Michael Douglas, actor-producer, was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, on September 25, 1944. After his parents (actor-producer Kirk Douglas and Diana Dill) were divorced in 1950, he was raised by his mother on the East Coast, but spent his summers with his father on the West Coast. He graduated from Choate Preparatory School and attended the University of California at Santa Barbara, where he eventually majored in drama. There he was involved in several college theatrical productions and won awards both for acting and directing. He also acted at the Eugene O'Neill Memorial Theatre Center in Waterford, Connecticut, where his stepfather, writer Bill Darrid, was involved.
Douglas made his professional acting debut in 1969 in “The Experiment” (CBS Playhouse), which was followed closely by his stage debut in an off-Broadway production, The City Scene. He later starred in several films including Adam at Six A.M., Hail, Hero, and Summertree. Douglas then co-starred on the highly successful television series The Streets of San Francisco and remained with the show for five seasons. In October 1975, he made his directorial debut with an episode of Streets, “Spooks for Sale.”
In addition to his acting, Douglas is also actively involved in film production. Along with Saul Zaentz, a San Francisco record producer, Douglas became the co-producer of One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, which won five Academy Awards in 1975. He also formed his own film production company, Bigstick Productions, Ltd., which produced several shorts. Douglas also starred in the motion picture Coma (1977). In 1979, he starred with Jane Fonda in The China Syndrome, which he also co-produced and co-authored. That same year he produced and starred in Running; and the next year, he starred with Jill Clayburgh in It's My Turn.
