Hollywood pays tribute to 'incredible icon' Kirk Douglas

Los Angeles: Hollywood celebrities paid tribute to legendary Kirk Douglas, the last of the giants who ruled Hollywood's Golden Age, following the news of the actor's death.

He passed away on Wednesday at his home in Beverly Hills here. His son the actor Michael Douglas announced the death in a statement on his Facebook page.

After the news of his demise, stars came together on social media to share tributes to and memories of the late actor reports hollywoodreporter.com.

Michael shared a heartwarming note on Instagram, saying: "It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103. To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in setting a standard for all of us to aspire to."

In a statement, filmmaker Steven Spielberg expressed how "honoured" he felt to have worked with the late actor.

"Kirk retained his movie star charisma right to the end of his wonderful life and I'm honoured to have been a small part of his last 45 years. I will miss his handwritten notes, letters and fatherly advice, and his wisdom and courage - even beyond such a breathtaking body of work - are enough to inspire me for the rest of mine," Spielberg said.

Actress Lee Purcell said: "It is with great sadness and respect that I reflect upon the passing of Kirk Douglas. When we worked together on the feature film ‘Run', it was a joyful and humbling experience to see Kirk, already the icon of icons for decades, come bounding onto the set each day brimming over with enthusiasm and energy. He set a fine example for everyone from cast to crew to execs. I have a lovely note he sent me just a couple of months ago on my office wall visible as I write this that I will always treasure. Bon Voyage, Kirk, you are a true mensch. My deepest condolences to Anne, Michael and the rest of the family."

Actor Rob Reiner also paid his respects to Kirk through a post on Twitter. He posted: "Kirk Douglas will always be an icon in the pantheon of Hollywood. He put himself on the line to break the blacklist. My love goes out to my friend Michael and the whole family."

Actor Ed Asner also took to Twitter to express his condolences, writing "I will always be in awe. May your memory forever be a blessing".

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis wrote: "‘I love you 'Spartacus', like the father I never had'. Antoninus… I did have a father and he loved you as the world loved you. Your Passion. Talent. Politics. Family. Art. Strength. I grew up with the Douglas boys. My love to Anne and all his family from mine."

Danny DeVito also wrote: "Kirk Douglas. The inspirational Scalawag. 103 years on this earth. That's got a nice ring to it! Great hanging with you man."

Bruce Campbell declared Kirk as "a pillar of Hollywood has fallen", reports variety.com.

Mitzi Gaynor, one of Douglas' former co-stars in the Golden Age of Hollywood, thanked him for "sharing your amazing talent with all of us".

Actor Mark Hamill wrote: "Kirk Douglas was one of the biggest stars of all time & a brilliant actor with an unforgettable, blazing charisma. He will also be remembered for putting his career on the line by defying the Hollywood Blacklist, hiring writer Dalton Trumbo for the classic Spartacus. #RIP".