NEW YORK – Hollywood actor Kirk Douglas, whose illustrious career spanned seven decades, died in Beverly Hills, California, on Wednesday. He was 103 years old.
The stage and screen actor was well-known for a range of roles, including the 1960 classic Spartacus, in which he played the titular character.
Douglas visited Pakistan in 1982 to show his support to the millions of Afghans who took refuge in the country following Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan. During his three-day visit to Pakistan, he met the then President Mohammad Zia-ul-haq and other government officials.
Following his visits to refugees camps, Douglas made an appeal to the international community to extend support for the care of Afghans who were forces to leave their homeland.
Born in New York in 1916, he rose to prominence during Hollywood’s “golden age”, earning his first Oscar nomination for the 1949 film Champion.
He was also the father of Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas. Michael said in a statement, “It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today.”
“To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies… but to me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad,” it read.
“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’s wife and Kirk’s daughter-in-law, Welsh actress Catherine Zeta Jones, posted a photo of the two together, writing: “I shall love you for the rest of my life. I miss you already.”
