Michael Douglas Quotes

Powerful Michael Douglas for Daily Growth

About Michael Douglas

Michael Douglas Quotes (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor, producer, and director known for his captivating performances and influential contributions to the film industry. The son of legendary actor Kirk Douglas, Michael Douglas was born and raised in a show business family in New Jersey. He initially attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, but his passion for acting led him to drop out and pursue a career in Hollywood. His big break came in 1975 with the film "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor. This marked the beginning of a successful career spanning over four decades, during which he starred in numerous critically acclaimed films such as "Romancing the Stone" (1984), "Fatal Attraction" (1987), and "Wall Street" (1987). His portrayal of Gordon Gekko earned him another Academy Award for Best Actor. As a producer, Douglas has been equally successful with productions like "The China Syndrome" (1979) and "Basic Instinct" (1992). He also founded the production company, Grimaldi Films. In recognition of his significant contributions to cinema, Michael Douglas received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2009. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Douglas is also noted for his humanitarian work, particularly in fighting cancer, a cause close to his heart after battling tongue cancer himself. His quote, "We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort," encapsulates his indomitable spirit and unwavering commitment to his craft.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"We're living in a parasitic age, where image is reality."

This quote by Michael Douglas suggests we reside in an era characterized by superficiality, where the perception or image of something becomes more important than its intrinsic value or reality. It implies that society places a premium on appearance, popularity, and public persona over authenticity, substance, and truth. The danger lies in this misplaced emphasis, as it can lead to the diminishment of genuine connection, critical thinking, and depth in our interactions with others and the world at large.

"I think I've made every mistake possible."

The quote by Michael Douglas, "I think I've made every mistake possible," signifies a profound self-awareness and acceptance of personal errors throughout his life. It implies that he acknowledges the trials and tribulations he has faced, demonstrating humility and resilience in the face of adversity. Moreover, this statement can be seen as a testament to learning from past experiences, as it is only through making mistakes that one can truly grow and evolve.

"Just remember, the road to easy street goes through the sewer."

This quote by Michael Douglas suggests that achieving an easy life or success may require overcoming significant challenges or difficulties, similar to navigating through a sewer on one's journey. It serves as a reminder that true fulfillment often comes at a cost and hard work, resilience, and determination are essential ingredients for a successful life.

"Everybody's got their own destiny. The secret of life is to try and find that, to fulfill it."

This quote by Michael Douglas suggests that each individual has a unique purpose or destiny in life. The key to living a fulfilling life lies in discovering one's personal destiny and striving towards its fulfillment. In other words, finding and following one's own path is the secret to a satisfying and meaningful existence.

"Sometimes you have to roll the dice to see if they're loaded."

This quote by Michael Douglas suggests that taking calculated risks is sometimes necessary to discover opportunities or outcomes. In other words, you may need to take a chance, like rolling dice, to find out if good fortune favors you, indicating that there might be hidden advantages or potential benefits waiting for you. It's a call to action for people who are cautious or hesitant to embrace uncertainty and new experiences, encouraging them to step outside their comfort zones and seize opportunities when they arise.

People are goofy about the movie business, so you end up counting on friends you knew before you were successful. It is harder to make new friends because you are a little more cautious.

- Michael Douglas

Movie, Before, About, Goofy

I don't know about Brad Pitt leaving that beautiful woman to go hold orphans for Angelina. I mean how long is that going to last?

- Michael Douglas

Woman, Going, Last, Pitt

I do think of myself as a bit of a loner, a bit of an independent. I'm one of those people who, when they're sick, like to curl up and remove myself. I don't like a lot of people around. There is nothing you can do to help.

- Michael Douglas

Think, Independent, Like, Curl

When I go on a holiday to a tropical place, I'll spray tan before I go.

- Michael Douglas

Tan, Tropical, Before, Spray

I don't know if likeable, pleasant characters have enough conflict for me to want to do them. I admire those people, but I've never been that kind of screen presence who can do nothing. I need to do something.

