Michael Douglas's mom (Diana Dill) and dad (Kirk Douglas) divorced when Michael Douglas was 5 years old. Michael Douglas and his brother Joel went to live with mom in Connecticut. Diana Dill eventually remarried.
After graduating from Choate Rosemary Hall boys school in Connecticut, Michael Douglas enrolled at University of California at Santa Barbara and majored in drama. Michael Douglas eventually went to the East Coast to continue his drama education at New York's American Place Theater, coached by Wynn Handman.
Michael Douglas gained recognition in "The Streets Of San Francisco". During that time, Michael Douglas started producing. At the age of 31, Michael Douglas produced "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" (which won 5 Oscars). Kirk Douglas held the film rights for "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" for years, but could not get the project off the ground. Michael Douglas's roommate in New York was Danny DeVito (who was also in ""One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest"). Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito's friendship stuck and they went on to make "Romancing The Stone", "Jewel Of The Nile", and "The War Of The Roses" (which all also stared Kathleen Turner). Michael Douglas produced many films, "The China Syndrome" (Michael Douglas also co-wrote and starred in), "Romancing The Stone", "Jewel Of The Nile", "Flatliners", "The Ghost And The Darkness", "Face/Off", and "The Rainmaker". Michael Douglas 'everyman' roles, "Fatal Attraction", "Basic Instinct", "Falling Down", and "Disclosure". Michael Douglas also played a corporate businessman in "The Game".
Michael Douglas (a Democrat), took on a role to play President Andrew Shepard in "The American President". "A Perfect Murder", Michael Douglas portrayed a powerful man who plots to murder his younger wife (Gwyneth Paltrow). Michael Douglas has known Gwyneth Paltrow since she was a little girl, Michael Douglas has been a long time friend to her parents, Bruce Paltrow and Blythe Danner.
Michael Douglas' family has been through some difficult times. Michael Douglas finalized a divorce to Diandra Luker in 1997. Michael Douglas and Diandra Luker's son, Cameron, entered a clinic for stubstance abuse, and his half brother experienced some problems with the law. Kirk Douglas suffered a severe stroke in 1996.
