Oscar Profile #185: Michael Douglas

Born September 25, 1944 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Michael Douglas was the first of four sons of Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas. He made his film debut in an uncredited role as a jeep driver in his father’s 1966 film, Cast a Giant Shadow. Determined not to be a chip off the old block, he avoided the macho type roles his father was famous for and opted instead for sensitive roles such as the characters he played in his first starring roles in 1970’s Adam at 6 A.M. and 1971’s Summertree. His portrayal of a retarded man in a 1971 episode of TV’s Medical Center epitomized his sensitivity, leading to a co-starring role in the hit TV series The Streets of San Francisco opposite Karl Malden, which ran from 1972 to 1976.

His father had optioned the rights to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest which he had starred in on Broadway in 1963. Unable to get a studio interested in making the film with him, he turned the rights over to Michael who co-produced the 1975 film version with Saul Saentz. The film won five Oscars including Best Actor (Jack Nicolson); Actress (Louise Fletcher) and Picture, earning Michael his first Oscar, a feat his father had yet to accomplish.

Having cemented his film-making bona fides following his acting success on TV, Michael was now ready to turn his attention to full time big screen acting. He starred in 1976’s Coma before marrying wife Diandra in 1977. He then co-starred with Jack Lemmon and Jane Fonda in 1979’s The China Syndrome which he also produced.

Michael’s career exploded in the 1980s with such hits as 1984’s Romancing the Stone; 1987’s Fatal Attraction and Wall Street, winning a Best Actor Oscar for the latter, and 1989’s The War of the Roses.

In the 1990s he had major successes with 1991’s Basic Instinct; 1994’s Disclosure; 1995’s The American President and 1997’s The Game.

The year 2000 was a big one for the actor. He divorced his first wife and married actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. He received some of the best notices of his career with his performances in that year’s Wonder Boys and Traffic.

Still starring in major films, Michael Douglas’ last theatrically released film so far is 2013’s Last Vegas. Earlier in the year he co-starred with Matt Damon in the made for cable TV movie, Behind the Candelabra for which he won an Emmy. He was also nominated for a BAFTA for the film which was released theatrically in the United Kingdom.

He has completed And So It Goes; has The Reach in post-production and Ant-Man in pre-production.

Michael Douglas is 69. His father Kirk is 97.

ESSENTIAL FILMS

THE CHINA SYNDROME (1971), directed by James Bridges

Michael Douglas produced this thinking man’s thriller that opened on March 16, 1979. Twelve days later the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania happened, adding timeliness to the film’s theme of a cover-up at a nuclear power plant. Douglas plays the photographer who accompanies investigative reporter Jane Fonda on her investigation of the plant featuring Jack Lemmon in one of his best dramatic roles. Both Lemmon and Fonda were nominated for Oscars for their performances. The film was also nominated for Best Screenplay and Art Direction.

WALL STREET (1977), directed by Oliver Stone

Douglas scored two major box office hits in 1977. First came Fatal Attraction in which he was the straying husband who is stalked by his one night stand unforgettably played by Glenn Close. Close and Anne Archer as Douglas’ wife received Oscar nominations for their roles in that film while Douglas was nominated and won for his unsettling portrayal of the ruthless and greedy stock trader whose credo was “greed is good” in Wall Street.

Douglas is so good in this mesmerizing performance that you can’t take your eyes off him in what is essentially the film’s second lead behind Charlie Sheen as his eager beaver protégé.

THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT (1995), directed by Rob Reiner

Douglas’ portrayal of a widowed U.S. President, who falls in love with a Washington lobbyist nicely played by Annette Bening, is clearly based on then sitting president Bill Clinton in the middle of his first term. Douglas and Bening ratchet up their considerable charm to defeat conservative senator Richard Dreyfuss while Martin Sheen and Michael J. Fox look on, If only it were so easy in real life!

Reiner’s direction of the Capraesque comedy/romance/drama is one of his best efforts.

WONDER BOYS (2000), directed by Curtis Hanson

This was veteran director Hanson’s follow-up to the biggest success of his long career, 1997’s L.A. Confidential. Both Hanson and Douglas needed something lighter than their recent films to shake up the public’s perception of them and found it in this quirky comedy/drama about a Pittsburgh college professor and his friends. Douglas is tip-top in one of his best performances and he is matched step for step by Toby Maguire; Robert Downey, Jr. and Frances McDormand.

It was a winner with all who saw it if not at tehbox-office.

BEHIND THE CANDELABRA (1993), directed by Stephen Soderbergh

Douglas was probably the last actor anyone would have expected to pull off a credible impersonation of Liberace, but he is totally unforgettable as the aging, vain, but still with-it bigger than life personality that was the pre-eminent piano virtuoso of the latter half of the 20th Century.

The made for cable TV film centers on Liberace’s relationship with boy toy Scot Thorson, played by Matt Damon, from Thorson’s book. The supporting cast includes Scott Bakula; Rob Lowe and a bewigged Debbie Reynolds as Liberace’s mother.

Douglas and Damon were both nominated for Emmys, with Douglas winning.