Michael Douglas revealed he gave half of his producing fee from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" to his father, Kirk Douglas, after taking over a project his father had spent years trying to get made.
Michael Douglas opened up about the decision in an interview with The Guardian published Tuesday in which he reflected on the long development of the 1975 film, which went on to win five Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Kirk Douglas had originally acquired the rights to Ken Kesey's novel and starred as Randle McMurphy in a 1963 Broadway adaptation following the success of "Spartacus."
Michael Douglas said he first read the book while in college and was drawn to it immediately.
"Reading it, and being a hippie at the time, and the psychedelics that were involved and all that, it was kind of a Bible for us," he told The Guardian.
Kirk Douglas spent years trying to mount a film version but was unable to move the project forward. When he decided to sell the rights, Michael Douglas asked for the chance to take over, despite having no producing experience. His father agreed.
"I never thought about producing but I said 'Let me run with it' and he was generous enough and kind enough to let that happen," Douglas said. "As a result, we finally got it made. My half of the producing fee I gave to Dad and he made more money off of that than any movie he had done in his career."
While the financial outcome worked in Kirk Douglas' favor, the project carried a personal cost. By the time the film was ready to move ahead, nearly 15 years after the Broadway run, Kirk Douglas was no longer right for the role of McMurphy. The part ultimately went to Jack Nicholson.
Michael Douglas said his father struggled with the loss of the role.
"But he was disappointed at not being able to play the part, which always had been an issue," he said, adding that strong roles are rare for actors. "The only saving grace was when he finally saw the picture he loved it and he loved Jack [Nicholson]'s work."
Despite the disappointment, Michael Douglas said his father was proud of the finished film and of his son's role in making it happen.
Kirk Douglas, he said, showed "how proud and impressed" he felt after seeing it.
"He looked at me with a new eye, something you couldn't believe, because to your father you were always a kid and so it was nice. But yeah, he liked to remind me about it."
Michael Douglas addressed the same period earlier this year in a July interview with Entertainment Weekly, describing the moment he had to tell his father he would not be cast in the film.
"It wasn't easy," he said.
Michael Douglas recalled seeing his father on Broadway, and asking for the opportunity to revive the project when the rights were being sold. At the time, he hoped his father might still play the lead. As the years passed, that became impossible.
"So yes, that was my job: having to tell my dad," Douglas said.
He said the decision carried added weight because of how few major roles actors receive over a career.
"And as a young actor, I knew how few really good parts there are in your career," he said. "This is one of maybe four, you know, great parts that he could have had."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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