Michael Douglas in Taormina: ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ Changed My Life

TAORMINA – Fifty years ago, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was released and it changed Michael Douglas’s life forever, even though he never acted in it.“It was the first film I produced and the most successful one,” said the legendary actor, guest of the 71st Taormina Film Festival, where he is being honored at the Teatro Antico.
“It was an incredible experience. I was very lucky because it was a film I inherited from my father, who had optioned it in the 1960s but was never able to get it made. I read the book in college and didn’t even know he had been trying to turn it into a movie. I worked on it for many years, and when it finally came together, it changed my life. I loved the project, but I had no idea it would become such a success. It confirmed to me that I had good instincts. We did global promotion—I even came to Rome, where I spent an evening with Antonioni, De Sica, Bertolucci and Lina Wertmüller. Jack Nicholson and I were warmly received; there was no jealousy, because everyone loved the film.”

If One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was his biggest stroke of luck (aside from meeting his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones), his greatest disappointment has been “the most recent U.S. elections.” “I was born during World War II, but this moment feels even worse,” he commented, “I believe my country bears enormous responsibility for the chaos in the world today. I feel ashamed, and I apologize to everyone who doesn’t live in the U.S. There are wars everywhere. That’s why I believe now is the right time to tell stories and make films.”

Even though he won an Oscar as a producer 50 years ago, Douglas is mostly remembered for his acting roles. “I’m a second-generation actor,” he said. “At first, everyone told me, ‘You’re just like your father.’ The biggest challenge was finding my own identity. Winning the Oscar for Best Actor for Wall Street was crucial as it got me out of my father’s shadow. It was the first time I felt truly recognized as an actor. I had won the Oscar that my father, despite three nominations, had never managed to get and that gave me a lot of confidence and self-assurance. People assume that being the child of an actor means you have a paved road, but all parents help their kids, but they can only do so much once you have to stand on your own.”

“It’s hard enough to be successful across two generations, let alone three,” he added, referring to his children Dylan and Carys. “I did it out of a sense of proving myself to my parents. I started in theater because it felt like the easiest environment, but I was terrified of the stage. I used to throw up before going on. Both my children now act. My wife and I appreciate their talent and passion, and we see no reason not to support them.”

On the challenges actors face as they age, he continued: “I do think it’s a bit harder for women to age in this profession. That said, as I’m seeing with my daughter, actresses are now getting noticed and sought after much earlier than their male counterparts.”

Dougles further on discussed his career choices: “I’ve always studied scripts carefully to figure out if it was a good film. Sometimes it’s better to play a small role in a great film than a big part in a bad one. The best advice I can give is: don’t waste your time on mediocre ideas. One should always try to write or choose the best. I think that’s the common thread in my career: focusing on quality films is what built my reputation as an actor.” More recently, curiosity has been his main driver: “I did Ant-Man because I’d never done a movie with so many special effects. I felt like an idiot, because I had to follow directions with nothing around me. It’s not one of my favorite films, but I have great respect for everyone involved and think it turned out well. I did The Kominsky Method because I had never done a comedy, and the Benjamin Franklin series because I’d never acted in a period drama. Practically all my films have been set in the present day.”

“While making Wall Street, I realized acting is really about lying,” Douglas concluded. “Actors are great liars. Sometimes you live real experiences, but often, you’re faking it—and some are better at it than others. When you’re acting, there is no need to worry. No one can tell if you’re being truthful or not. Not even the camera.”