‘The last great giant of cinema heroes’: Stars pay tribute to Hollywood icon Kirk Douglas following his death at 103
- Filmmaker Rob Reiner described Douglas as ‘an icon in the pantheon of Hollywood’
- ‘He was adored and beloved, and he shall be missed,’ tweeted George Takei
- Seinfeld star Jason Alexander said he was ‘heartbroken’ at loss of his friend
- Steven Spielberg praised the Spartacus star for his ‘wisdom and courage’ and called him inspirational
He’s remembered for breaking the Hollywood blacklist and starring in screenwriter Dalton Trumbo’s epic Spartacus.
He was also the father of Hollywood star Michael Douglas and father-in-law of Catherine Zeta-Jones.
And on Wednesday, as news of his death at 103 spread, celebrities and fans alike took to social media to pay tribute to the legendary Kirk Douglas.
Sylvester Stallone shared a poster from Douglas’s 1949 film Champion, in which he played a boxer.
The Rocky Oscar winner wrote on Instagram: ‘KIRK DOUGLAS !!! The last great giant of my cinema heroes has passed on to Infinite glory. Amazing artist! The likes of which we will never ever see again!’
Legendary Hollywood star Kirk Douglas died Wednesday at the age of 103, and tributes poured in from celebrities and fans alike. He’s pictured in 2013
Sylvester Stallone shared a poster from Douglas’s 1949 film Champion, in which he played a boxer. The Rocky Oscar winner called him ‘The last great giant of my cinema heroes’
Star Trek star George Takei was among the first to share his feelings at the passing of one of the last remaining A-listers of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
‘An Academy Award winning actor and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Douglas was a champion for many just causes and lived a long and storied life. He was adored and beloved, and he shall be missed,’ Takei wrote on Twitter.
Filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner tweeted: ‘Kirk Douglas will always be an icon in the pantheon of Hollywood. He put himself on the line to break the blacklist. My love goes out to my friend Michael and the whole family.’
Sylvester Stallone shared a poster from Douglas’s 1949 film Champion, in which he played a boxer, and the Rocky star wrote on Instagram: ‘KIRK DOUGLAS !!! The last great giant of my cinema heroes has passed on to Infinite glory. Amazing artist! The likes of which we will never ever see again!’
Star Trek star George Takei was among the first to share his feelings at the passing of one of the last remaining A-listers of Hollywood’s Golden Age
William Shatner added his voice to the outpouring on Twitter, calling Douglas ‘an incredible icon’
Filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner remembered Douglas for breaking the Hollywood blacklist and starring in screenwriter Dalton Trumbo’s epic Spartacus (the two are pictured in 2007)
Reiner tweeted that the actor was ‘an icon in the pantheon of Hollywood’
Seinfeld star Jason Alexander declared himself ‘heartbroken’ at the loss of his friend whom he called ‘an absolute legend of a star and human’
Alexander, pictured with Douglas in 2007, tweeted that it had been an honor to have known him
Danny DeVito added his words of praise for the late star, describing him as an ‘inspirational Scalawag’
Steven Spielberg presented Douglas with an honorary Oscar at the Academy Awards in 1996.
He was also one of those who gave remarks at the Spartacus star’s 100th birthday party in December 2016.
In a statement, Spielberg mourned his passing, saying: ‘Kirk retained his movie star charisma right to the end of his wonderful life and I’m honored to have been a small part of his last 45 years.’
He went on: ‘I will miss his handwritten notes, letters and fatherly advice, and his wisdom and courage – even beyond such a breathtaking body of work – are enough to inspire me for the rest of mine.’