- Michael Douglas

Admire, Been, Screen, Likeable

I had a great stepfather.

- Michael Douglas

Great, Had, Stepfather

'Wall Street' was a very important movie for me in terms of my career. I won an Oscar, and then the film 'Fatal Attraction' came right after it.

- Michael Douglas

Career, Very, Oscar, Attraction

I've always liked Tina Turner.

- Michael Douglas

Always, Tina Turner, Liked, Turner

Like a lovely orchid, or anything else that's nurtured, marriage prospers and grows, but if it's ignored, it withers.

- Michael Douglas

Lovely, Ignored, Grows, Prospers

My daughter is a horseback rider, so I try to watch her ride; we take holidays together.

- Michael Douglas

Ride, Take, Horseback, Rider

'Five Easy Pieces,' 'Easy Rider' - those are indie pictures; those were not studio pictures. They had relationships with studio distribution, but they were indies.

- Michael Douglas

Indie, Studio, Had, Rider

I believe there is a spirit within us, which we nurture based upon our efforts and what we bring to the world. But it doesn't come from the outside; it comes from the inside.

- Michael Douglas

Within, Which, Based, Nurture

My memories of Las Vegas were all with my father when I was, like, a teenager. He was best friends with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, and we'd come up and see the shows and go backstage afterwards and have dinner together. It was one of my first educations about stars and how they really are back stage.

- Michael Douglas

Frank, Dean, Las Vegas, None

'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,' which my father had tried to get made for six, seven years, and I for four, was turned down by every studio. Every studio in the world had passed on it.

- Michael Douglas

Over, Studio, Which, Nest

In the movie 'Wall Street' I play Gordon Gekko, a greedy corporate executive who cheated to profit while innocent investors lost their savings. The movie was fiction, but the problem is real.

- Michael Douglas

Play, Movie, Fiction, Profit

The studios basically, besides developing some material, their strength is distribution. Distribution in any other business is a cost that you incur. You know, in a trucking business, you eat it. In a film business, distribution is a profit center.

- Michael Douglas

Some, Other, Film Business, Profit

I'm impressed with the people from Chicago. Hollywood is hype, New York is talk, Chicago is work.

- Michael Douglas

New York, New, Hollywood, Hype

Actors, I have to say, most of the time, they elevate things; they don't screw things up most of the time.

- Michael Douglas

Say, Most, Things, Screw

The so-called 'last golden age,' in the 1970s, most of those movies were independent films.

- Michael Douglas

Independent, Last, Films, Golden Age

The people who work in Wall Street still look up to Gordon Gekko. He's sort of a guru.

- Michael Douglas

Work, Guru, Still, Gordon

For an actor, it's great fun to play one of these hungry white sharks. Audiences love to hate them.

- Michael Douglas

Love, Play, Sharks, Great Fun

I was there the night John Lennon was shot, three blocks away. It left a lasting impression on me.

- Michael Douglas

Night, Away, Blocks, Lennon

Paul Rudd is ripped.

- Michael Douglas

Paul, Ripped

I have hardly ever worked with the same director twice. But when you have worked with a director before, you understand his behavior.

- Michael Douglas

Understand, Director, Before, Hardly

Capitalism is part of our system, but it's not for the faint of heart.

- Michael Douglas

Capitalism, System, Part, Faint

Chemotherapy takes its toll; the more you keep doing it, you lose your energy, and it gets more difficult to swallow.

- Michael Douglas

Doing, More, Swallow, Chemotherapy

I grew up on the East Coast and was going to go to an Ivy League School, but at the last minute I decided to be a hippy. It was the protest movements on the war, peace movements were going on at our university. It was a fantastic time.

- Michael Douglas

University, Movements, Our, East Coast

My own parents divorced when I was six. I was raised with my brother Joel by our mother on the East Coast, visiting my father in Los Angeles during holidays. When your parents are divorced, you don't know anything else, do you?

- Michael Douglas

Father, Own, Visiting, East Coast

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 gotta remember not to take for granted that person that's closest to you.

