globe nomination as Best Actor in a Drama. He received a second Oscar nomination for his role in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), and his third nomination for portraying Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life (1956), which landed him a second Golden Globe nomination. In 1955, Douglas established Bryna Productions, which produced films as varied as Paths of Glory (1957) and Spartacus (1960). He took the lead roles in both films. Douglas has been praised for helping to break the Hollywood blacklist by having Dalton Trumbo write Spartacus with an official on-screen credit. In 1963 Douglas starred in the Broadway play One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a story that he purchased and later gave to his son Michael Douglas, who turned it into an Oscar-winning film. As an actor and philanthropist, Douglas received an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. As an author, he wrote ten novels and memoirs. He is No. 17 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male screen legends of classic Hollywood cinema. Kirk Douglas died at age 103.
| Organization | Category | Movie | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Actor | No. 5: Circular Tensions (Homage to Oskar Fischinger) | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | Best Actor | Ace in the Hole | Nominated |
Arthur Hailey's The Moneychangers
as Alex Vandervoort
Episodes: 4
First Aired: Dec 04, 1976
Queenie
as David Konig
Episodes: 2
First Aired: May 10, 1987
The Simpsons
as Chester J. Lampwick (voice)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Dec 17, 1989
Touched by an Angel
as Ross Berger
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 21, 1994
The Lucy Show
as Kirk Douglas
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 01, 1962
Tales from the Crypt
as Gen. Kalthrob
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jun 10, 1989
The Colgate Comedy Hour
as Ulysses (archive footage)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 10, 1950
The Oscars
as Self
Episodes: 8
First Aired: Mar 19, 1953
The Ed Sullivan Show
as Self
Episodes: 4
First Aired: Jun 20, 1948
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self
Episodes: 4
First Aired: Oct 01, 1962
Cinépanorama
as Self
Episodes: 4
First Aired: Feb 04, 1956
The Colgate Comedy Hour
as Self
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Sep 10, 1950
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
as Self (uncredited)
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Sep 09, 1967
Spécial cinéma
as Self
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Sep 25, 1974
Champs-Elysées
as Self
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Jan 16, 1982
The Dick Cavett Show
as Self - Guest
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Jun 06, 1968
What's My Line?
as Self - Mystery Guest
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Feb 02, 1950
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 05, 1988
The View
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Aug 11, 1997
The Merv Griffin Show
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 01, 1962
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
as Self - Guest
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 13, 1993
The Johnny Cash Show
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jun 07, 1969
This Is Your Life
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 01, 1952
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Apr 02, 1973
The Steve Allen Show
as Self - Recipient
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jun 24, 1956
Clive Anderson All Talk
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 06, 1996
The Kennedy Center Honors
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Dec 28, 1978
Basketball: A Love Story
as Self (archive footage)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 18, 2018
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jul 29, 1957
The George Gobel Show
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 02, 1954
Wogan
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: May 04, 1982
V.I.P. Schaukel
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: May 09, 1971
Scene by Scene
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: May 10, 1997
Verstehen Sie Spaß?
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 31, 1980
Goldene Kamera Verleihung
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 25, 1966
The Steve Allen Show
as Self - Guest
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jun 24, 1956
Tony Awards
as Self - Presenter
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Apr 01, 1956
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 12, 1975
Star Life
as Self (archive footage)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Aug 04, 1990
Apostrophes
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 10, 1975
Real Time with Bill Maher
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Feb 21, 2003
Champs-Elysées
as Self (archive footage)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 16, 1982
Der große Preis
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 05, 1974
Golden Globe Awards
as Self - Nominee/Presenter
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 20, 1944
Brisant
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 03, 1994
Parkinson
as Self (archive footage)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 09, 1998
Parkinson
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 09, 1998
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | 43 | 53 | 27 |
| 2024 | 6 | 28 | 55 | 18 |
| 2024 | 7 | 39 | 64 | 14 |
| 2024 | 8 | 23 | 42 | 13 |
| 2024 | 9 | 21 | 41 | 11 |
| 2024 | 10 | 13 | 25 | 6 |
| 2024 | 11 | 13 | 29 | 8 |
| 2024 | 12 | 19 | 45 | 9 |
| 2025 | 1 | 20 | 35 | 10 |
| 2025 | 2 | 11 | 20 | 2 |
| 2025 | 3 | 4 | 18 | 0 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| 2025 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Trending Rank
| Year | Month | Avg Rank | Max Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | 669 | 329 |
| 2024 | 6 | 523 | 136 |
| 2024 | 7 | 127 | 90 |
| 2025 | 1 | 446 | 86 |
| 2025 | 2 | 520 | 111 |
| 2025 | 3 | 565 | 565 |
| 2025 | 7 | 553 | 108 |