Actor
Kirk Douglas
Born 9 December 1916 · Amsterdam, New York, USA — died 5 February 2020
Kirk Douglas (1916–2020) was an American actor and producer known for intense, high-energy performances across more than 90 films. He founded Bryna Productions, which made Paths of Glory and Spartacus, and helped end the Hollywood blacklist by crediting Dalton Trumbo on Spartacus.
Key films
Ace in the Hole (1951)
A bleak newspaper satire in which he plays a ruthless reporter; one of his darkest, boldest performances.
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
Hollywood drama that earned him his second Best Actor Oscar nomination, playing a driven film producer.
Lust for Life (1956)
His portrayal of Vincent van Gogh brought a third Best Actor Oscar nomination.
Paths of Glory (1957)
Stanley Kubrick's anti-war classic, in which he plays a colonel defending soldiers; produced via Bryna Productions.
Spartacus (1960)
Epic in which he played the slave-rebel leader; its credit for Dalton Trumbo helped end the blacklist.
Key awards
- 1951: Golden Globe nomination for Detective Story (nomination only)
- 1949, 1952, 1956: Academy Award nominations for Best Actor (Champion, The Bad and the Beautiful, Lust for Life)
- 1996: Academy Honorary Award for 50 years as a moral and creative force in the film community
- 1968: Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 139
- 1946The Strange Love of Martha Ivers · as Walter O'NeilActor
- 1947Out of the Past · as Whit SterlingActor
- 1947I Walk Alone · as Noll "Dink" TurnerActor
- 1947Mourning Becomes Electra · as Peter NilesActor
- 1948My Dear Secretary · as Owen WaterburyActor
- 1948The Walls of Jericho · as Tucker WedgeActor
- 1949A Letter to Three Wives · as George PhippsActor
- 1949Champion · as Midge KellyActor
- 1950Young Man with a Horn · as Rick MartinActor
- 1950The Glass Menagerie · as Jim O'ConnorActor
- 1951Ace in the Hole · as Charles TatumActor
- 1951Detective Story · as Det. James McLeodActor
- 1951Along the Great Divide · as Marshal Len MerrickActor
- 1952The Bad and the Beautiful · as Jonathan ShieldsActor
- 1952The Big Sky · as Jim DeakinsActor
- 1952The Big Trees · as Jim FallonActor
- 1953The Story of Three Loves · as Pierre NarvalActor
- 1953The Juggler · as Hans MullerActor
- 1953Act of Love · as Robert TellerActor
- 195420,000 Leagues Under the Sea · as Ned LandActor
- 1954Ulysses · as UlyssesActor
- 1954The Disneyland Story · as SelfActor
- 1954Operation Undersea · as SelfActor
- 1955Man Without a Star · as Dempsey RaeActor
- 1955The Indian Fighter · as Johnny HawksActor
- 1955The Racers · as Gino BorgesaActor
- 1956Lust for Life · as Vincent van GoghActor
- 1956Walt Disney's Where Do the Stories Come From? · as SelfActor
- 1957Paths of Glory · as Col. DaxActor
- 1957Gunfight at the O.K. Corral · as Dr. John 'Doc' HollidayActor
- 1957Top Secret Affair · as Maj. Gen. Melville A. GoodwinActor
- 1957Van Gogh: Darkness into Light · as SelfActor
- 1958The Vikings · as EinarActor
- 1959Last Train from Gun Hill · as Marshal Matt MorganActor
- 1959The Devil's Disciple · as Richard DudgeonActor
- 1960Spartacus · as SpartacusActor
- 1960Strangers When We Meet · as Larry CoeActor
- 1961The Last Sunset · as Brendan 'Bren' O'MalleyActor
- 1961Town Without Pity · as Major GarrettActor
- 1962Lonely are the Brave · as John W. "Jack" BurnsActor
- 1962Two Weeks in Another Town · as Jack AndrusActor
- 1963The List of Adrian Messenger · as George Brougham / Vicar Atlee / Mr. Pythian / Arthur HendersonActor
- 1963The Hook · as Sgt. P.J. BriscoeActor
- 1963For Love or Money · as Deke GentryActor
- 1964Seven Days in May · as Col. Martin "Jiggs" CaseyActor
- 1965The Heroes of Telemark · as Dr. Rolf PedersenActor
- 1965In Harm's Way · as Commander Paul Eddington, Jr.Actor
- 1965The Making of A Movie · as SelfActor
- 1966Is Paris Burning? · as General PattonActor
- 1966Cast a Giant Shadow · as Col. David 'Mickey' MarcusActor
- 1966Kirk Douglas · as SelfActor
- 1967The War Wagon · as LomaxActor
- 1967The Way West · as Sen. William J. TadlockActor
- 1968The Brotherhood · as Frank GinettaActor
- 1968A Lovely Way to Die · as Jameson SchuylerActor
- 1968Rowan & Martin at the Movies · as SelfActor
- 1969The Arrangement · as Eddie AndersonActor
- 1970There Was a Crooked Man... · as Paris Pitman, Jr.Actor
- 1971The Light at the Edge of the World · as Will DentonActor
- 1971A Gunfight · as Will TennerayActor
- 1971Catch Me a Spy · as AndrejActor
- 1972The Master Touch · as Steve WallaceActor
