Eric Douglas
Eric Douglas | |
---|---|
London Academy of Dramatic Art | |
Occupation(s) | Actor, stand-up comedian |
Years active | 1971–2004 |
Parent(s) | Kirk Douglas Anne Buydens |
Relatives | Peter Douglas (brother) Michael Douglas (half-brother) Joel Douglas (half-brother) Cameron Douglas (half-nephew) |
Eric Anthony Douglas (June 21, 1958 – July 6, 2004) was an American actor and stand-up comedian.[1][2] Douglas was the youngest son of actor Kirk Douglas and his second wife Anne Buydens. His half brother was actor and producer Michael Douglas. Douglas pursued a career in show business but did not attain the same level of success as his father and siblings. His career was overshadowed by his numerous run-ins with the law and problems with alcohol and drugs.[3]
Early life and education
Douglas was born in Los Angeles, California, the youngest son of actor Kirk Douglas (1916–2020) and German American mother Anne Buydens (1919–2021).[4] His father was Jewish and his mother later converted to Judaism. He was the younger brother of Peter Douglas, and his older half-brothers are Michael and Joel Douglas.
Douglas studied at
Career
Acting
Douglas made his screen debut in 1971 in
In 1991, Douglas appeared with his father (in the senior Douglas's
Stand-up comedy
In the early 1990s, Douglas attempted a career as a stand-up comedian. He performed in New York City comedy clubs with much of his self-deprecating material coming from his status as the black sheep of the Douglas dynasty.
Douglas entered British comedy folklore when, during a stand-up performance at The Comedy Store, London, he was angered by the audience's reaction to his stand-up routine. In a moment that would lead to club co-founder Don Ward saying he had "died on his arse", Douglas shouted "You can't do this to me, I'm Kirk Douglas's son!" A member of the audience then stood up and shouted, "No, I'm Kirk Douglas' son," referring to the iconic "I'm Spartacus" scene of the 1960 film starring Kirk Douglas. This ended up with the majority of the audience standing up and repeating the line.[7]
Personal life
Legal issues
Douglas was arrested multiple times throughout the 1990s. One of his first arrests came in 1991 for kicking a
In August 1996, he was arrested in Long Beach, California, for driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Two days later, Douglas was arrested in New Canaan, Connecticut, for disorderly conduct after he attempted to kiss a young girl who was a fellow patient at Silver Hill Hospital, a rehab facility he was in at the time.[12] He was cleared of the charges in February 1998.[13] In February 1997, Douglas was arrested for DUI after crashing his rental car into two parked cars.[14]
Drug issues
In 2000, Douglas revealed in an interview that he went into an eight-day coma in 1999 after accidentally overdosing on
In May 2001, Douglas sued his former psychiatrist, Dr. William Leader, claiming that Leader prescribed him a combination of prescription drugs that are lethal when combined with alcohol. Douglas asserted that Leader, who had been treating Douglas for his drug addictions for ten years, failed to consider his alcohol problem when he prescribed
Weeks before his death, Douglas was back in a rehab center in Upstate New York. His parents reportedly visited him and gave him a tough love ultimatum regarding his drug use.[17]
In 2009, during an appearance on
Death
On July 6, 2004, a maid found Douglas's body in his
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1971 | A Gunfight | Bud Tenneray | |
1979 | The White Shadow | Student | Episode: "Albert Hodges" |
1979 | The Spy Who Did It Better | Bellboy | |
1982 | Remembrance of Love | Young Joe Rabin | TV movie |
1984 | The Flamingo Kid | Donny | |
1985 | Tomboy | Ernie Leeds Jr. | |
1986 | The Golden Child | Yellow Dragon | |
1987 | Student Confidential | Johnny Warshetsky | |
1987 | Highway to Heaven | Rhett Clark | Episode: "Playing for Keeps" |
1988 | La belle Anglaise | Eric | Episode: "Une vie de chien" |
1988 | Honor Bound | Lamarr | |
1991 | Delta Force 3: The Killing Game | Sam | |
1991 | Tales from the Crypt | Lt. Martin Kalthrob | Episode: "Yellow" |
1993 | The Alaska Kid | Eric | Miniseries |
2007 | The Words Left Unsaid | Mordor | Short, (final film role) Released posthumously |
References
- ^ Edemariam, Aida (July 9, 2004). "The lost son". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2008-07-03.
- ^ "Kirk Douglas's youngest son dies". BBC News. July 7, 2004. Retrieved 2008-07-03.
- ^ "Other Obituaries: Eric Douglas". The Telegraph-Herald. 2004-07-07. p. 2C. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
- ^ a b Silverman, Stephen M. (2007-07-07). "Kirk Douglas's Son Eric Found Dead". People. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
- ^ Bianculli, David (1982-12-01). "Actor's next role is close to his heart". Boca Raton News. p. 6C. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
- ^ Where Audiences Participate In Improvisational Comedy, by Stephen Holden
- ^ "The Comedy Store at 30". BBC. 2009-06-09. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
- ^ "Kirk Douglas' son arrested for kicking a police officer". Eugene Register-Guard. 1991-08-10. p. 2A. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
- ^ "Eric Douglas arrested for drunk driving". Daily News. 1994-11-23. p. 2. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
- ^ "Eric Douglas arrested on a drug charge". Reading Eagle. 1996-05-23. pp. B8. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
- ^ "Eric Douglas". Lodi News-Sentinel. 1997-05-07. p. 7. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
- ^ "Douglas in court". The Bryan Times. 1998-02-04. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
- ^ "Douglas' son cleared of harassment charges". The Deseret News. 1998-02-12. p. A2. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
- ^ "Eric Douglas Arrested for auto accident". Herald-Journal. 1997-02-11. pp. A–2. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
- Nydailynews.com. Archived from the originalon 30 January 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
- ^ AFP (30 May 2001). "Kirk Douglas son sues psychiatrist". Philippine Daily Inquirer. p. A31. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
- Nydailynews.com. Archived from the originalon 30 January 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
- Cbsnews.com. 7 April 2009. Archivedfrom the original on 19 January 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
- ^ "Eric Douglas death called overdose". Los Angeles Times. 2004-08-11. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
- ^ "Douglas son 'died accidentally'". BBC. 2004-08-10. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
- ^ "Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones and More Attend Kirk Douglas' Funeral 2 Days After His Death".
External links
- Eric Douglas at IMDb
- Eric Douglas at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
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Notes:
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