THE LEGENDARY actor Kirk Douglas has passed away at the age of 103.
He died in his home in Los Angeles on Wednesday and was one of the last surviving members of Hollywood's 'Golden Age' of movies.
Renowned for his no-nonsense, tough-guy roles in pictures like 'Spartacus', 'Champion' and 'Paths Of Glory', Douglas starred in nearly 100 films during a career which spanned six decades.
SANTA BARBARA, CA - OCTOBER 13: Actor Kirk Douglas (L) and actor Michael Douglas attend SBIFF's 2011 Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence In Film honoring Michael Douglas at the Biltmore Four Seasons on October 13, 2011 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)He's survived by his second wife Anne Buydens (100), and three sons, including his eldest, Michael Douglas, who forged a similarly successful career in Hollywood as an actor and movie producer.
It was Michael who broke the news of his father's death to the world, via social media.
"It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103," he wrote in a statement posted to Facebook and Instagram.
"To the world he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to.
"[To] me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad, to Catherine [Zeta-Jones], a wonderful father-in-law, to his grandchildren and great grandchild their loving grandfather, and to his wife Anne, a wonderful husband," Michael added.
"Kirk’s life was well lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come, and a history as a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet.
"Let me end with the words I told him on his last birthday and which will always remain true. Dad- I love you so much and I am so proud to be your son."
Following the news, tributes from all over Hollywood began to pour in.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards the Oscars, tweeted: "Goodbye to a Hollywood legend."
Legendary director Steven Spielberg said in a statement: "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.
"I will miss his handwritten notes, letters and fatherly advice, and his wisdom and courage - even beyond such a breathtaking body of work - are enough to inspire me for the rest of mine."
Actor Danny DeVito tweeted: "103 years on this earth. That’s got a nice ring to it! Great hanging with you man," while William Shatner wrote: "Condolences to the family of Kirk Douglas. What an incredible icon he was in this industry!"
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - AUGUST 13: Actor Kirk Douglas attends the last 70mm film screening of "Spartacus" at AMPAS Samuel Goldwyn Theater on August 13, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)His impact on the film industry is one few can rival. Douglas rebelled against the establishment by producing and starring as a slave in Spartacus (1960), written by Dalton Trumbo, making the actor a hero to those blacklisted in Hollywood.
The film became Universal’s biggest moneymaker, an achievement that stood for a decade.
In 1963, he starred in the broadway play 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest', a story he later purchased and gave to his son Michael, who turned it into an Oscar-winning film in 1975.
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