Michael Douglas talks stepping 'out of the shadow' of his late dad, Kirk Douglas
Michael Douglas shared the advantages and disadvantages of being the son of the late actor, Kirk Douglas.
In an interview with Jess Cagle and Julia Cunningham of "The Jess Cagle Show," the "Franklin" star opened up about his dad, who was known for films including "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," "Spartacus" and "The Final Countdown."
"I think the advantage is that you were able to see your father as a movie star, his friends, Burt Lancaster, Gregory Peck, others, Tony Curtis… Frank Sinatra and you see them with their own foibles," Michael Douglas said. "You see them as regular people who had issues just like everybody else and it took a lot of that pizzazz out of the thing, and I think helped you conduct your own life in a more practice easier way."
"You weren't affected by all the stuff like a lot of people who never come in before so that was a big advantage," he added. "I think the disadvantage is I remember earlier on as an actor where you're trying to create your own identity and they're all saying, 'Oh, that looks just like your father. Oh my God, you sound just like your father.' Well thank you very much."
While the comments from others of Michael Douglas resembling his father were usually meant as a compliment, the Academy Award winner said it did come with its own set of challenges for him when it came to finding his own identity as an actor.
"You're sort of feeling like, 'Well, who am I?'" he said. "So I think it takes you longer to get your own identity and it took me longer to sort of step our of the shadow of my dad, which I didn't really feel it until the year of kind of 'Fatal Attraction' and 'Wall Street' together and the commercial success of 'Fatal Attraction' and winning the Oscar for 'Wall Street' sort of finally got me free of that shadow and I think that was a big moment."
Kirk Douglas died in 2020 at 103 years old. At the time, Michael Douglas shared the news on Instagram and praised his father's legacy.
"Kirk's life was well lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come," Michael Douglas said.
