Anne Buydens Douglas
Anne Buydens Douglas is the long time wife of Hollywood golden-age actor, Kirk Douglas. The couple has been married since 1954 and have one fo the longest marriages in the industry.
Keep reading to know Anne Buydens Douglas’s biography.
Anne Buydens’ husband was born Issur Danielovitch in poverty in New York to a Jewish father and Protestant mother, Douglas went to the city’s Academy of Dramatic Arts.
His illustrious career has taken in some of cinema’s landmark roles. He was in more than 80 movies.
Douglas, the son of illiterate Russian immigrants, appeared in some of cinema’s most iconic roles, from slave Spartacus and painter Vincent van Gogh to Western legend Doc Holliday.
“Champion” (1949) earned him the first of three Oscar nominations for best actor, an award that has eluded him but was finally snared by his son Michael for “Wall Street” (1987).
Among his most famous films were 1956 Van Gogh biopic “Lust for Life,” “Gunfight at the OK Corral” (1957), “Spartacus” (1960) and “Seven Days in May” (1964).
The three-time Oscar nominee, who received the Academy’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement award in 1996.
Douglas also escaped death after surviving a helicopter crash and a stroke. The star retired from the industry because of speech problems following his 1996 stroke.
However, he’s been active in charity work along with his soul mate for more than 60-years.
With Douglas pushing 100 years of age, he recently revealed in an article for Closer Weekly, his love for Anne, is the secret to his longevity.
Anne Buydens was born Hannelore Marx on 23 April 1919; in Hanover, Germany . The German born is a former actress and film producer.
She was raised in Belgium after her family moved there when she was still a teen –to avoid the country’s World War II turmoil.
Anne, who became a Belgian citizen, went to school in the country and later moved to Paris –where she worked subtitling films.
It was in Paris, that she her future husband. At the time Anne had been hired to help Kirk with press and translation during the filming of “Act of Love.”
Anne Buydens became Mrs. Douglas on 29 May 1954. She became a US citizen in 1959.
At the time, Anne became the step mother to Kirk’s two sons from his first marriage.
Kirk Douglas was first married to actress Diana Dill Douglas, from 1943 until their divorce in 1951. The couple became parents to actor, Michael Douglas and producer, Joel Douglas. Diana Douglas died in 2015 at age 92.
Anne and Diane had an amicable relationship with Diane saying once
I think that after [Kirk] got married to Anne, [she] made it very much easier, because she and I cooperated very much in terms of bedtimes and what they could watch on television and that kind of thing.”
Anne Buydens Douglas and Kirk Douglas also welcomed two children of their own; sons: Peter Douglas who is a producer and Eric Douglas –an actor.
The couple suffered the loss of their son Eric in 2004. He accidentally died on an overdose of alcohol and prescription drugs.
Anne Buydens Douglas is also the proud grandmother to four grandchildren: Tyler, Ryan, Kelsey and Jason –via her son Peter.
As a Hollywood exec, Anne Buydens Douglas, produced Deep River and Kirk Douglas: Before I Forget, both from 2009. As an actress, Anne had her only acting role on The Jack Benny Program in 1962.
Over the year, Anne raised the couple’s two sons and also ran her husband’s production company.
The couple has been married for 62-years and have enjoyed of Hollywood treatment since. Though it hasn’t been all happiness.
The couple endured many difficult times over the years including extramarital affairs on Kirks part and the loss of their son. However, they have survived it all. Kirk told the L.A Times speaking about Anne:
Anne has saved my life more than a few times. With uncanny intuition, she refused to let me join Mike Todd on his fateful flight east. We stopped speaking over that one until we heard the news the next morning. Elizabeth Taylor became a widow, but not my Anne. When I had my stroke 17 years ago, she drove me to the hospital like a Formula One racer. And when I wallowed in self-pity because of my impaired speech, she made me get up and work with a speech therapist. To this day, I write her love poems; to this day, she continues to give me tough love.
They renewed their vows in 2004 and on their 60th wedding anniversary the couple had a big party.
Anne Buydens Douglas and her husband have turned increasingly to philanthropy, and have expressed their intention to give most of their fortune to charity on their deaths.
The couple have rebuilt 400 school playgrounds in Los Angeles and were behind the establishment of “Harry’s Haven,” an Alzheimer’s unit named after Kirk’s father at the Motion Picture and Television Fund Home in Woodland Hills, California.
