Hollywood mourned the death of one of the last surviving movie stars from Hollywood’s golden age, whose rugged good looks and muscular intensity made him a commanding presence in celebrated films like “Lust for Life,” “Spartacus” and “Paths of Glory,”.
The actor whose Hollywood career spanned seven decades has died on Wednesday at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif aged 103. The stage and screen actor was well-known for a range of roles, including the 1960 classic Spartacus, in which he played the titular character.
Born in New York in 1916, he rose to prominence during Hollywood's "golden age", earning his first Oscar nomination for the 1949 film Champion. He was also the father of Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas.
His son Michael said in a statement: "It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today."
"To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies... but to me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad,"
"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."
Several celebrities had taken to social media to honour his legacy.
