Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage captionSpartacus became one of Kirk Douglas's best-loved films
Kirk Douglas has been remembered as an "unforgettable" actor and a film "icon" following his death at the age of 103.
His daughter-in-law Catherine Zeta-Jones led the tributes, writing: "To my darling Kirk, I shall love you for the rest of my life. I miss you already."
Tributes also came from director Steven Spielberg, Star Wars actor Mark Hamill and Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston.
Douglas, who played the title role in the 1960 classic Spartacus, enjoyed a career that spanned seven decades.
Spielberg said Douglas left behind a "breathtaking body of work".
He told the Hollywood Reporter: "Kirk retained his movie star charisma right to the end of his wonderful life and I'm honoured to have been a small part of his last 45 years."
Jamie Lee Curtis, whose father Tony was also in Spartacus, declared: "He LOVED you as the world loved you. Your Passion. Talent. Politics. Family. Art. Strength."
“I love you Spartacus, like the father I never had.” Antoninus I did have a father and he LOVED you as the world loved you. Your Passion.Talent. Politics. Family. Art. Strength. I grew up with the Douglas boys. My love to Anne and all his family from mine. pic.twitter.com/nPlZIFQ7DW
Hamill described Douglas as "one of the biggest stars of all time", as well as "a brilliant actor with an unforgettable, blazing charisma".
He also referenced Douglas's role in ending the 1950s Hollywood blacklist by defying the ban on working with film-makers with alleged communist sympathies.
Kirk Douglas was one of the biggest stars of all time & a brilliant actor with an unforgettable, blazing charisma. He will also be remembered for putting his career on the line by defying the Hollywood Blacklist, hiring writer Dalton Trumbo for the classic Spartacus. #RIP 💔 pic.twitter.com/snzoHPMtDr
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.
A post shared by Michael Douglas (@michaelkirkdouglas) on Feb 5, 2020 at 3:33pm PST
End of Instagram post by michaelkirkdouglas
Kirk Douglas rose to prominence during Hollywood's "golden age", earning the first of three Oscar nomination for the 1949 film Champion.
As Spartacus, the leader of a Roman slave revolt in Stanley Kubrick's 1960 historical epic, Douglas helped to provide one of Hollywood's first catchphrases.
After a Roman general declared that a group of slaves would only avoid crucifixion if they identified Spartacus, all of the slaves stood up and declared "I'm Spartacus".
The now immortal phrase has continued to be used in modern culture and as a meme, to show solidarity with someone, or to stop a person's identity being revealed.
Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston used the phrase to sign off after his glowing tribute to "a towering presence in film history".
Thinking about Kirk Douglas and his family tonight. Not only was he a towering presence in film history. He also risked his career and financial stability to do the right thing to help break the Blacklist. That kind of heroism makes all of us stand up and shout, I AM SPARTACUS pic.twitter.com/ujaMzeiN39
Douglas's second Oscar nod came for his part in 1952's The Bad And The Beautiful, in which he starred alongside Lana Turner.
He was able to move with the times and avoid the pitfalls of typecasting. In 1956 he attracted rave reviews and then a third Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the anguished Vincent van Gogh in Vicente Minnelli's Lust For Life.
George Hamilton, who starred alongside Douglas in 1962's Two Weeks in Another Town, said Douglas was "a consummate professional, wonderful guy and he knew every part of making films".
He added: "He understood it all and he taught me humility when it comes to being an actor. It's a very difficult thing to do right and he did it right all the time."
Mitzi Gaynor starred alongside Douglas in the 1963 film For Love Or Money, and thanked him for sharing his "amazing talent".
Bravo Kirk Douglas on an incredible life. Thank you for so generously sharing your amazing talent with all of us. The film we made together will always hold a special place in my heart. My love to Anne & your beautiful family. #KirkDouglas
“I wanted to be an actor ever since I was a kid in the second grade. I did a play, and my mother made a black apron, and I played a shoemaker. After the performance, [my father] gave me my first Oscar: an ice cream cone.” -Kirk Douglas
Douglas faced difficulties in his personal life. He narrowly survived a helicopter crash in 1991 that left two people dead. Five years later, he suffered a major stroke that affected his speech.
And in 2004, his son Eric died at the age of 46 of an accidental drug overdose.
In his later years, he turned his attention to charity. He donated millions of dollars to charitable causes and helped fund an Alzheimer's unit at a retirement home in Los Angeles.
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