- 1972J'ai tout donné · as SelfActor
- 1972The Special London Bridge Special · as The Indian FighterActor
- 1972Kirk Douglas · as HimselfActor
- 1973Scalawag · as PegActor
- 1973ScalawagDirector
- 1973Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde · as Dr. Jekyll / Mr. HydeActor
- 1974Mousey · as George AndersonActor
- 1975PosseDirector
- 1975Posse · as Howard NightingaleActor
- 1975Once Is Not Enough · as Mike WayneActor
- 1976Victory at Entebbe · as Herschel VilnofskyActor
- 1977Holocaust 2000 · as Robert CaineActor
- 1978The Fury · as Peter SandzaActor
- 1979The Villain · as Cactus JackActor
- 1980The Final Countdown · as Capt. Matthew YellandActor
- 1980Saturn 3 · as Major AdamActor
- 1980Home Movies · as Dr. TuttleActor
- 1982Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid · as (in "I Walk Alone") (archive footage)Actor
- 1982The Man from Snowy River · as Harrison / SpurActor
- 1982Remembrance Of Love · as Joe RabinActor
- 1982Let Poland Be Poland · as SelfActor
- 1983Eddie Macon's Run · as Carl 'Buster' MarzackActor
- 1983James Bond: The First 21 Years · as SelfActor
- 1984Draw! · as Harry H. Holland aka Handsome Harry HollandActor
- 1984Salute to Lady LibertyActor
- 1984A Day in the Country: Impressionism and the French Landscape · as NarratorActor
- 1985Amos · as Amos LasherActor
- 1985Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1986Tough Guys · as Archie LongActor
- 1986Looney Tunes 50th Anniversary · as SelfActor
- 1986Mike Tyson vs Trevor Berbick · as SelfActor
- 1988Inherit the Wind · as Matthew Harrison BradyActor
- 1988The Racing Experience · as SelfActor
- 1988All-Time Movie Greats · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1990Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea · as Ned Land (archive footage)Actor
- 1991Oscar · as Eduardo ProvoloneActor
- 1991Welcome to Veraz · as QuentinActor
- 1991Movie Tough Guys · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1992Two-Fisted Tales · as General CalthropActor
- 1992The Secret · as Grandpa Mike DunmoreActor
- 1994Greedy · as Uncle JoeActor
- 1994The Lies Boys Tell · as Ed ReeseActor
- 1994A Century of Cinema · as SelfActor
- 1996The Universal Story · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1997Completely Cuckoo · as SelfActor
- 1997Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1999Diamonds · as Harry AgenskyActor
- 1999Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection · as General KalthrobActor
- 2001Lana Turner... a Daughter's Memoir · as SelfActor
- 2001FBI contre Hollywood · as SelfActor
- 2003It Runs in the Family · as Mitchell GrombergActor
- 2003The Heroes of Telemark: Location report from NorwayActor
- 2004Illusion · as Donald BainesActor
- 2005A Father… A Son… Once Upon a Time in Hollywood · as SelfActor
- 2007Trumbo · as Self - IntervieweeActor
- 2008Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices · as SelfActor
- 2008Empire State Building Murders · as Jim KovalskiActor
- 2009Kirk Douglas: Before I Forget · as SelfActor
- 2009Making of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest · as SelfActor
- 2009Brigitte Bardot: The Icon of FranceActor
- 2010Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff · as Self – IntervieweeActor
- 2012Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen · as (archive footage)Actor
- 2012Stanley Kubrick in Focus · as SelfActor
- 2014Hollywood au pied du terril · as SelfActor
- 2014Discovering: Robert Mitchum · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2015Johnny Cash: American Rebel · as Self (archive photo)Actor
- 2015I Am Spartacus: A Conversation with Kirk Douglas · as Self - IntervieweeActor
- 2017If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast · as SelfActor
- 2017The Untameable Kirk Douglas · as Self - ActorActor
- 2018One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: The Shocking Truth · as SelfActor
- 2019Mike Wallace Is Here · as (archive footage)Actor
- 2019Vincent van Gogh Superstar · as Vincent van Gogh (archive footage)Actor
- 2020Kubrick by Kubrick · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2020Charlie Chaplin, The Genius of Liberty · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2021Morceaux de Cannes · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2024From Roger Moore with Love · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2026My Life As Roger Moore · as Self (Archivfilmmaterial)Actor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.