Legendary Hollywood actor, Kirk Douglas, has died at the age of 103.
Kirk Douglas is best known for inspiring the Golden age of cinema with unforgettable roles such as Spartacus, Ace In The Hole and Champion.
Despite being nominated three times for best actor, Kirk never won an Oscar but was honoured with a lifetime achievement award by the academy in 1996.
Dubbed the Centennial Couple, Kirk leaves his wife of 65 years, Anne Buydens, also over 100 years old, behind. Since the news was broken by Michael Douglas, a raft of tributes have been paid to the classic icon of cinema.
Michael Douglas, two time Oscar winner and son of Kirk led the tributes:
“It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103.
“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 set 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.
“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.”
Michael Douglas’ wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, commented:
“To my darling Kirk, I shall love you for the rest of my life. I miss you already. Sleep tight…”
Legendary director, Steven Spielberg, commented:
“Kirk retained his movie star charisma right to the end of his wonderful life and I’m honoured to have been a small part of his last 45 years.
“I will miss his handwritten notes, letters and fatherly advice, and his wisdom and courage – even beyond such a breathtaking body of work – are enough to inspire me for the rest of mine.”
