Photo: Jan Beránek / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Michael Douglas interests me most as a study in escaping a famous father's shadow sideways rather than head-on. Before proving himself as a leading man, he won an Oscar as the producer of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest — he learned the whole machine first. When the acting prize came for Wall Street, it was for embodying greed so persuasively that audiences perversely admired it; that moral ambiguity is his signature register. I rate him highest in roles where charm curdles, from Gekko to the unraveling everyman of Falling Down. Few actors have aged into their flaws so productively, and his AFI honor felt earned rather than ceremonial.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Michael Douglas
- Name (Japanese)
- マイケル・ダグラス
- Reading
- まいける・だぐらす
- Born
- September 25, 1944 (age 81)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Monkey
- Origin
- New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
- Occupation
- actor / film producer / film actor / television actor / producer
2. Background
- University
- University of California, Santa Barbara
Awards & achievements
- 1997 Donostia Award
- 1988 Academy Award for Best Actor
- 1976 Academy Award for Best Picture
- 1971 Theatre World Award
- 2001 Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy
- 2001 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
- 2012 New Jersey Hall of Fame
- 2009 AFI Life Achievement Award
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | — | |
| Notable work | Wall Street | — | |
| Notable work | Falling Down | — | |
| Notable work | The Game | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Michael Douglas born?
Born September 25, 1944 (age 81).
Where is Michael Douglas from?
Michael Douglas is from New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States.
What does Michael Douglas do?
Michael Douglas works as actor, film producer, film actor, television actor, producer.
What is Michael Douglas known for?
Notable works include One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Wall Street, Falling Down.
Actor — see all → · Film producer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.