Kirk Douglas (1916-2020) was an American actor, producer, and writer whose career stretched across more than six decades. Born Issur Danielovitch to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, he became one of Hollywood's defining stars of the postwar era, known for roles charged with intensity and moral ambiguity - from the ruthless boxer in Champion (1949) to the slave leader in Spartacus (1960). As a producer he publicly credited blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo on Spartacus, a move that helped dismantle the McCarthy-era Hollywood blacklist. He received an honorary Academy Award in 1996.
At the age of 102, Anne Buydens, the widow of Kirk Douglas, with whom she was married for 66 years, passed away.
Kirk Douglas died on February 5, 2020, at the age of 103 in his home in Beverly Hills; his son Michael Douglas announced his death on Instagram.
Kirk Douglas and his wife Anne published a joint book Kirk and Anne: Letters of Love, Laughter, and a Lifetime in Hollywood.
