DOUGLAS, MICHAEL

DOUGLAS, MICHAEL (1944– ), film actor and producer. Born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Michael is the son of actor kirk douglas . He received a B.A. from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1968. Although his father tried to discourage him from entering show business, Michael would not be deterred. After graduating from university, he moved to New York City to continue his drama studies at the Neighborhood Playhouse and at the American Place Theatre. Michael Douglas first made his mark in the television series The Streets of San Francisco (1972). He was the founder of Big Stick Productions and Stonebridge Entertainment. His first major success came as co-producer of the multi-Academy Award winning film One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975). His career as a movie star began with Coma (1978) and Romancing the Stone (1984). He won an Academy Award for best actor for his portrayal of a power-hungry New York stockbroker in the 1987 film Wall Street. Other leading roles were in The China Syndrome (1979), Running (1979), Jewel of the Nile (1985), A Chorus Line (1985), Fatal Attraction (1987), Black Rain (1989), The War of the Roses (1989), Basic Instinct (1992), Shining Through (1992), Falling Down (1993), Disclosure (1994), The American President (1995), A Perfect Murder (1998), Wonder Boys (2000), Traffic (2000), One Night at McCool's (2001), The In-Laws (2003), and The Ride to Mt. Morgan (2005). The Michael Douglas Foundation, a non-profit organization, was established in 1991. Among its goals, the foundation seeks to better the living conditions of those in need of assistance, promote peace within and among nations, and protect the global ecosystem. Over the years, the foundation has contributed to more than 90 charities worldwide. In 1998 Douglas was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace because of his efforts to focus world attention on nuclear disarmament and human rights. In 2000 he married actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. -ADD. BIBLIOGRAPHY: S. Press, Michael and Kirk Douglas, (1995). (Jonathan Licht / Rohan Saxena and Ruth Beloff (2nd ed.)