Michael Douglas Wiki: Net Worth, Movie, Susan Braudy & Facts To Know

Michael Kirk Douglas was born on September 25, 1944 in New Jersey. He is the eldest child of Diana and Kirk Douglas. His parents were also actors. Douglas was educated at 3 private schools in the East Coast, namely The Allen-Stevenson School in New York, Eaglebrook School in Massachusetts, and The Choate Preparatory School in Connecticut. In 1968, he graduated from the University of California in Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama. After college, Douglas continued to pursue his passion in the performing arts by attending The American Place Theatre in New York City to study acting. Douglas has a younger brother named Joel who was born in 1947. Joel Douglas is a film producer. Their mother, Diana, passed away in 2015. Douglas also has two half-brothers from his father's side, Peter and Eric Douglas.

It seems like Michael Douglas has always known that he wanted to become an actor. Perhaps it is because both his parents were both actors. After studying drama and acting, it didn't take too long before Douglas found his first role as a professional actor.

Did you know that Michael Douglas was uncredited for his first movie appearance? The actor appeared in the movie "Cast a Giant Shadow" in 1966 but was uncredited. Douglas' first notable TV appearance was on CBS Playhouse's "The Experiment" where he played the role of a young scientist. The series was aired in 1969. After that, Douglas continued to appear in other TV shows including "The F.B.I." and "Medical Center." Douglas also appeared in movies such as "Hail, Hero!" "Adam at Six A.M.," and "Summertree." He was nominated for a Golden Globe for Most Promising Male Newcomer for his role in "Hail, Hero!" in 1969. But that was not yet the turning point in Douglas' acting career.

From 1972-1976, Douglas starred in the crime drama "The Streets of San Francisco" as Inspector Steve Keller. And that was when his acting career started taking off. Aside from playing the lead character in "The Streets of San Francisco," he also produced the movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in 1975 which turned out to be a success. The film won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA Award. Douglas continued to produce and act in movies throughout the '70s and '80s. He appeared in notable feature films including "Romancing the Stone," "The Jewel of the Nile," and "Fatal Attraction." 1987's "Fatal Attraction" is definitely one of Douglas' most notable movies. He starred alongside Glenn Close, who plays the role of a weekend lover who turned out to have killer tendencies. If you enjoy psychological thrillers, then you will appreciate that movie. Also in 1987, Douglas was featured in the movie "Wall Street" as corporate raider Gordon Gekko. His performance landed him his very first Academy Award for Best Actor. Douglas' iconic performance eventually made Gordon Gekko a pop culture icon.

After winning his first acting award, Douglas continued to take his career to new heights. He starred in films like "The War of the Roses" and "Shining Through." Douglas also produced movies such as "Flatliners" and "Double Impact." In 1992, Douglas starred in the controversial movie "Basic Instinct" alongside Sharon Stone. "Basic Instinct" became a subject of debate due to its graphic sexual content and strong violence. But despite the controversies and negative reactions, the movie became one of the highest-grossing movies of that year. Director Paul Verhoeven was even nominated at the Cannes Film Festival for this movie. Throughout the '90s, Douglas went on to establish his name as one of Hollywood's top actors. He continued to star in popular action and thriller movies like "Face/Off" and "A Perfect Murder." In 2002, Douglas was a guest star in an episode of "Will & Grace" as Detective Gavin Hatch. "Will & Grace" is a long-running sitcom that first aired in 1998. In the past decade, Douglas was featured in a variety of films such as "King of California," "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt," and "Solitary Man." In 2010, he reprised his role as Gordon Gekko in "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps."

Douglas hasn't stopped making movies since his acting debut in the late '60s. In 2015, he appeared in "Ant-Man" as Hank Pym, a former SHIELD agent and the original Ant-Man who invented the suit. This 2018, Douglas reprises his role as Hank Pym in "Ant-Man and the Wasp."

Michael Douglas is the husband of Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. They met at the Deauville American Film Festival and eventually started dating. Douglas proposed to Zeta-Jones on New Year's Eve in 1999. They got married the following year at Plaza Hotel in New York City. The lavish event was tagged by the media as the "wedding of the year." Douglas and Zeta-Jones briefly separated in 2013 but got back together a year later. Here's an interesting fact. Douglas and Zeta-Jones share the same birthday, September 25. But they have a 25-year age gap. Zeta-Jones even mentioned that Douglas is around the same age as her parents. But obviously, their age difference is not a big deal. The couple is still going strong as one of Hollywood's power couples. Douglas and Zeta-Jones have a son named Dylan Michael, born in 2000, and a daughter named Carys Zeta, born in 2003.

Michael Douglas was previously married to an Austrian woman named Diandra Luker. They married in 1977 and got divorced 18 years later in 1995. Luker is 12 years younger than Douglas. They have a son named Cameron who was born in 1978. Cameron Douglas once became controversial because of his drug use and arrest. Douglas also had a relationship with actress Brenda Vaccaro. They met while filming the movie "Summertree" in 1971.

Much like other prominent actors in Hollywood, Michael Douglas uses his platform to take a stance on certain issues. The actor is in favor of gun control. Here's the interesting story behind his opinion. Douglas was in the same area when John Lennon from The Beatles was shot and killed in 1980. He became deeply affected by the incident. Since then, Douglas has actively supported gun control. Douglas also supports Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, an organization which aims to put an end to the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Can you guess what Michael Douglas' net worth is? With his long-spanning career as an actor and producer, it is not a secret that Douglas is an extremely wealthy man. Douglas continues to experience unwavering success in Hollywood. It is not surprising that Douglas currently has a massive net worth of $300 million. His wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, has a net worth of $45 million.

If you've been updated on recent Hollywood news, then you've probably noticed that quite a number of actors have been involved in different stories of sexual misconduct and harassment. Susan Braudy, an American journalist, has recently accused Michael Douglas of sexual misconduct. According to Braudy, Douglas frequently made lewd comments towards her during the time she worked with the actor. Braudy was as an employee at Stonebridge Production. The actor has released a preemptive statement denying allegations of sexual harrassment even before Susan Braudy revealed her story. Douglas mentioned, “I just couldn’t put this together. I’ve had no contact with her, in thirty-plus years. I talked to the reporter and said, ‘Listen, as far as using colorful language in front of her, I apologize. None of it was directed at her; she didn’t say it was.” His wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, continues to stand by his side.