Kirk Douglas is a person who acts.
The Academy Awards , now known officially as the Oscars , is a set of twenty-four awards for artistic and technical merit in the American film industry , given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ) , to recognize excellence in cinematic achievements as assessed by the Academy 's voting membership . Champion (1949 film) . The drama features Kirk Douglas , Marilyn Maxwell , and Arthur Kennedy . Kirk Douglas . Douglas became an international star through positive reception for his leading role as an unscrupulous boxing hero in Champion ( 1949 ) , which brought him his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor . Lust for Life (film) . The film stars Kirk Douglas as Van Gogh , James Donald as his brother Theo , Pamela Brown , Everett Sloane and Anthony Quinn , who won an Oscar for his performance as Van Gogh 's fast friend and rival Paul Gauguin . The Bad and the Beautiful . It stars Lana Turner , Kirk Douglas , Walter Pidgeon , Dick Powell , Barry Sullivan , Gloria Grahame and Gilbert Roland .