“No other actor personifies the term ‘iconic movie star’ more than Kirk Douglas,” said awards committee chairman Henri Bollinger. “His acting talent is the underlining basis for his extraordinary success, but it is also due to his uncanny understanding and appreciation for the role that publicity and promotion play in the ultimate success of movies that made him a box office sensation.”
96-year-old Douglas has starred in more than 80 motion pictures and television shows, starting with The Strange Love of Martha Ivers in 1946 until his most recent film in 2004, Illusion. He has received three Oscar nominations for best actor for Champion (1950), The Bad and the Beautiful (1953) and Lust for Life (1957). The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented him with a special lifetime achievement Oscar in 1996.
Previous recipients of the award include George Burns, Lew Wasserman, Warren Beatty, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clint Eastwood, Julie Andrews, Harrison Ford, Sylvester Stallone and Robert Zemeckis. Last year’s recipient was Carol Burnett.
