Born as Issur Danielovitch Demsky in Amsterdam, New York on December 9th 1916. He made his Broadway debut in Spring Again 1941. When the Second World War intervened he served in the US Navy, returning to acting to feature in other stage productions such as Kiss and Tell. At the same time he began to appear in films, first winning popular acclaim as a prizefighter in 1949's Champion.

Many of his later roles were to follow the same pattern, as a tough and cocky character. His films have included Lust for Life (1956), Paths of Glory (1957), Spartacus (1960), Lonely Are the Brave (1962), The Arrangement (1969), The Fury (1978), The Man from Snowy River (1982), Tough Guys (1986), and Greedy (1994).

Aside from acting, Kirk Douglas has directed and produced his own movies, having formed his own production company. Late in life he has shown a flair for writing, having produced a bestselling autobiography, 'the Ragman's Son' in 1988, he followed with two novels, Dance with the Devil (1990) and The Secret (1992). As well as his own success, his son Michael has become a Hollywood star in his own right. In 1991 Kirk Douglas received the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award.