Douglas received his school education at The Allen-Stevenson School in New York City.
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271 Pine Nook Rd, Deerfield, MA 01342, United States
In his early years, Michael attended Eaglebrook School in Deerfield, Massachusetts.
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1963
High School yearbook photo of Michael Douglas at the Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford, Connecticut.
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333 Christian St, Wallingford, CT 06492, United States
Michael attended the Choate Preparatory School (present-day Choate Rosemary Hall) in Wallingford, Connecticut.
College/University
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University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA 93106, United States
In 1968, Michael received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
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340 E 54th St, New York, NY 10022, United States
Douglas studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City.
Career
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1972
Michael Douglas and Karl Malden in "The Streets of San Francisco".
Gallery of Michael Douglas
1972
Michael Douglas in "The Streets of San Francisco".
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1979
Michael Douglas and Jane Fonda in "The China Syndrome".
Gallery of Michael Douglas
1979
Michael Douglas and Jane Fonda in "The China Syndrome".
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1984
Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Alfonso Arau in "Romancing the Stone".
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1985
Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner in "The Jewel of the Nile".
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1987
Michael Douglas and Glenn Close in "Fatal Attraction".
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1987
Michael Douglas, Anne Archer and Glenn Close in "Fatal Attraction".
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1987
Michael Douglas in "Fatal Attraction".
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1987
Michael Douglas in "Wall Street".
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1989
Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito in "The War of the Roses".
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1992
Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone in "Basic Instinct".
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1992
Michael Douglas and Melanie Griffith in "Shining Through".
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1993
Michael Douglas in "Falling Down".
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1997
Michael Douglas and Deborah Kara Unger in "The Game".
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2000
Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire and Katie Holmes in "Wonder Boys".
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2003
Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks in "The In-Laws".
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2003
Michael Douglas and Candice Bergen in "The In-Laws".
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2009
Michael Douglas and Jesse Eisenberg in "Solitary Man".
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2011
Michael Douglas and Gina Carano in "Haywire".
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2013
Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline in "Last Vegas".
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2013
Michael Douglas in "Behind the Candelabra".
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2014
Michael Douglas in "Beyond the Reach".
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2014
Michael Douglas in "And So It Goes".
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2014
Michael Douglas and Sterling Jerins in "And So It Goes".
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2014
Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton in "And So It Goes".
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2015
Michael Douglas in "Ant-Man".
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2015
Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly in "Ant-Man".
Gallery of Michael Douglas
2015
Michael Douglas, Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly in "Ant-Man".
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2018
Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito in "The Kominsky Method".
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2019
Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin in "Chapter 16. A Thetan Arrives".
Gallery of Michael Douglas
2019
Michael Douglas in "Chapter 13. A Shenckman Equivocates".
Achievements
Membership
Awards
Academy Award
1988
665 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007, United State
Michael Douglas wins the Academy Award for Best Actor in "Wall Street". The ceremony was held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, on April 8, 1988.
President's Award
2009
9500 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212, United States
Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone pose with the Swarovski President's Award during the 11th annual Costume Designers Guild Awards, held at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire Hotel, on Februray 17, 2009, in Beverly Hills, California.
Primetime Emmy Award
2013
777 Chick Hearn Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90015, United States
Michael Douglas poses with his award for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie at the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.
Genesis Prize
2015
David Marcus St 20, Jerusalem, Israel
From left to right: comedian Jay Leno, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Genesis cofounder Stan Polovets, Michael Douglas, Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky and Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein at the Genesis Prize ceremony at the Jerusalem Theater, on June 18, 2015.
Honorary César Award
2016
France
Michael Douglas at the Honorary César Award ceremony.
Michael Douglas's Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
2018
6259 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028, United States
Michael Douglas gets his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 6, 2018.
Golden Globe Award
2019
Michael Douglas wins Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series
665 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007, United State
Michael Douglas wins the Academy Award for Best Actor in "Wall Street". The ceremony was held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, on April 8, 1988.
926-950 Broxton Avenue, Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United States
Michael Douglas and his father, Kirk Douglas, arrive at the premiere of "It Runs In The Family" at the Bruin Theater, on April 7, 2003, in Los Angeles, California.
