LOS ANGELES, CA — Actor Kirk Douglas, a Hollywood legend, died Wednesday at age 103.
The famed “Spartacus” star’s passing was confirmed by actor Michael Douglas, one of the actor’s three sons.
Kirk Douglas, who uttered one of the most quoted lines in film history — “I am Spartacus” — was a three-time Oscar nominee. He was also considered a champion of artists for his role in helping to end the Hollywood blacklisting of the 1950s.
At 103, he was one of the last legends left from Hollywood’s golden era.
“It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103,” Michael Douglas said in a statement obtained by People. “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 setting 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,” he added. “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.”
Kirk Douglas was nominated for an Oscar for his leading roles in the films “Champion,” “The Bad and the Beautiful,” and “Lust for Life.” He received an honorary Oscar in 1996 and received the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1968.
In addition to his on-screen success, Douglas played a critical role in ending Hollywood blacklisting of the 1950s, insisting on the hiring and provision of on-screen credit to blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo for the 1960 epic “Spartacus.”
Douglas grew up in poverty, and he developed a special place in his heart for struggling actors, donating millions to causes supporting artists after he made it big himself.
As a young man, he attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, where he met a future star known as Lauren Bacall. After a stint in the Navy during World War II, he appeared in theater productions and commercials. His relationship with Bacall led to his first film role, in “The Strange Love of Martha Ivers.”
He suffered a stroke in 1996 that left him struggling to speak, but he and his wife of 65 years, Anne Buydens, continued making public appearances and were well known for their philanthropic work. They donated millions of dollars to help rebuild school playgrounds around Los Angeles, and they funded the Anne Douglas Center for Homeless Women at the Los Angeles Mission.
They also donated millions of dollars to the Motion Picture hospital in Woodland Hills, which is home to the Kirk Douglas Care Pavilion.
News of his death spread quickly and fans, actors and artists shared their grief.
“The SAG Awards mourns the loss of the legendary and talented Life Achievement Recipient Kirk Douglas,” the Screen Actors Guild tweeted. “His commitment to acting and justice were inspirational.”
“Kirk Douglas. The inspirational Scalawag,” wrote Danny DeVito. ” 103 years on this earth. That’s got a nice ring to it! Great hanging with you man.”
“Kirk! A pillar of Hollywood has fallen,” tweeted “Evil Dead” star Bruce Campbell. “Nobody danced on Viking oars like you! Safe travels, stud!”
“What an amazing actor, what an amazing career, what an amazing legacy, what a legend,” added author Francesco Francavilla. “You will be missed.”