LOS ANGELES — Actor Kirk Douglas was an Oscar winner, a maverick independent producer and one of the last icons of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
But to actor Michael Douglas and his brothers, he was “simply Dad.”
“To the world he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to,” Douglas said in a statement Wednesday announcing his father’s death at age 103.
Father-son presenters Kirk Douglas, left, and Michael Douglas shouting out “Chicago” as the best picture of the year at the 75th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles in 2003. AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File
His tribute was one of several shared on social media by the likes of Steven Spielberg, William Shatner and other Hollywood heavyweights.
Read Douglas’ full statement below.
“It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103. To the world he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to.
“But to me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad, to Catherine, a wonderful father-in-law, to his grandchildren and great grandchild their loving grandfather, and to his wife Anne, a wonderful husband.
“Kirk’s life was well lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come, and a history as a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet.
“Let me end with the words I told him on his last birthday and which will always remain true. Dad – I love you so much and I am so proud to be your son.”
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