When Kirk was born on December 9, 1916 in Amsterdam, New York, his poor immigrant parents named him Issur Danielovitch (later changed to Demsky). Though most parents wish greatness on their child, Mr. and Mrs. Demsky probably never dreamed that their son would gradually earn the recognition and respect of people from around the world.

Douglas was educated at St. Lawrence University where he was intercollegiate wrestling champion. After completing his studies, he entered the Academy of Dramatic Arts. He then filled a resume with jobs such as professional wrestler, usher, parking lot attendant, soda jerk and bell hop in order to pay his way through this professional program. His unlimited energy paid off with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1941. It was time to build credits toward a new resume.

Potential roadblocks to success were swept away as Broadway grabbed the young actor and cast him in 1941 inSpring Again as a singing telegram boy. The next year, audiences saw his name in another Broadway playbill when he earned a role in Chekhov's The Three Sisters. In 1943, the United States Navy cast him as one of their lieutenants. Douglas served his country and then returned to captivate stage audiences in 1944.

In 1946, one of Douglas' former classmates, Lauren Bacall, recommended Douglas to producer Hal Wallis. Douglas tested for the lead role in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers and his legendary film career began. Inspired by glowing reviews, Douglas decided to make a home in Hollywood. In 1947, Douglas made Out of the Past, and then I Walk Alone, the first of several films with his pal Burt Lancaster. In 1949, an actor's dream came true as Douglas was nominated for his first Oscar as the boxer, Midge Kelly, in Champion. The industry considered him a top leading man, his audiences considered him a star.

Fiercely independent, Douglas might have been called the original "terminator", when he broke a five-year contract with Hal Wallis. In 1960 he was called a hero by many in one of his most far-reaching acts. Douglas, as producer and star of Spartacus decided that the author of the screenplay, Dalton Trumbo (one of the "Hollywood Ten") would be given screen credit and by doing so struck a significant blow against the power of the blacklist.

In 1954, Mr. Douglas formed his own production company, Byrna, named after his mother, which produced such films as The Vikings, Strangers When We Meet and The Devil's Disciple, a co-production with Burt Lancaster's company. Among the talents whose careers were advanced through Byrna was Stanley Kubrick, the director of Paths of Glory. Through his subsequent company, Joel Productions, Douglas provided sixty-two year old writer/producer John Housman an opportunity to appear as an actor in Seven Days in May.

Douglas' film performances are the stuff of legend. Who , for example, can imagine the films The Bad and The Beautiful or Lust For Life without the cleft-chinned star? Douglas received Best Actor nominations for both. And for his keen portrayal of Vincent Van Gogh in Lust For Life, Douglas was the recipient of the New York Film Critics Best Actor Award. Other landmark films include A Letter to Three Wives, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, The Big Carnival (Ace in the Hole), Detective Story, The Big Sky, Gunfight at The OK Corral, Paths of Glory, Lonely Are the Brave, The List of Adrian Messenger and Seven Days in May. More recently, he reteamed with Burt Lancaster in Tough Guys, and appeared as Michael J. Fox's cunning uncle in Greedy. And although he only worked through the early production period of the Rambo film, First Blood, Douglas did go on to work with Sylvester Stallone in Oscar. Douglas' versatility and passion for his craft have translated into a timeless career. Film fans may not know that he is the director behind Scalawag and Posse. In 1991, Douglas was honored with the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award.

In addition to his more visible achievements in show business, Mr. Douglas has served four presidents in the role of special ambassador, and in 1981, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor bestowed on a private citizen. He has also created a charitable foundation and given his time to countless worthwhile causes, including the Motion Picture and Television Fund, to which he has personally contributed more than one million dollars.

As a testament to the ongoing fascination with his life and work, Mr. Douglas' autobiography The Ragman's Son made the New York Times bestseller list. Mr. Douglas has also penned two novels, Dance with the Devil and . In crossing from one medium to the next, Douglas has proven himself a gifted storyteller.

Mr. Douglas' legacy continues with his four sons, actor Eric, producers Joel and Peter, and actor/producer Michael. And if history continues to repeat, Mr. Douglas will continue to add to his colorful resume. The mirth and the adventure still lurk behind those passionate eyes.