Diana Douglas, the mother of Michael Douglas, has passed away at the age of 92. The actress, who was the first wife of Kirk Douglas, died in a retirement home on Friday after a battle with cancer, her husband of 15 years Donald Webster sadly confirmed.Diana appeared in dozens of films and TV shows, including Planes, Trains and Automobiles, The West Wing and ER.
Diana Douglas, Kirk Douglas, Michael Douglas and Cameron Douglas
She first met Kirk when she was studying acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. They tied the knot in 1943 and had two sons together – Michael and Joel Douglas – before their divorce in 1951. They remained on good terms, and in 2003 she appeared with Michael, Kirk and grandson Cameron in It Runs In The Family.In 1956, Diana married Broadway producer Bill Darrid and they were together until his death in 1992. She married Donald in 2002, and together they shared a "wonderful late-life marriage". "She was a person much beloved by everyone," he told CNN. "One of her greatest qualities was that she was always thinking of the other person."
Diana and Kirk Douglas were married from 1943 until 1951
The Douglas family matriarch was born Diana Love Dill in 1923 in Devonshire, Bermuda, the youngest of six children. She made her film debut in 1942 in Keeper of the Flame, starring Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn.Her TV credits spanned the decades and included a variety of roles, both big and small, from Cagney & Lacey and Dynasty to a recurring role on Days of Our Lives. She also appeared in an episode of The Streets of San Francisco, the detective series that launched her son’s career. In total, Diana appeared in nearly 60 TV shows, 22 films and numerous plays.The screen star is survived by husband Donald, sons Michael and Joel and her three grandchildren, Cameron, Dylan and Carys.