Actor Kirk Douglas dies at 103

A popular, cleft-chinned leading man in the 1950s and ’60s, Kirk Douglas cemented his legacy with his starring role in the 1960 movie Spartacus. He died Wednesday at age 103, his family confirmed.

What else did he accomplish? Douglas also was an acclaimed producer and director. He received three Oscar nominations for best actor, and the Academy Awards honored him in 1996 for his overall contribution to the movie industry. He authored 11 books.

What was his life like off-screen? He supported the Democratic Party and the state of Israel. Born to Russian immigrants, Douglas grew up in a Jewish home but spent the first 40 years of his career denying his Jewish heritage. In 1991, he survived a helicopter crash that killed two other passengers. The tragedy caused Douglas to investigate and eventually return to his conservative Jewish beliefs. He celebrated his second bar mitzvah in 1999.

His first marriage to actress Diana Dill ended in divorce in 1951. He is survived by his wife, Anne Buydens, three adult children, including actor Michael Douglas, seven grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. Another son, Eric, died of a drug overdose in 2004.

Dig deeper: Read more about how Douglas helped end Hollywood’s blacklisting of suspected communists in the 1950s.