Kirk Douglas: Look Back on His Amazing Life in Photos

“Explore Kirk Douglas’s Life in Pictures: A Journey Through Time with Eternal Images”

1….. MR. GREEN JEANS

“In the 1950s, Kirk Douglas fondly reminisced, ‘[My wife] used to have on our answering machine, ‘Spartacus and I are not home at the moment, please leave a message.’ ” This anecdote was among the many treasures the 103-year-old actor shared during a 2015 interview with PEOPLE, where he discussed his latest poetry collection, Life Could Be Verse: Reflections on Love, Loss, and What Really Matters. Through his poetry, Douglas offered a unique glimpse into his illustrious career, his enduring marriage of over 60 years to Anne Buydens, and his cherished role as a father to four sons. Reflecting on his artistic expression, he remarked, “I’ve often used poetry to convey what holds true importance in my life.”

2…. ALL IN THE FAMILY

“They call me Pappy, like a little dog,” said Douglas (with Anne and Michael) of grandkids Carys and Dylan.

3…. FATHER AND SON

Douglas, pictured here with his son Michael in 1949, shared that his upbringing, marked by his father’s emotional distance, influenced his own parenting style. He expressed, “I hug and kiss my boys in a Russian style, on the lips, constantly reminding them, ‘I love you.'” Michael, reflecting his father’s sentimentality, also inherited Douglas’s distinctive dimple.

4…. LOVE, ACTUALLY

On the Paris set of 1953’s Act of Love, Douglas asked Anne for a date. “She turned me down!” he recalled, laughing. “But I was determined to win her over.” The two (ca. 1954) wed in Las Vegas soon after.

5…. HE IS SPARTACUS

“There wasn’t much to it,” Douglas said of his Oscar-winning wardrobe for Spartacus (1960). “I had to be careful how I moved.”

6…. HE’S TAKEN

Douglas (with Elizabeth Taylor, then married to Eddie Fisher, at a party for Spartacus in 1961) recalled, “I said to my wife, ‘Richard Burton will be next!’ ”

7….. SWEET STUFF

“My husband likes to surprise me,” said Anne, who was shocked when Kirk jumped out of a borrowed cake (from the set of Some Like It Hot) for her birthday.

8…. MY FOUR SONS

“My boys grew up privileged, and it was harder for them to be driven,” said Douglas (with, from left, Joel, Peter, Michael and Eric in 1988).

9….. HOWDY, HANDSOME

“Acting is a childish profession,” said Douglas (ca. 1945). After playing around 100 roles, “I want to find out about myself now – finally.”

10….. REACHING OUT

In August 2016, Cameron, Michael’s son, was released from prison after a seven-year sentence for drug-related offenses. Douglas remarked, “He has shown great resilience.”

11…. ANNE’S MAN

In his memoir, Kirk Douglas reminisced about his profound love for Anne, stating, “I penned my most cherished poem for Anne: ‘Romance Begins at 80’.” He fondly remembered, “Our disputes are resolved with a kiss.”

12…. CATE THE GREAT

“She’s beautiful on the inside too,” Douglas said of his fetching daughter-in-law Catherine Zeta-Jones (in 2007). “And she’s a very good mother.”