When you have a stroke, you must talk slowly to be understood, and I’ve discovered that when I talk slowly, people listen. They think I’m going to say something important! – Kirk Douglas
Virtue is not photogenic. What is it to be a nice guy? To be nothing, that’s what. A big fat zero with a smile for everybody. – Kirk Douglas
No matter how bad things are, they can always be worse. So what if my stroke left me with a speech impediment? Moses had one, and he did all right. – Kirk Douglas
I was living in a terrible time when people were being accused of being communists, and they attacked the movie industry, especially the writers. People couldn’t work if they were on the blacklist. The studios banned them. It was the most onerous period in movie history. I don’t think we have ever had a period so dark as that. – Kirk Douglas
All children are natural actors, and I’m still a kid. If you grow up completely, you can never be an actor. – Kirk Douglas
All my life, I have taken inventory at intervals. For example, when I became a movie actor and suddenly I had to deal with fame, money and playing so many roles, I lost myself. I said, ‘Who am I?’ And I wrote my first book to deal with that, ‘The Ragman’s Son.’ – Kirk Douglas
Virtue is not photogenic, so I liked playing bad guys. But, whenever I played a bad guy, I tried to find something good in him, and that kept my contact with the audience. – Kirk Douglas
I studied Judaism a lot. I studied religion in general, and I have never imposed my Judaism on my kids. They are what they want to be. I think… you must care for others. That’s the correct religion, I think. – Kirk Douglas
I’m an actor; I have made my living by acting, and I almost think I owe it to the public to express my feelings and not as a character on a screen but as myself. – Kirk Douglas
You know, sometimes an interviewer will look at me and say – you’re bright! They’re actually surprised I might be bright. – Kirk Douglas
I have been an actor for most of my life. When I started out, I didn’t think about anything except what was good for me. Like many movie stars, I became all wrapped up in myself. – Kirk Douglas
People are always talking about the old days. They say that the old movies were better, that the old actors were so great. But I don’t think so. All I can say about the old days is that they have passed. – Kirk Douglas
My mother, we were a very poor family. When I was a kid, we would be in our little room, and there would be a knock on the door almost every night with a hobo begging for food. Even though we didn’t even have enough to eat, my mother always found something to give them. – Kirk Douglas
If I thought a man had never committed a sin in his life, I don’t think I’d want to talk with him. A man with flaws is more interesting. – Kirk Douglas
Sometimes an interviewer will look at me and say, ‘You’re bright!’ They’re actually surprised I might be bright. – Kirk Douglas
I was not a very good Jew. I never practised what Judaism tells you to do, to teach your kids all about Judaism. – Kirk Douglas
