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’
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!’
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.’
Steven Spielberg, who presented Douglas with an honorary Oscar at the 1996 Academy Awards, called him inspirational, adding: ‘I’m honored to have been a small part of his last 45 years’
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.’
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’
Legendary news anchor Dan Rather recalled the star’s rise from humble origins to international stardom, adding: ‘Hollywood doesn’t make legends like Kirk Douglas anymore’
Beloved TV veteran Ed Asner said he would ‘always be in awe’ of Douglas
James Duke Mason, the grandson of Hollywood star James Mason, posted a tribute
Michael Douglas broke the news of his father’s passing and paid emotional tribute to him.
A little later, his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones posted a black and white photo showing her giving her famous father-in-law a kiss on the cheek.
The Welsh actress wrote: ‘To my darling Kirk, I shall love you for the rest of my life. I miss you already. Sleep tight…’
In addition to Michael and his family, Kirk is survived by his wife of 65 years Anne Buydens and his sons Joel and Peter.
Another son, Eric died in 2004 from an accidental overdose at the age of 46.
A short while after her husband broke the news of his legendary father’s passing, Catherine Zeta-Jones shared this tribute on her Instagram
Speaking of his father, Michael stated: ‘To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to.
‘But to me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad, to Catherine, a wonderful father-in-law, to his grandchildren and great grandchild their loving grandfather, and to his wife Anne, a wonderful husband.
‘Kirk’s life was well lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come, and a history as a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet.
‘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.’
Actor Courtney B. Vance posted a tribute on behalf of himself and his actress wife Angela Bassett, commenting that Kirk’s death ‘marks the end of an era of true Hollywood greatness’
Singer Bryan Adams recalled a chance encounter with Douglas in his youth, calling the actor ‘a total legend’
Paying tribute, Jamie Lee Curtis quoted a line her father Tony Curtis spoke to Douglas in the film Spartacus: ‘I love you Spartacus, like the father I never had.’ Antoninus
Curtis said her dad did love Douglas and sent her own love to his family
The president of actors union SAG-AFTRA, Gabrielle Carteris paid tribute in a statement that read in part: ‘One of the last remaining legends of Hollywood’s golden age, Kirk Douglas was an extraordinary actor.’
‘With his extensive body of work, he made an indelible mark on cinema. But as a true humanitarian, his lifelong dedication to quietly supporting worthy causes may have made an even greater impact. Kirk will be deeply missed.’
Actor Ed Begley, Jr. poignantly tweeted: ‘My friend & hero Kirk Douglas. Never lonely. Always brave. He made LA a better place every day he lived here.’
Fans have laid flowers at Kirk Douglas’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Ed Begley, Jr. poignantly tweeted that the ‘always brave’ Douglas had ‘made LA a better place every day he lived here’
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which oversees the Walk of Fame, placed a large wreath by Douglas’s star