9500 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212, United States
Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone pose with the Swarovski President's Award during the 11th annual Costume Designers Guild Awards, held at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire Hotel, on Februray 17, 2009, in Beverly Hills, California.
8358 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90069, United States
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones attend the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, hosted by Graydon Carter, at Sunset Tower, on February 24, 2013, in West Hollywood, California.
From left to right: comedian Jay Leno, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Genesis cofounder Stan Polovets, Michael Douglas, Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky and Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein at the Genesis Prize ceremony at the Jerusalem Theater, on June 18, 2015.
22-24 Leicester Square, West End, London WC2H 7LQ, United Kingdom
From left to right: Carys Douglas,Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones and son Dylan Douglas attend the European premiere of Marvel's "Ant-Man", at Odeon Leicester Square, on July 8, 2015, in London, England.
Michael Douglas with his children Dylan and Carys during the Canadian Formula One Grand Prix, at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, on June 11, 2017, in Montreal, Canada.
300 Doheny Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States
From left to right: Kirk Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Anne Douglas and Michael Douglas attend the Los Angeles Mission Legacy of Vision Gala, at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, on November 9, 2017, in Los Angeles, California.
665 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007, United States
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones during the 25th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, at The Shrine Auditorium, on January 27, 2019, in Los Angeles, California.
(A successful, but stressed mathematics professor goes to ...)
A successful, but stressed mathematics professor goes to her father's wedding and falls in love with her father's bride's son, a prematurely retired pro baseball player. She must choose between him and her current boyfriend, between Chicago and New York, and between research and administration.
(Disgusted with criminals, escaping the judicial system vi...)
Disgusted with criminals, escaping the judicial system via technicalities, an idealistic young judge investigates an alternative method for punishing the guilty.
(A mousy romance novelist sets off for Colombia to ransom ...)
A mousy romance novelist sets off for Colombia to ransom her kidnapped sister and soon finds herself in the middle of a dangerous adventure, hunting for treasure with a mercenary rogue.
(A young and impatient stockbroker is willing to do anythi...)
A young and impatient stockbroker is willing to do anything to get to the top, including trading on illegal inside information, taken through a ruthless and greedy corporate raider, who takes the youth under his wing.
(A computer specialist is sued for sexual harassment by a ...)
A computer specialist is sued for sexual harassment by a former lover, turned boss, who initiated the act forcefully, which threatens both his career and his personal life.
(A wealthy Wall Street speculator discovers, that his wife...)
A wealthy Wall Street speculator discovers, that his wife has a lover. He investigates him and uses the carrot and stick to make him murder his wife. Planned to detail, it seems like a perfect murder.
(An unstable dad, who after getting out of a mental instit...)
An unstable dad, who after getting out of a mental institution tries to convince his daughter, that there's Spanish gold, buried somewhere under suburbia.
(Now out of prison, but still disgraced by his peers, Gord...)
Now out of prison, but still disgraced by his peers, Gordon Gekko works his future son-in-law, an idealistic stock broker, when he sees an opportunity to take down a Wall Street enemy and rebuild his empire.
(A self-absorbed realtor enlists the help of his neighbor,...)
A self-absorbed realtor enlists the help of his neighbor, when he's suddenly left in charge of the granddaughter he never knew existed until his estranged son drops her off at his home.
(Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to s...)
Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale, but increase in strength, cat burglar Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, plan and pull off a heist, that will save the world.
(After the devastating events of "Avengers: Infinity War" ...)
After the devastating events of "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018), the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more in order to reverse Thanos' actions and restore balance to the universe.
Michael Douglas is a notable American film actor and producer, who gained prominence for his intense portrayals of flawed heroes. He is best known for his roles in such films, as "Wall Street" (1987), "Fatal Attraction" (1987), "Wonder Boys" (2000) and "Behind the Candelabra" (2013).
