Dec. 9 marks the 100th birthday of Kirk Douglas, one of the last surviving actors of Hollywood’s golden age. Known for his iconic roles in classic films such as Spartacus, Vincente Minnelli’s Lust For Life and Champion, Douglas has been nominated for three Best Actor Oscars and is the father of two-time Oscar-winner Michael Douglas. Here are three things to know about one of America’s beloved movie stars: Kirk Douglas is not his real name Douglas was born Issur Danielovitch in Amsterdam, a small town in New York, to Jewish parents who fled to the U.S.