Kirk Douglas reflects on long career as he turns 100 years old

ByGeorge Pennacchio WTVD logo
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Kirk Douglas reflects on long career as he turns 100 years old
Kirk Douglas is a show business legend, but he considers himself to be just a regular guy -- one who just happens to be celebrating his 100th birthday.

LOS ANGELES -- Kirk Douglas is a show business legend, but he'd probably wince at that word because he considers himself to be just a regular guy -- one who just happens to be celebrating his 100th birthday.

"I don't think you should strive to be 100," said Douglas. "I think you should strive to do something worthwhile in life. Help people."

Douglas and his wife, Anne, have been helping people for several decades. The longtime movie star grew up very poor, but Hollywood made him very rich.

Over the years, the Douglas' have donated a lot of that money -- more than $100 million -- to causes close to their hearts, including the homeless, Alzheimer's disease, and refurbishing more than 400 playgrounds in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

"When you have been poor, you have sympathy to help other people," said Douglas. "So I have given all my money away. I want to go out of this world the way I came in: with nothing."

For Douglas, 100 years of life has given him a lot: a successful movie career, three Oscar nominations and an honorary Oscar. But the name of his personal favorite film of his is the 1962 western "Lonely are the Brave."

"I loved that picture," said Douglas.

So many pictures over so many years. Does it ever make him want to act again?

"Everything makes me want to act again," said Douglas. "But now I look at...lying in my bed, I see all my scripts across the room. Ninety movies, that's enough."