Background
Ethnicity:
Michael's father was Jewish and was born Issur Danielovitch. Michael's paternal grandparents were emigrants from Chavusy (now in Belarus, then part of the Russian Empire). Michael's mother was from Devonshire Parish, Bermuda, and had English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, French, Belgian and Dutch ancestry.
Michael Douglas was born on September 25, 1944, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States. He is a son of Kirk Douglas, an actor, and Diana Dill, an actress. Michael has a younger brother, Joel Douglas, a film producer, and two paternal half-brothers, Peter Douglas, a television and film producer, and Eric Douglas, who was an actor and stand-up comedian, from stepmother Anne Buydens. Buydens was married to Michael's father, Kirk, from 1954 to his death at the age of 103 in 2020. The Right Reverend Nicholas Dill, the current Bishop of Bermuda, is Douglas's cousin.
Michael's grandfather on mother's side, Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Melville Dill, served as Attorney General of Bermuda, as a Member of the Parliament of Bermuda (MCP) and as commanding officer of the Bermuda Militia Artillery. Thomas Newbold Dill, Michael's great-grandfather, was a merchant and a Member of the Parliament of Bermuda for Devonshire Parish from 1868 to 1888. He also worked on numerous committees and boards and served as a member of the Devonshire Church (Church of England) and Devonshire Parish vestries, among other positions.
It's also worth noting, that Sir Nicholas Bayard Dill, a politician, was Michael's uncle.
Education
Douglas received his school education at the Allen-Stevenson School in New York City, Eaglebrook School in Deerfield, Massachusetts, and the Choate Preparatory School (now Choate Rosemary Hall) in Wallingford, Connecticut. He then studied drama at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he received his Bachelor of Arts, and in New York at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre and the American Place Theatre.
In 2006, Douglas was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
It was in the late 1960's and early 1970's, that Michael started his film career, performing in little known films, such as "Hail, Hero!" (1969), "Adam at 6 A.M." (1970) and "Summertree" (1971). His first TV breakthrough role came with a 1969 CBS-TV "Playhouse" special, "The Experiment" - and it was the only time he was billed as "M.K. Douglas". One of Michael's first important roles came in the TV series "The Streets of San Francisco" (1972-1976).
Michael became a driving force in the entertainment industry, when he produced a screen rendering of Ken Kesey's novel "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975). Kirk Douglas, Michael's father, had acquired the rights to "Cuckoo's Nest", when he starred in a Broadway adaptation during the early 1960's, and for many years, he tried to interest a producer in a film version. When his efforts failed, he sold the rights to his son, who in turn produced the second film in Hollywood history to win Academy Awards in all five major categories: best picture, best actor (Jack Nicholson), best actress (Louise Fletcher), best director (Miloš Forman) and best screenplay. After this success, Michael continued producing and starring in some of the biggest box-office hits of the next two decades. During the period from the mid-1980 through the late 1990's, Michael produced such films, as "Starman" (1984), "Flatliners" (1990), "Face/Off" (1997) and "The Rainmaker" (1997).
The film "The China Syndrome", which Michael co-produced and co-starred in, was released in 1979. It tells the story of a television reporter and her cameraman, who discover safety coverups at a nuclear power plant. Later, Douglas acted with Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito in the highly successful action-adventure, titled "Romancing the Stone" (1984), and its sequel, "The Jewel of the Nile" (1985). Then, he teamed with the same co-stars for the popular dark comedy, entitled "The War of the Roses" (1989).
However, one of Douglas' most memorable roles was in "Fatal Attraction" (1987), the film, in which he appeared as a family man, terrorized by a woman (memorably portrayed by Glenn Close), with whom he has an adulterous affair. The same year, in 1987, Douglas delivered an Oscar-winning performance as a ruthless, morally empty financier in "Wall Street" (1987).
The film "Basic Instinct" (1992) is as controversial as it is successful. It was in the same genre as "Fatal Attraction" and served to pigeonhole Douglas as an actor, specializing in violent or sexual fare. Such films, as "Black Rain" (1989), "Falling Down" (1993) and "Disclosure" (1994) added to this characterization. Endeavouring to change his image, Douglas starred in the romantic comedy "The American President" (1995), in which he portrayed a widowed chief executive.
