Michael Douglas Feeling Better, Ready to Get Back to Work

By John Mitchell Posted Dec 1st 2010 01:06PM

Michael Douglas is on the mend and ready to get back to work. In his first interview since undergoing aggressive treatment to battle stage 4 throat cancer, the 66-year-old Oscar winner tells the Hollywood Reporter that while the illness has "certainly put a little perspective on mortality" it's also "shown me what family is."

Douglas is already prepping for the title role in director Steven Soderbergh's 'Liberace,' a bio pic of the famed entertainer, which is set to begin shooting in May or June. "I've got a bunch of tapes of performances," Douglas tells THR. "I'm thinking; I'm a blank slate. Everything shows me he was a lovely man; I just want to reconfirm that."

But before Douglas can throw himself into the 'Traffic' director's much-delayed film, his focus is squarely on his health. In January, the 'Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps' star will have a PET scan to determine whether his tumor has been eliminated entirely.

Until recently, Douglas had been keeping an especially low profile as he recovered from eight weeks of intensive chemotherapy and radiation treatment. But over the Thanksgiving holiday, the actor was spotted looking happy and healthy with wife Catherine Zeta-Jones and their two children, Dylan, 10, and Carys, 7, at Disney's Epcot theme park. Concerns over the cancer treatment's effects on the actor's distinctive voice also appear to have been presumptive, as THR notes that during its interview Douglas sounded "as seductive as ever."

The good news is in marked contrast to reports that surfaced in mid-October that had the actor on his deathbed -- a charge his longtime press rep, Alan Burry, emphatically denied. Whispers about the actor's condition began after 'Wall Street' director Oliver Stone told reporters at a press conference in Berlin that the state of Douglas' health was "precarious." Soon after, rumors circulated that the actor had altered his will and that his 93-year-old father, legendary actor Kirk Douglas, had relocated to New York to be with his son.

Burry shot down all of the allegations. "Michael is totally focused on his recovery ... [he] hasn't changed his will recently, and he isn't contemplating changing it," Burry told PEOPLE in October. "It's been very difficult, [but] doctors are very pleased with how he responded to treatment. They think he's doing really well."

Douglas has also been visiting his son Cameron at the Pennsylvania prison where he is serving a five-year sentence for dealing large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine. "He's not going every day and not as often as he would like, but he is still visiting with him," Burry told RadarOnline.

The actor -- who filmed his part in Soderbergh's next project, the action-thriller 'Haywire' (due in April), before his cancer diagnosis -- also recently received good news in his ongoing legal battle with ex-wife Diandra Douglas over her claim to part of his earnings from 'Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.' Diandra had claimed she was entitled to half of Michael's earnings from the 'Wall Street' sequel as part of her divorce settlement from the actor, which included a stipulation that she receive 50 percent of any earnings he receives from any movies he did -- including residuals, merchandising and ancillary rights -- during their 23-year marriage. According to Diandra's lawyers, that provision includes any "spinoffs" of his films.

Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Matthew Cooper dismissed the case on Nov. 15, citing his opinion that a New York courtroom was not an appropriate setting for the suit because Michael and Diandra's divorce was finalized in California. "He's thrilled," Michael's lawyer, Marilyn Chinitz, told the New York Post at the time of the verdict. "This is the right decision ... This action should have never been brought in the first place."

Diandra Douglas now must consider whether she wants to drop the suit or refile it in California.

Having made it through what has been an extremely rough year, Douglas is optimistic about the future. "As I looked through the stats, I didn't think of this as life and death; I just saw it as an illness to get over. So I didn't dig into the bottom of my soul to see what I could see," the actor tells THR. "[But] It showed me a love that I never knew really existed."

