THE OVAL OFFICE

MICHAEL DOUGLAS

An actor with over twenty years experience in theatre, film and television, MICHAEL DOUGLAS received the 1987 Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in "Wall Street." As both an actor and producer, he has shown an uncanny knack for choosing projects that reflect changing trends and public concerns. Over the past twelve years, he has been involved in such controversial and politically influential motion pictures as "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "The China Syndrome" and "Fatal Attraction" as well as such popular films as "Romancing the Stone," "The War of the Roses" and "Basic Instinct."

The son of Kirk and Diana Douglas, Michael was born in New Jersey. He attended the elite preparatory Choate School, and spent his summers with his father on movie sets. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Upon graduation, Douglas moved to New York for dramatic training, first with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse, and then with Wynn Handman at the American Place Theatre.

Soon after arriving in New York, Douglas got his first big break when he was cast in the CBS Playhouse drama "The Experiment," which was televised in February 1969.

His impressive performance won him the leading role in the feature "Hail, Hero." He went on to star in films "Summertree" and "Napoleon and Samantha."

In between film assignments, Douglas worked in summer stock and off-Broadway productions. He also appeared in episodes of the popular series "Medical Center" and "The FBI."

Impressed with Douglas' performance in a segment of "The FBI," producer Quinn Martin signed the actor for the part of Karl Malden's sidekick in the police series "The Streets of San Francisco," which became one of ABC's highest rated prime-time programs in the mid-1970's. Douglas earned three successive Emmy Award nominations for his performance, and he directed two episodes of the series.

Douglas then formed his film production company, Big Stick Productions, Ltd. Long interested in producing a film version of Ken Kesey's novel "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," Douglas purchased the movie rights from his father, formed a partnership with Saul Zaentz, a record industry executive, and the two set about recruiting the cast and crew.

A critical and commercial success, the film won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Actress, and went on to gross more than $180 million at the box office.

He then acquired Michael Gray's chilling script of an attempted cover-up of an accident at a nuclear power plant. In order to finance the film, Douglas teamed up with Jane Fonda and her own motion picture production company, IPC Films, to produce "The China Syndrome" in 1979. The Michael Douglas-IPC Films co-production starred Jack Lemmon, Jane Fonda, and Michael Douglas and received Academy Award nominations for Lemmon and Fonda, as well as Best Screenplay. The National Board of Review named the film one of the best films of the year.

Douglas also starred in Michael Crichton's medical thriller "Coma" with Genevieve Bujold, "It's My Turn" with Jill Clayburgh, "The Star Chamber," "Running" and in Richard Attenborough's screen version of "A Chorus Line."

Douglas' career as an actor/producer came together again in 1984 with the release of "Romancing the Stone" directed by Robert Zemeckis, also starring Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito. A resounding hit, the film grossed more than $100 million at the box office. Douglas was named Producer of the Year in 1984 by the National Association of Theater Owners. Douglas, Turner and DeVito re-teamed in 1985 for the successful sequel, "The Jewel of the Nile."

He also co-produced "Starman." The film, which starred Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen, was the sleeper hit of the 1984 Christmas season. Douglas went on to create a television series based on the film for ABC which starred Robert Hays.

In 1987 Douglas appeared in two of the year's biggest hits. He starred opposite Glenn Close in "Fatal Attraction" and followed this with Oliver Stone's "Wall Street," earning him the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Douglas next starred in Ridley Scott's thriller "Black Rain" and then re-teamed with Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito in "The War of the Roses."

In 1988 Douglas formed Stonebridge Entertainment, Inc. which produced "Flatliners." In 1992 he starred in "Basic Instinct" with Sharon Stone. Directed by Paul Verhoeven, the film became one of the year's top grossing films. He went on to star in "Falling Down" with Robert Duvall and Barbara Hershey and produced "Made in America" starring Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson. Most recently he starred in Barry Levinson's film of Michael Crichton's best-seller "Disclosure" with Demi Moore. Douglas and producer Steven Reuther became partners last year in Douglas/Reuther Productions. Their first production, "The Ghost and the Darkness" starring Val Kilmer, started filming in October. With Paramount, they co-produced Sydney Pollock's "Sabrina" starring Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond which will be released for the 1995 Holiday season.

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