Michael Douglas Recalls Why Relationship with Dad Kirk Douglas 'Was Not Particularly Good' Growing Up

The actor's father Kirk Douglas died in 2020 at age 103

Michael Douglas is reflecting on how his relationship with his father Kirk Douglas changed over the course of their lives.

The actor, 79, appeared on the May 3 episode of Who's Talking to Chris Wallace? on MAX, in which host Chris Wallace asked him about life with his famous dad Kirk, the acclaimed actor who died in 2020 at age 103.

"It was different stages. It was not particularly good in the beginning, probably it was just because of the amount of work that he was doing. He just — career definitely went first before family," said Michael before noting that their relationship improved as he got older.

"But then in the sort of third act of his career, I think the second act, he was a little stunned that I was having a certain degree of success. It is a reminder for me now as I’m into my third act that we can change," he said. "And we were very close. So I'm happy to say that by the time he was ending his life and before that, the last 15, 20 years, were a joy to be with him."

Related: Michael Douglas Says His Kids’ University Thought He Was the Grandfather on Parents’ Day: ‘That Was Rough’ 

Wallace previously asked Michael whether he measured his own success in Hollywood against Kirk's and noted that he also followed his own father, late journalist Mike Wallace, into his profession.

"It wasn't necessarily that I was doing it, but you'd be working with people [and] they'd go, ‘It's just like your father. Your father does that, it's just really like your father.’ And, of course, we're in a career where you're trying to create your own identity."

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"I said, 'Yeah, I get from my father half my expressions,' " he added. "So it took me a long time to sort of create my own identity."

Related: Michael Douglas Says He and Catherine Zeta-Jones 'Celebrate' Fridays by Dancing Around: I 'Crank Up the Music' (Exclusive)

While appearing on Sirius XM's The Jess Cagle Show with Julia Cunningham in April, the Franklin actor said he did not truly feel he achieved success in Hollywood on his own terms until 1987, nearly two decades into his acting career.

"I didn't really feel it until the year of Fatal Attraction and Wall Street together," he added. "The commercial success of Fatal Attraction and winning the Oscar for Wall Street sort of finally got me free of that shadow, and I think that was a big moment."

The actor's full appearance on Who's Talking to Chris Wallace? is streaming now on Max.

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