Tags: Michael Douglas

Comments

(50)

Wednesday 01 December

By Linda

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HAPPY AND HEALTHY? MAYBRE HAPPY, BUT NOT HEALTHY. HE LOOKS RAVAGED. MY FATHER IN LAW DIED FROM THIS CANCER. I WISH HIM LUCK, BUT I AM NOT SO SURE HE IS OK. ESOPHAGEAL CANCER IS DEADLY, AND WHEN CAUGHT LATE EVEN DEADLIER. I AGAIN WISH HIM LUCK, BUT....I AM NOT SO SURE HE IS OUT OF THE WOODS. THOSE WHO MIGHT GET MAD AT ME...TO BAD. I AM CALLING IT AS I SEE IT AND I WAS THERE WHEN MY FATHER IN LAW GOT SICK AND FOUGHT THIS AS WELL AND IT EVENTUALLY GOT HIM. I AM REALISTIC. THIS CANCER IS A BAD CANCER AND TO BE IN STAGE FOUR WITH A TUMOR..IT DOES NOT GET MUCH WORSE. MY FATHER IN LAW WENT THROUGH TREATMENTS LIKE MICHAEL IS DOING ALSO, AND IT DID NOT SAVE HIS LIFE. SO HEY...I CALL IT AS I SEE IT. SORRY. AGAIN, GOOD LUCK MICHAEL.

By smartgirl06

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Shut up! How dare you even speculate on someone's condition and go on and on and on. It's not for you to say ANYTHING just because the space exists. You really like to hear your own voice--that being the case go talk in the mirror

By billyfb

I had what he had and the same treatments he just had. Considering the hell he has just been through he looks great. I'm a 5 year survivor as of this month. You CAN beat this stuff, its not always a death sentence. Good luck Michael

By Babs

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I actually thought he looked pretty good, yes, I've seen it to in friends and family and he looks like he is doing quite well. How can you speculate his condition anyway?

By Candace

Linda, Michael Douglas has throat cancer, not esophageal cancer. There is a difference. My husband had EC and died 9 years ago at age 39. Either way, it's a horrific disease.

By Q

One thing you do NOT do is take away hope for the patient and family. My mom had cancer. I remember on woman saying "sorry but she probably won't make it". IDIOT. To this day I do not speak to her. Whether true or not, you do not do that to a family.

By shep muncie

Be well man . You are one far out cat

gosh I wish they had something besides all caps . Maybe bright orange would help

By CAPS

If the person want"s to use cap"s he can If you don"t like it tough.

By BARB

TRY SUNSHADES

By Carol Melango

Michael,You' re the best. So glad to hear you are recovering. I am recovering from 1st stage breast cancer and doing well. I am praying for you. Regards, Carol

By Nancy

WOW, I am so pleased to hear that you are doing great! What a fantastic fight you have put up. I wish you and your family well for a much healthy long future together! XXXOOO

By Ed Givant

michael does not look very well. i will give him 6 to 9 months to live. i will pray for him. God Bless...

By SANDY

YOU give him 6 to 9 months????????????????????????????????????????????????? Has Jesus returned?????????? are you serious?????????? you must be all knowing and all powerful....can you fix poverty next please????

By Irene

Ed Givant - are you a doctor? you definitely sound like one, so sure of your diagnosis, but...... you are dead wrong! He IS DOING great considering what he went through. Good luck Michael, be well, be strong, we all love you!

By Greg

Other than the most basic of proceedures you are just a guinea pig paying a fortune for doctors to practice on. In most cases your body heals itself, not the doctors.

By LN

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Oh puhleeze.... if you ever get cancer, let's see how you feel about your body healing itself vs having an oncologist treat you for a "disease" of the body! If this was the case, doctors would never need doctors and they do.

By mia

yes it does with some things like colds, flu etc,,,,but not cancer!!!!...everyone who mistakingly thinks that way is still healthy. If you are diagnosed with cancer...you most certainly WILL die if you still have this moronic belief>>>>BUT your choice!

By anna

Glad to hear Michael Douglas is doing better. My cousin met him at his hotel in Fla. and said he was extremely nice to the patrons.

By jk

good luck on your fight with big c.Best thing to do is get in a better enviroment.New York has to much dirty air.

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