It's also worth mentioning, that, in 1992, Douglas founded the short-lived Atlantic Records distributed label Third Stone Records. He founded the label with record producer Richard Rudolph, who became the company's President and CEO. Among the acts, signed to Third Stone, were Saigon Kick and Nona Gaye.
It was in 2000, that Michael received critical acclaim for his role as a depressive college professor in "Wonder Boys" and as the recently appointed American drug czar in Steven Soderbergh's "Traffic". In 2003's "It Runs in the Family", Michael starred alongside his father, Kirk, and his son, Cameron. The film tells the story of three generations of a dysfunctional Manhattan family. Douglas then played a secret service agent, wrongly accused of being part of an assassination attempt, in "The Sentinel" (2006) and in "King of California" (2007) he portrayed a patient, recently released from a mental hospital, who is looking for gold underneath a discount store.
In 2010's "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps", Michael reprised the role of Gordon Gekko. In 2011's action thriller "Haywire", he acted as a shady government official. Later, he starred as Liberace in "Behind the Candelabra" (2013), a witty account of the entertainer's private life near the end of his career. It's worth mentioning, that Douglas won an Emmy Award for his role in the film.
In "Last Vegas" (2013), a buddy comedy, Michael joined Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline. In 2014's romantic comedy "And So It Goes", Douglas assumed the role of a curmudgeonly realtor. He then produced and starred in the critically panned thriller "Beyond the Reach" (2014), in which he acted as a psychotic big-game hunter, who, after accidentally shooting a man, turns the only witness into his next quarry. Later, Douglas appeared in the superhero movie "Ant-Man" (2015) and its sequel "Ant-Man and the Wasp" (2018). Also, it was the same year, in 2018, that Michael comeback to television, appearing as an aging actor, turned acting teacher, in the Netflix series "The Kominsky Method".
(A wealthy Wall Street speculator discovers, that his wife...)
1998
Religion
Douglas is half-Jewish, half Anglican by blood, but generally non-religious in practice. When the story broke, that he had throat cancer and the worldwide support started rolling in, he said: "For somebody, who has no formal religious education - my father's Jewish, my mother's the Church of England - the amount of prayers and support, that I received worldwide, I think, truly did have an influence and help in what happened. I was overwhelmed by the love."
Politics
Douglas is a supporter of Democratic Party. It's known, that he has donated money to Barack Obama, Christopher Dodd and Al Franken.
Besides, Michael is an avid proponent of nuclear disarmament and a supporter of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. He sits on the board of the Nuclear Threat Initiative and is an honorary Board Member of the anti-war grant-making foundation Ploughshares Fund. In addition, since 1980, Douglas has been a major supporter of gun control.
Besides, Michael is a well-known humanitarian. In 1998, he was made a United Nations Messenger of Peace by Secretary-General Kofi Annan. In 2009, he joined the project Soldiers of Peace, a movie against all wars and for global peace. Moreover, Douglas supported the campaign to release Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the Iranian woman, who after having been convicted of committing adultery, was given a sentence of death by stoning.
In August 2014, Douglas was one of 200 public figures, who were signatories to a letter to "The Guardian", opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue.
It's worth mentioning, that, in June 2015, during a visit in Israel to receive the Genesis Prize, the actor said the boycott movement against that country is an "ugly cancer".
Views
Quotations:
"If we confront anti-Semitism, if we combat it individually and as a society, and use whatever platform we have to denounce it, we can stop the spread of this madness."
"Out there is nothing, but possibilities."
"Players never die - they just try their luck at another table."
"Sometimes we spend more efforts with people, that are strangers in terms of making an impression, than the person, that's closest to us. And you just got to remember not to take for granted that person, that's closest to you."
"Cancer did not bring me to my knees, it brought me to my feet."
"Being single is pretty good. It's a nice sense of irresponsibility."
"It's all about bucks, kid. The rest is conversation."
"Relationships are like bubbles - they're fragile."
"We must unite to make nuclear weapons a horror of the past."
