Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones’ daughter Carys Douglas is paying tribute to one of the most legendary members of her family — her late grandfather, Kirk Douglas.
The renowned screen icon would’ve turned 108 years old on December 9, 2024, and 21-year-old Carys marked the day with a sweet tribute to him.
Alongside a throwback snap of the pair cozying up for a sweet family photo, she wrote: “Happy heavenly birthday my darling Papy,” revealing her nickname for her grandfather.
Kirk passed away in 2020 at the age of 103 as a proud grandfather of seven. Back in April, Michael, 80, made an appearance on The Jess Cagle Show and spoke about his relationship with his father, specifically discussing the pros and cons of being the son of a Hollywood star.
“I think the advantage is that you were able to see your father as a movie star, his friends, Burt Lancaster, Gregory Peck, others, Tony Curtis… Frank Sinatra and you see them with their own foibles,” he said admiringly.
“You see them as regular people who had issues just like everybody else and it took a lot of that pizzazz out of the thing, and I think helped you conduct your own life in a more practically easier way.”
He continued: “You weren’t affected by all the stuff like a lot of people who never come in before so that was a big advantage,” but then noted that the disadvantage was separating his identity from his lookalike dad’s.
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“I think the disadvantage is I remember earlier on as an actor where you’re trying to create your own identity and they’re all saying, ‘Oh, that looks just like your father. Oh my God, you sound just like your father.’ Well thank you very much.”
© Getty Images“You’re sort of feeling like, ‘Well, who am I?'” the Oscar-winning actor and producer added. “So I think it takes you longer to get your own identity and it took me longer to sort of step out of the shadow of my dad.”
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“Which I didn’t really feel it until the year of, kind of Fatal Attraction and Wall Street together and the commercial success of Fatal Attraction and winning the Oscar for Wall Street sort of finally got me free of that shadow and I think that was a big moment.”
© Getty ImagesIn a different conversation on the show Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?, he spoke about their rollercoaster relationship. “It was different stages,” he remarked.
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“It was not particularly good in the beginning, probably it was just because of the amount of work that he was doing. He just — career definitely went first before family,” he added, but then noted that their relationship improved as he got older.
© Getty Images“But then in the sort of third act of his career, I think the second act, he was a little stunned that I was having a certain degree of success. It is a reminder for me now as I’m into my third act that we can change,” he continued. “And we were very close. So I’m happy to say that by the time he was ending his life and before that, the last 15, 20 years, were a joy to be with him.”
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