- Was roommates with Danny DeVito in a $150-a-month New York City apartment when Michael first began his career in the late 1960s.
- Michael is exactly twenty-five years older than his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones. The two of them share a birthday: September 25th.
- In 1975, he quit the television series The Streets of San Francisco (1972) to produce the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), which garnered him an Academy Award.
- On August 16, 2010, he was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer on his tongue, and underwent weeks of radiation and chemotherapy. He made a full recovery. For reasons of his own he announced on Late Show with David Letterman (1993) that his treatment was for throat cancer.
- Brazilian soccer star Maicon was supposed to be named after Michael Douglas. His father was a huge fan of Kirk Douglas and wanted to name his own son after Kirk's son. However, he could not read or write and a clerk spelled Michael as Maicon. His full name is Maicon Douglas Sisenando.
- In 1980, he was involved in a serious skiing accident, which sidelined his acting career for three years.
- The Sunday Times estimated his and wife Catherine Zeta-Jones' net worth at $278 million (2009).
- Has 3 children: son, Cameron Douglas (b. December 13, 1978) with ex-wife, Diandra Luker and son, Dylan Douglas (b. August 8, 2000) & daughter, Carys Douglas (b. April 20, 2003) with wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones.
- On July 20, 2009, he wrote the obituary tribute for friend, mentor, and The Streets of San Francisco (1972) co-star Karl Malden in Time magazine's "Milestones" section.
- Initially turned down the role of Judge Wakefield in Traffic (2000). He later accepted only after the script underwent extensive rewrites.
- As of 2021, he, George Clooney and Sir Laurence Olivier are the only three people in history to win Academy Awards for both Best Picture and Best Actor (although Olivier won them simultaneously for the same film). Frances McDormand has won Best Picture and Best Actress.
- In the late 1960s, Michael shared a New York apartment with fellow actor Danny DeVito at 338 West 89th Street in Manhattan where the rent was $75 each per month.
- Underwent treatment for alcohol and substance abuse at Sierra Tucson Center. (September 1992)
- Is fourteen years older than his first wife Diandra. He was 33 and she was 19 when they married.
- Has been active in handgun control since John Lennon's murder on December 8, 1980.
- Once said in an interview that he preferred to make films for adult audiences because he felt couples, particularly parents with kids, deserved to have a night out.
- His performance as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street (1987) is ranked #25 on Premiere magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
- His paternal grandparents, Herschel Danielovitch and Bryna Sanglel, were Jewish emigrants from Belarus, who moved to the United States c. 1912. His mother, who was born in Devonshire, Bermuda, was of English, French, Irish, Welsh, Dutch, Scottish and Belgian ancestry.
- He has two grandchildren through his son Cameron, granddaughter, Lua Izzy Douglas (b. December 18, 2017) & grandson, Ryder T. Douglas (b. December 22, 2020).
- On December 11, 2003, he was host, together with wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, at the 2003 Annual Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo Spectrum in Oslo, Norway.
- He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6259 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on November 6, 2018.
- Turned down the role of Oliver Barrett in Love Story (1970) despite being offered 10% of the gross. The role went to Ryan O'Neal.
- Five days after completing Black Rain (1989), he started filming The War of the Roses (1989).
- Resided with actress Brenda Vaccaro for several years in the 1970s after meeting on the set of Summertree (1971).
- Named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. His mission: to focus worldwide attention on nuclear disarmament and human rights (1998).
- Was named to Quigley Publications' Top 10 Poll of Money-Making Stars six times between 1985 and 1995, hitting a high of #2 in 1987. Surprising, despite a career that has spanned seven decades, his father, Kirk Douglas, never made the list, the annual poll of movie exhibitors that ranks the top stars in terms of box-office drawing power.
- Reason for being born in New Brunswick, New Jersey: His parents (who had a small apartment in Greenwich Village, New York) were visiting his mother's sister (who was married to one of the founders of Johnson & Johnson which is headquartered in New Bruswick) when he arrived prematurely.
- During the 2018 Live from the TCM Film Festival special, Douglas revealed that Steven Soderbergh first brought up the idea that Douglas should play pianist Liberace, while they were filming the movie, Traffic (2000), together. Douglas later played the real-life person in the HBO telefilm, Behind the Candelabra (2013).
- He and The China Syndrome (1979) co-stars Jane Fonda and Jack Lemmon have all won Academy Awards for leading roles. Douglas won for Wall Street (1987), Fonda for Klute (1971), and Lemmon for Save the Tiger (1973).
- In 2016, he visited three college campuses in the United States to speak to students about Israel and modern anti-Semitism.
- Awarded Israel's Genesis Prize by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2015 for his role as an actor, producer, and peace activist who has been actively promoting not just the culture but the real values of the Jewish community. Douglas said he will donate the money to activities designed to raise awareness about inclusion and diversity in Jewish life, and to finding innovative solutions to pressing global and community problems. Michael's son Dylan had his Bar Mitzvah ceremony in Israel.
- On November 18, 2000 he married his fiancée of 10 months, Catherine Zeta-Jones at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, New York City, New York.
- In October 1997 he was ranked #74 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.
- On December 31, 1999 he got engaged to his girlfriend of a year, Catherine Zeta-Jones in Aspen, Colorado.
- On April 4, 2003, he underwent a face augmentation at the St Regis Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles.
- Has worked with three actors who share roles with his father. Kirk Douglas played Doc Holliday in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957). Val Kilmer played the role in Tombstone (1993) and then appeared with Michael in The Ghost and the Darkness (1996). Dennis Quaid also played Holliday in Wyatt Earp (1994) and appeared with Michael in Traffic (2000). Kirk played Ulysses (Odysseus) in Ulysses (1954), based on The Odyssey. Michael appeared in Don't Say a Word (2001) with Sean Bean, who played Odysseus in Troy (2004).
- Received his Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara (1968) as did singer Jack Johnson and actor Ossie Beck.
- Attended and graduated from the Choate Rosemary Hall.
- Has residences in both New York City and Bermuda. (September 2007)
- On April 29, 2009, he was recovering from knee replacement surgery.
- He was inducted into the 2012 New Jersey Hall of Fame for his contributions to Arts and Entertainment.
- Attended and graduated from Eaglebrook School in Deerfield, Massachusetts.
- Friends with New York Jets owner Woody Johnson.
- The only time he was billed as M.K. Douglas was when he appeared in an episode of "CBS Playhouse" (1969).
- As a teenager he was a member in the street gang the Down Shifters which specialized in stealing cars to strip for parts.
- On December 14, 2011, he will receive the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's 12th annual "Monte Cristo" award in April 2012.
- Studied acting with Michael Howard in New York City.
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