- Michael Douglas

More, Making, Gotta, Closest

All the pictures I do are contemporary. I've sort of discovered I haven't really been into science fiction or period pictures. And so, in that vein, psychological thrillers play a big part.

- Michael Douglas

Play, Big, Big Part, Science Fiction

'King of California' was just, I thought, a really great, fresh, original kind of script. I loved the tone, the mix of tragedy, comedy, and drama, and that it was a good part.

- Michael Douglas

Thought, Original, Tone, Mix

Do you know what absolute happiness is? For me, it is to wake up my kids in the morning - these little pieces of innocence - to wake them and find they're so happy to see me! It is unequivocal love, no question about it.

- Michael Douglas

Love, Happy, Innocence, Unequivocal

You just have to know what your responsibility is to the movie, and live up to that, and be considerate of the other actors in the scene... I have never been competitive in that way - I always want my leading ladies to be as good as they possibly can be.

- Michael Douglas

Always, Other, Been, Possibly

When you're making pictures out of heartfelt passion, it hurts when someone calls them a calculated business move.

- Michael Douglas

Business, Making, Move, Heartfelt

The message from national security experts and citizens around the world is clear: The only way to eliminate the global nuclear danger is to eliminate all nuclear weapons.

- Michael Douglas

Clear, Eliminate, Global, Weapons

My dad was a movie star. Having that name was good and bad. People think it's a silver spoon. It's not.

- Michael Douglas

Think, Movie, Having, Bad People

I've never been one to carefully calculate my career decisions, to sit on the outside looking in. I go with my passion and what moves me.

- Michael Douglas

Career, Been, Carefully, Calculate

Our economy is increasingly dependent on the success and integrity of the financial markets.

- Michael Douglas

Integrity, Increasingly, Dependent

I guess there are some women who like older men, but it's a smaller group.

- Michael Douglas

Some, Like, Smaller, Group

With 'Black Rain,' I spent a lot of time with homicide detectives, and I spent a lot of time with different brokers on 'Wall Street.' It helps get the rhythm of the piece and the tone, and how overplayed or underplayed it might be. That's also the magic of movies: You get to hang out and live these different lives.

- Michael Douglas

Magic, Tone, Hang, Homicide

I met Michael Milken for the first time with Oliver Stone at the Drexel Burnham offices in Los Angeles.

- Michael Douglas

Angeles, Offices, Stone

Actresses have more fear of being disliked. I, on the other hand, revel in it.

- Michael Douglas

More, Other, Being, Disliked

Early on, someone had told me, 'You know, the camera can always tell when you're lying.' And, Jesus, that intimidated me. 'The camera can always tell? How am I going to do this?' Until one day I thought, 'Wait a minute, acting is lying. Acting is all about lying.'

- Michael Douglas

Thought, Wait, Tell, Camera

My movies are usually about stripping off the makeup, getting down to the skeleton.

- Michael Douglas

Makeup, Movies, Getting, Stripping

When I was working on pictures with my father, there were a couple leading ladies to whom I wish I'd expressed how I felt rather than being too cool or too shy.

- Michael Douglas

I Wish, Rather, Couple, Expressed

Women are now very comfortable to have babies into their late 30s. You can be a father in your 50s. I'm not saying it's for everybody, and I think people have to get their own life secure before they take on the responsibility of a partner and children.

- Michael Douglas

Everybody, I Think, Very, Women Are

Directors have so much else to do besides tell actors what to do. There are so many issues and problems.

- Michael Douglas

Tell, Directors, Else, Besides

Every empire eventually falls.

- Michael Douglas

Falls, Eventually, Every, Empire

I've taken blame about being a bad father - if being a bad father is working your butt off trying to create a career at one time.

- Michael Douglas

Father, Career, Bad, One Time

A lot of actors get concerned about their own image, even going so far as to rewrite a movie to best serve that image. All I want to do is be in good movies.

- Michael Douglas

Movie, Image, Concerned, Rewrite

I come from a tough stock.

- Michael Douglas

Tough, Come, Stock

I have nothing against her, and in fact I'm very fond of my first wife. But we should have ended that marriage eight or 10 years earlier.

- Michael Douglas

Fact, Against, Very, Fond

There is something about seeing rhinos and lions running free that excites you. It's not that you feel afraid; it's more like you're liberated by seeing them.

- Michael Douglas

More, Like, About, Excites

I've just kind of been used to carrying movies. I look back and I'm just used to being in every single scene in a lot of pictures.

- Michael Douglas

Kind, Back, Been, Carrying

The Cold War's end pushed disarmament down most leaders' agendas. It's a sophisticated issue, which I think is one reason why it is not so hands-on to many people. It's not visceral. It's not like a starving child.

- Michael Douglas

Reason, Sophisticated, Agendas

Directing talent is very nebulous. You know, it's not in front of you like an actor's performance.

- Michael Douglas

Performance, Actor, Very, Directing

There's nothing like a family crisis, especially a divorce, to force a person to re-evaluate his life.

- Michael Douglas

Crisis, Like, His, Divorce

My mother and father met at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He was a senior and she was a junior, and their marriage didn't last very long.

- Michael Douglas

Mother And Father, Very, Junior

It's difficult for me to meet women because my crowd is much older. I know that for some of the young women I do meet, a relationship with me can be envisioned as a benefit to their career.

- Michael Douglas

Career, Some, Young Women, Envisioned

Kids know. They know everything. I would err on the side of pretty much sharing everything.

- Michael Douglas

Pretty, Side, Would, Sharing

For a long time, I can't say I was one who really enjoyed acting. I was always censoring it, or editing it, or analyzing it, rather than just going with it.

- Michael Douglas

Always, Going, Rather, Analyzing

I think sometimes in relationships, ladies like having a man who takes care of them, nurtures them. If you can't find it in a man your own age, you find it in somebody who is older.

- Michael Douglas

Think, I Think, Having, Ladies

Liberace was one of the biggest stars in America. He was a kind of a phenomenon.

- Michael Douglas

Stars, Kind, Biggest, Liberace

Liberace was a lovely guy.

- Michael Douglas

Lovely, Guy, Liberace

Everything's so repressive now - it's the No generation. You can't do anything, you can't eat anything, you have to abstain.

- Michael Douglas

Generation, Now, Eat, Abstain

Retiring gives the impression that you're relieved that your job is over.

- Michael Douglas

Impression, Over, Your, Retiring

Most of the stories I read are about my Hollywood pedigree.

- Michael Douglas

Most, Stories, Read, Pedigree

In 'Wall Street,' Charlie Sheen carried that movie.

- Michael Douglas

Street, Movie, Carried, Sheen

I don't ever do those kind of epic, huge, green-screen movies.

- Michael Douglas

Movies, Kind, Ever, Epic

When you've accomplished a certain amount in your career, you're not so focused on your ambitions.

- Michael Douglas

Career, Focused, Amount, Accomplished

Cancer didn't bring me to my knees, it brought me to my feet.

- Michael Douglas

Feet, Knees, Brought, Cancer

Serious is when they tell you, 'You've got cancer.' Cancer is serious, but then the rest of it is not.

- Michael Douglas

Rest, Serious, Tell, Cancer

I don't think tongue cancer is the best cancer for an actor.

- Michael Douglas

Think, Tongue, Actor, Cancer

Cancer has shown me what family is. It showed me a love that I never knew really existed.

- Michael Douglas

Love, Never, Shown, Cancer

The thing with cancer is that you want to get it as early as you can.

- Michael Douglas

Want, Get, Thing, Cancer

My marriage and my families come certainly before my career.

- Michael Douglas

Career, Before, Certainly, Families

The quality of health care in Canada is excellent.

- Michael Douglas

Health, Canada, Excellent, Health Care

I'm a risk-taker. Most of my career has not been a joyful experience, but it has been challenging. I like the dangers.

- Michael Douglas

Career, Been, Most, Challenging

Learning patience was not an easy lesson.

