Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas first found fame producing the 1975 Best Picture winner One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, then became a leading man in 1984's Romancing the Stone. In 1987 he won the Best Actor Oscar as ruthless financier Gordon Gekko in Wall Street.
Hollywood Heir
The son of star Kirk Douglas, he made his name first on TV in The Streets of San Francisco. As a producer he won a Best Picture Oscar for Cuckoo's Nest in 1975.
Leading Man
Romancing the Stone launched him as a bankable star in 1984. A remarkable 1987 brought both Fatal Attraction and his Best Actor Oscar for Wall Street.
Enduring Career
He kept choosing risky roles in films like Basic Instinct and Wonder Boys. A 2013 Emmy for Behind the Candelabra and Marvel's Ant-Man showed his lasting range.
Career Timeline
- 1972Co-stars in The Streets of San Francisco
- 1975Produces Best Picture winner Cuckoo's Nest
- 1984Stars in hit Romancing the Stone
- 1987Fatal Attraction becomes a phenomenon
- 1987Wins Best Actor Oscar for Wall Street
- 1989Reunites with Turner in War of the Roses
- 1992Stars in erotic thriller Basic Instinct
- 2000Acclaimed role in Wonder Boys
- 2013Wins Emmy as Liberace in Behind the Candelabra
- 2015Headlines Ant-Man for Marvel
Biggest Hits
- He is the elder son of Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas, who handed him the film rights to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
- His Gordon Gekko line greed, for lack of a better word, is good became one of the most quoted lines in film history.
Portrait: Gary Friedman, Los Angeles Times · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons