1963
Michael Douglas says that in 1963 a beach-scene brochure drew him to the University of California, Santa Barbara.
“Now, this was 1963. I had never seen back east a two-piece bathing suit in my life, not yet on a college brochure.”
Topic
Michael Douglas
17 facts from 1 episode, in date order. These are what speakers said on the shows, each linked to the moment it was said. They aren't independently verified.
1987
Michael Douglas says he finally felt he had stepped out of his father's shadow in the year of Fatal Attraction followed by Wall Street, when he also won an Oscar.
“it was the year, uh, the year of, uh, of Fatal Attraction, followed by Wall Street”
Undated
Michael Douglas says his parents divorced when he was about five, and he grew up mostly in New York with his mother.
“my folks got divorced, um, at a very young age, when I was like, about five”
Undated
After a year off from college, Michael Douglas worked at a Mobil gas station in Westport, Connecticut, and was named Mobil man of the month.
“that's when I went to the Mobil gas station, my hometown of Westport, Connecticut, and was the Mobil man of the month.”
Undated
Michael Douglas declared theater as his major at UC Santa Barbara because it was the subject he knew most about.
“That was when I declared theater as my major and began my pursuit”
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Michael Douglas says he began his acting career with severe stage fright and would vomit before going on stage.
“I could not walk onto a stage without a waste basket right off stage, which I would puke into”
Undated
Michael Douglas's stepfather William Darrett was on the board of the National Playwrights Conference in Waterford, Connecticut, where Douglas worked in summers.
“my stepfather, William Darrett, who I grew up with, was on the board of a new theater called the National Playwrights Conference in Waterford, Connecticut.”
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Michael Douglas says he signed with CBS's film division and made five poorly received movies.
“CBS back then had a film division. I signed a contract, I went out to California and proceeded to make five turkeys”
Undated
Michael Douglas says he spent about 104 hours of television with Karl Malden on The Streets of San Francisco over five years.
“So that was five years. I did 104 hours, uh, that I spent with Carl Malden.”
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Milos Forman flew to California and met Douglas and Saul Zaentz at Douglas's home in Benedict Canyon, where he laid out his vision for Cuckoo's Nest.
“he flew all the way out to California. And he sat down with us at my my place up in Benedict Canyon and opened the first page, and he told us exactly what he wanted to do.”
Undated
Michael Douglas says that on The China Syndrome he originally was not going to act, and Richard Dreyfuss was slated for the third lead role.
“originally, I wasn't gonna play the part Richard Dreyfuss was gonna play the f- the third role”
Undated
Michael Douglas says his mother was Bermudian and his father, Kirk Douglas, was a Russian Jew.
“my childhood, I think, is pretty interesting in terms of my mother being Bermudian and my father a Russian Jew”
Undated
After surviving cancer, Michael Douglas starred in the Liberace project directed by Steven Soderbergh and co-starring Matt Damon.
“I was really fortunate enough to have this Liberace project, uh, with Steven Soderbergh and Matt, uh, Damon”
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Michael Douglas says he took the Ant-Man role because he had never made a green-screen film.
“I said, Well, you know, I've never done a green screen. I haven't done a green screen picture, so I wanna do that.”
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Michael Douglas says an eight-episode Ben Franklin series took a full year to make, after which he realized he was deeply tired.
“the Ben Franklin series, Uh, came up 8 episodes took all year that, and after that, I realized I was tired”
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Michael Douglas says he and his father have about 160 movies between them, and that his father wrote about ten books.
“Between the film in the film Industry, 160 movies. Uh, my dad, uh, was a very prolific, he wrote about 10 books”
Undated
Michael Douglas says his son was in federal prison for seven and a half years.
“Had issues with my son, he was in federal prison for 7 1/2 years,”
Episodes