Michael Douglas Reveals Family Struggles

In a candid interview, Academy Award winning actor Michael Douglas sat down with Vanity Fair to discuss the challenges facing his family. With his eldest son in the midst of a drug trafficking trial- and facing 10 years in prison- the Wall Street star, 65, opens up about the additions that have plagued his family for three generations, the strained relationship he has had with his own father, as well as how fatherhood is different the second time around.

As the son of legendary actor Kirk Douglas, Michael turned to alcohol, with the alcoholism reaching its peak while he himself was at a peak career-wise. Of the troubled road that he and his peers in the industry have faced, Douglas said, “The history of second-generation actors isn’t great in our industry. It’s kind of a tragic road, actually.” Michael's alcoholism, along with rumors of infidelity contributed to the demise of his first marriage to Diandra Luker, with whom he had his first child, son Cameron, now 31.

Douglas also owned up to his role in his sons ill-fate up to this point, “Anybody who has a relative or child in substance abuse has some idea of what this feels like. This is one of those worst-case scenarios. It will ultimately be a painful lesson and very expensive as far as time is concerned. I don’t wish it on anybody, but then, you know, look, everybody’s got difficult things in life.” He adds, "My priorities were very similar [to my father’s], Career first.”

With a new marriage to fellow actor Catherine Zeta-Jones, in 2000, Douglas had a second chance at fatherhood. The couple welcomed a son, Dylan, in 2000, and daughter Carys in 2003. Zeta-Jones says of Douglas as a parent, “I’m sure if he could breast-feed, he would have. He has more time to spend with them [Dylan, nine, and Carys, six] and to focus on them.”

Michael Douglas has slowly been putting the pieces back together in his life, with a reconciliation with father Kirk in 1996, a new marriage and welcoming of two children, and a career that continues to thrive. He notes that he and his father have never been closer, and Vanity Fair adds that perhaps there there is hope that there could be a second chance for Michael and son Cameron.

Photo: Bauer Griffin