- Michael Douglas

Learning, Patience, Lesson, Easy

There are not a lot of sons or daughters of actors who have made it. Hollywood is awash with failures.

- Michael Douglas

Hollywood, Failures, Lot, Daughters

I've always been somebody who, when I started a picture, never knew what the next picture would be.

- Michael Douglas

Next, Always, Been, Picture

I've been dying to do a Marvel picture for so long.

- Michael Douglas

Dying, Been, Marvel, Picture

My mother is Bermudan, so I had a lot of memories when I was a kid, used to go down to Bermuda a lot.

- Michael Douglas

Kid, Go, Had, Memories

I enjoy provocative things that are questionable.

- Michael Douglas

Enjoy, Provocative, Things, Questionable

I have some idea of the pressure of finding your own identity with a famous father.

- Michael Douglas

Famous, Some, Idea, Finding

The one thing that men and women have in common - they both like the company of men.

- Michael Douglas

Men, Common, Like, Men And Women

It took me too long to realise that if you go to a marriage counsellor to resolve problems, it's in his interest to keep the marriage going.

- Michael Douglas

Resolve, Going, Took, Realise

I don't smile a lot in my pictures. I'm always so... grim.

- Michael Douglas

Smile, Always, Lot, Pictures

I was undeclared. I was in my third year of school. They said you have to decide upon a major, and my father was an actor. My mother was an actress. So, I thought theater might be the way to go.

- Michael Douglas

Thought, Year, Actress, Major

I've always tried to kind of stretch my wings as an actor and do things that are different.

- Michael Douglas

Actor, Stretch, Always, Wings

Religion has certainly been shoved down my throat.

- Michael Douglas

Down, Been, Certainly, Throat

If your work isn't exciting, doesn't stir the emotions, where's the challenge? Where's the progress if you always play it safe?

- Michael Douglas

Play, Emotions, Always, Safe

Like my father, like most actors, I was a pretty ambitious guy.

- Michael Douglas

Pretty, Like, Most, Ambitious

The arts are a celebration of life.

- Michael Douglas

Life, Celebration, Arts

When you are a celebrity, nothing remains secret for very long.

- Michael Douglas

Celebrity, Nothing, Very, Remains

I love kids, and I love having had this second chance to have a family.

- Michael Douglas

Love, I Love, Having, Second Chance

Of course I feel blessed that I have a wife that is 25 years younger.

- Michael Douglas

Wife, Feel, Course, Younger

To me, Bermuda is a real family spot.

- Michael Douglas

Family, Me, Real, Spot

I went into rehab to save my marriage, but I wound up saving myself.

- Michael Douglas

Marriage, Rehab, Saving, Wound

I've always worked hard and played hard, and I'm sure I'll be cleaning up my act in the future.

- Michael Douglas

Always, Sure, Played, Cleaning

I try not to dwell too much on a bad marriage.

- Michael Douglas

Marriage, Bad, Too, Dwell

I haven't played a lot of nice guys.

- Michael Douglas

Guys, Played, Lot, Nice Guys

I'm an optimistic guy.

- Michael Douglas

Guy, Optimistic

If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.

- Michael Douglas

Looks, Deal, Too, Be True

I thought I could never be the actor Dad was, so I avoided it for a while.

- Michael Douglas

Thought, Never, Actor, Avoided

I don't wish ill will on anybody.

- Michael Douglas

Wish, Will, Anybody, Ill

Celebrity gets you access to world leaders.

- Michael Douglas

Celebrity, World Leaders, Leaders

Control is what gives you privacy.

- Michael Douglas

Control, You, Gives, Privacy

During my first marriage, my career was the most important thing in my life.

- Michael Douglas

My Life, Important Thing, Career

Of course it's important to make mistakes, as long as you grow from them.

- Michael Douglas

Grow, Important, Course, Mistakes

I don't look good in tights. I know that.

- Michael Douglas

Good, Look, Know, Tights

Sometimes art imitates life.

- Michael Douglas

Life, Art, Sometimes, Imitates

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