Melvyn Douglas

Melvyn Douglas, born Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg, was a distinguished American actor, active from 1926 to 1981. He gained prominence in 1929 as a suave leading man, notably in the romantic comedy Ninotchka (1939) with Greta Garbo. Transitioning to mature and fatherly roles, Douglas won Academy Awards for Hud (1963) and Being There (1979), and received an Academy Award nomination for I Never Sang for My Father (1970). Among his last notable work, Douglas acted in films with supernatural themes, like The Changeling (1980) and Ghost Story (1981). Born in 1901, Georgia to Lena Priscilla (née Shackelford) and Edouard Gregory Hesselberg, a concert pianist and composer, Douglas retained the surname of his maternal grandmother. Despite his rich Jewish heritage, he maintained he was kept ignorant of this aspect of his identity until his early teens, with his father showing discretion about the family's Jewish roots.

Throughout his career, Melvyn Douglas played in a variety of mediums, from Shakespearean repertory and stock companies in his youth to prominent roles in major films and television. His military service in World War I and II saw him rise to the rank of Major in the United States Army. His marriage to actress-turned-politician Helen Gahagan led to an active life of political involvement, opposing fascism and contributing to the arts. Near the end of his life, his roles shifted to playing older-men and fatherly figures, which earned him his Academy Awards. Despite his tremendous success, personal tragedies like the death of his wife in 1980 took a toll on him. Melvyn Douglas passed away in 1981 from pneumonia and cardiac complications.