With a career that spans over 50 years, Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas recently discussed his thoughts about changes in the movie business and being called a “nepo baby” during an informal conversation at the Red Sea Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Throughout his acting career, Douglas has seen how the rise of digital technology and streaming platforms are impacting Hollywood.
“The biggest change in my lifetime and career has been digital,” especially in sound production, Douglas said during an informal conversation last Friday. In the 1970s, filmmakers had more control over the production process, while studios focused more on the distribution business.
“It’s gone the other way in terms of both studios or, in this case, streaming services, and now this latest chapter is the advent of Silicon Valley dumbing down and just taking over what we thought was this big industry,” Douglas stated.
“Between Apple, Amazon, and Netflix, the designs of their companies are so huge, and they can afford so much,” he added.
Response to Being Called a “Nepo Baby”
A large part of the wide-ranging conversation focused on Douglas’s early acting achievements, with the actor recalling how challenging it was to make it in Hollywood in the shadow of his father, legendary actor Kirk Douglas.
Douglas doesn’t take kindly to being referred to as a “nepo baby,” which is short for nepotism baby and is a term used for individuals whose parents have succeeded in the same or similar careers. As criticism rises for actors, musicians, and other celebrities whose fame and fortune come behind that of their families, implications that these individuals receive a leg up from their families in competitive industries have circled around.
Douglas shared his thoughts on being called a “nepo baby,” stating, “I don’t know a father in whatever business, be it a plumber or a contractor or a carpenter, who doesn’t try to help his son join him … I’m a nepo baby too, you know? So that’s the way it goes,” he added.
While Kirk expressed early his reluctance at Douglas following him into acting, Douglas remembered convincing Kirk to let him executive produce Milos Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. This film went on to become a best-picture Oscar winner and raked in a fair few dollars for Kirk.
When Douglas entered the acting scene again, he established himself as an entertainment star with roles in hit movies like Fatal Attraction and Wall Street. He later added to his portfolio the lead role in the 1992 drama Basic Instinct.
Douglas shared that making it as an actor required him to overcome his early anxieties about stage fright. He said, “There’s a risk factor that also gives you the nerves when you’re starting a project. But then the nerves are just part of your career, part of your work.”
Adapting to Change
In August 2010, Douglas disclosed that he had developed a throat tumor, which required medical treatment. The actor has now recovered, sharing, “Now, I’m having a very nice time enjoying my life. I’m not retiring.” His more recent roles include Netflix’s The Kominsky Method and the Benjamin Franklin TV miniseries. Douglas also entered the Marvel Universe with his roles in Ant-Man and The Wasp, which got him into green screen acting—a first for the actor.
But Douglas is still on the lookout for new films that venture outside his comfort zone. “I still have to find a horror movie,” he added.
Douglas’s wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, was also at the Saudi Arabia festival, where she had a similar wide-ranging informal conversation. The actress reflected on her recognition for Chicago, her theater background, and the next foray into the indie film world.
“I want to turn up. I want to do some interesting work,” she said of her next project. “It goes back to my theater thinking because I don’t feel I have to prove anything to anybody. I don’t have to work hard for other people,” Zeta-Jones said.
The Red Sea Film Festival continues through Dec. 14.
