New on DVD

The legendary actor talks about his kids, 'Wall Street' and his new film, 'King of California'

By Sean Axmaker
Special to MSN Movies

When Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor -- for his role as Gordon Gekko in "Wall Street" -- most people didn't realize it wasn't his first Oscar. In 1976 he walked away with the Best Picture award as the producer of a little film called "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Those two careers -- actor and film producer -- continued in parallel. While producing such films as "The China Syndrome," "Romancing the Stone" and "The Rainmaker," he strolled off "The Streets of San Francisco" to became one of Hollywood's most successful leading men, thanks to a knack for tapping into the cultural zeitgeist with roles in "Wall Street," "Fatal Attraction" and "Basic Instinct." Now in his 60s (and aging gracefully), he has a whole new career, of sorts: husband (he married Catherine Zeta-Jones in 2000) and father of two young children. But he's not given up on the acting quite yet. "King of California," his most recent film, casts him as a shaggy eccentric who steps out of a mental institution and into a treasure hunt, dragging his reluctant teenage daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) along for the adventure. We caught him during his busy promotional tour to talk about his new film, his old projects, and what he's been watching on DVD.

MSN Movies: What's in your DVD player?

Michael Douglas: The last thing I saw on DVD was called "Dinosaur Life," which was a film that I narrated for the Natural History Museum in New York, because it's the first movie that my son can see that I've done. So even though I'm not in the movie, he hears my voice and he finally understands what I do for a living. And I got a great review. He said, "Daddy, that's the best movie I've ever seen you do."

Do your kids pretty much define what you watch at home now?

Oh yeah. He's into "Blue Planet" and he loves his documentaries, and the computer graphics on these dinosaur pictures is amazing. It's almost like learning Latin. He knows the names of all these deceased dinosaurs. It's just fantastic.

Have you revisited "The Streets of San Francisco" since it came out on DVD?

I haven't. But I have the best memories of my life. That show really defined me, both as an actor and as a producer. I had tremendous stage fright, and simply doing 104 hours in front of the camera did a lot to help. Also, in terms of script, of story, of making a 52-minute film in seven shooting days, I learned an incredible amount about production. And when I left the show in the fifth year to produce "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," I was shocked how much I knew as a producer. And, finally, Karl Malden. Karl Malden is my mentor. He has a work ethic bar none and really was the person who shaped me as an actor and gave me the stamina and the tenacity to go on.

A new edition of "Wall Street" just came out on DVD. Gordon Gekko, a villain in the film, has quite ironically become a hero in financial circles, his "Greed is good" philosophy embraced. Your own social concerns couldn't be more different. How do you feel about that?

It's bizarre. I guess it goes with the territory. But I am amazed. If I have one more drunken investment banker come staggering up to me screaming, "You're the man ..." "Gordon went to jail, you know," I remind them. And they go, "Ahhh, that doesn't matter."

As a producer as well as an actor of your stature, you have your pick of parts. What was it about "King of California," a small, independent comedy, that interested you enough to make it?

It's always been the script for me, whether I'm producing or acting. I have not worked a lot since I got married and started raising kids, which really, for the first time in my life, has become my first priority. You know, work-wise, you feel like you've done it. So there's something that's kind of special, that feels kind of magical. I look at that. Then it's a part that I haven't done or done in a while, so why not? And, finally, I enjoy working fast. I don't mind these tight, independent budgets and schedules. I'm kind of used to it.

"King of California" and "It Runs in the Family," which you produced and starred in with your father, Kirk Douglas, are all about family relationships. Is this something that has become important to you again since having become a father again?

I guess so. "It Runs in the Family" was as much about trying to get a picture together with my father, and as it turned out it was also with my son and my mother. I really enjoyed that chance to really spend some time together. But yeah, certainly, family is more on my mind than getting the girl. I've got the girl and I've got the kids, so I'm less interested in this show-biz dance.

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In addition to his regular contributions to MSN Movies, Sean Axmaker is a film critic for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and a DVD columnist for MSN Entertainment. He is also a contributing writer for GreenCine.com, Turner Classic Movies Online and Asian Cult Cinema, among other publications.