We all know the name Kirk Douglas. The actor has always been charitable with his large amount of money but has not always done what we might expect with it.
Douglas’s children have not received much if any help from the actor’s finances.
The reason why might surprise you.
“Spartacus” and “The Bad and the Beautiful” are just two of the many global hits that famed actor Kirk Douglas starred in.
Kirk has worked with countless actors, actresses, and directors in Hollywood, including the esteemed Billy Wonder and Vincent Minnelli. However, many are unaware that the “Ace in the Hole” star comes from very humble beginnings.
Douglas’s father was a Russian immigrant who came to America and eventually settled in Amsterdam, New York. Eventually, Harry was able to send for his wife to come to New York as well, and the two settled down as Harry began to take some semblance of work as a ragman.
The couple had seven children, and Kirk was born as the only male child. As he explained in a 2017 interview with the Wall Street Journal, he was raised as the only brother to six girls.
In the same interview, Kirk explained how much poverty affected the family, even saying that they often did not have enough money to feed all of them.
He goes on to describe the bones his sisters would beg for to help their mother cook soup. Kirk himself resorted to occasional theft to keep from starving, saying,
“When I was hungry, I stole food – an egg from under a neighbor’s hen or a tomato from a garden. I also wiped fruit and vegetables from a stand.”
He admits he felt immense guilt for a while after taking food from others, but the conditions at the time did not make it easy for the family. Kirk even described how dismal their sleeping conditions were, with him sleeping on an old sofa and his sister splitting 2 bedrooms.
His parents slept in the final bedroom, separated from their son. Douglas expresses that he often felt distant from the father he loved, saying,
“I loved my father but wondered if he loved me. I wanted to win his praise and affection. But he was distant.”