Personality
Michael once said in an interview, that he preferred to make films for adult audiences, because he felt couples, particularly parents with kids, deserved to have a night out. He dislikes making historical films and prefers making films on contemporary themes. It's also worth mentioning, that Michael counts "Ballada o soldate" (1959) as the first movie, that made him cry.
Physical Characteristics:
In 1980, Michael was involved in a serious skiing accident, which sidelined his acting career for three years. In September 1992, he underwent treatment for alcohol and substance abuse at Sierra Tucson Center. On April 29, 2009, the actor was recovering from knee replacement surgery.
The information, that Michael was suffering from throat cancer (later revealed to have actually been tongue cancer), appeared on August 16, 2010. Then, the actor confirmed, that the cancer was at stage IV, an advanced stage. It's also known, that American specialists failed to diagnose the actor's medical condition. It was a Canadian doctor, who managed to diagnose the deadly disease.
It's worth mentioning, that, Michael attributed the cancer to stress, his previous alcohol abuse and years of heavy smoking. It was in November 2010, that the actor's doctors put him on a weight-gain diet due to excessive weight loss, that had left him weak. On January 11, 2011, Michael said, that the tumor was gone, though the illness and aggressive treatment had caused him to lose 32 pounds (14.5 kg).
Connections
In March 1977, Douglas, who was 32 years old at the time, married 19-year-old Diandra Luker, the daughter of an Austrian diplomat. They had one son, Cameron, born in 1978. Dating since March 1999, Douglas married Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones on November 18, 2000. They were both born on September 25, though 25 years apart. They have two children, son Dylan Michael (born August 8, 2000) and daughter Carys Zeta (born April 20, 2003).
Michael Douglas: A Biography
A groundbreaking portrait of one of Hollywood's most successful stars from critically acclaimed and bestselling biographer - Marc Eliot.
in 1976, for Best Picture, for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975), shared with Saul Zaentz;
in 1988, for Best Actor in a Leading Role, for "Wall Street" (1987)
in 1976, for Best Picture, for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975), shared with Saul Zaentz;
in 1988, for Best Actor in a Leading Role, for "Wall Street" (1987)
in 2015, awarded by Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, for his role as an actor, producer and peace activist, who has been actively promoting not just the culture, but the real values of the Jewish community
in 2015, awarded by Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, for his role as an actor, producer and peace activist, who has been actively promoting not just the culture, but the real values of the Jewish community
in 1976, for Best Motion Picture - Drama (as a producer), for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975);
in 1985, for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (as a producer), for "Romancing the Stone" (1984);
in 1988, for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama, for "Wall Street" (1987);
in 2014, for Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television, for "Behind the Candelabra" (2013);
in 2019, for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy, for "The Kominsky Method" (2018)
in 1976, for Best Motion Picture - Drama (as a producer), for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975);
in 1985, for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (as a producer), for "Romancing the Stone" (1984);
in 1988, for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama, for "Wall Street" (1987);
in 2014, for Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television, for "Behind the Candelabra" (2013);
in 2019, for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy, for "The Kominsky Method" (2018)
EDA Special Mention Award,
United States
in 2011, for Most Egregious Age Difference Between the Leading Man and the Love Interest, for "Solitary Man" (2009), shared with Imogen Poots;
in 2013, for Most Egregious Age Difference Between the Leading Man and the Love Interest, for "Last Vegas" (2013), shared with Bre Blair
in 2011, for Most Egregious Age Difference Between the Leading Man and the Love Interest, for "Solitary Man" (2009), shared with Imogen Poots;
in 2013, for Most Egregious Age Difference Between the Leading Man and the Love Interest, for "Last Vegas" (2013), shared with Bre Blair
American Film Institute Life Achievement Award,
United States
in 2001, for Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture, for "Traffic" (2000), shared with Steven Bauer, Benjamin Bratt, James Brolin and others;
in 2014, for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries, for "Behind the Candelabra" (2013)
in 2001, for Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture, for "Traffic" (2000), shared with Steven Bauer, Benjamin Bratt, James Brolin and others;
in 2014, for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries, for "Behind the Candelabra" (2013)