Cameron Douglasis reflecting on the impact his grandfather,Kirk Douglas, had on him almost one week after the film icon’s death.
Cameron, 41, said some sweet words in memory of Kirk, whodied on Feb. 5at the age of 103, in an interview withThe Hollywood Reporteron Wednesday.
“He was always there, always supportive and he believed in me even when maybe I had given up on myself,” Cameron, who previously struggled with drug addiction, said. “He made sure I knew that.”
“Losing him is one of those things that, even when you sort of see it coming — he was 103 — it’s still difficult,” he continued. “I take solace in the pride of being his grandson and having had the opportunity to spend as much time with him as I have.”
Cameron Douglas/Instagram
He added, “When I look at his life, what he accomplished and the way he carried himself, it’s hard for me to imagine anyone doing it any better.”
Cameron followed in the footsteps of his father,Michael, and his grandfather and is working as an actor after being released from prison three years ago, achieving sobriety and becoming a father to his 2-year-olddaughter Lua Izzy.
Kirk, he toldTHR, was a strong force in his life.
“These past couple of years, I moved about 15 minutes away from [Kirk and his wife,Anne Buydens] and have been spending a lot of time with him, bringing my daughter [and partner]Vivian [Thibes]over on weekends,” Cameron toldTHR. “Just watching the bond between my daughter and grandfather was extremely special.”
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Cameron says he moved to Los Angeles to be closer to theSpartacusstar.
“That says a lot about the man that he was in my life and my desire to get my career going again soon enough so that he would be able to see the trajectory of my life starting to go in a positive direction,” he said. “It’s what he called ‘functioning.'”
Kirk didn’t shy away from expressing his pride in Cameron’s accomplishments.
“He always used to tell me — even before I got [a part in the indie filmThe Runner] when I was doing a lot of auditioning — how he thought that I was truly talented to keep going,” Cameron told the publication. “To hear that coming from him was enough.”
As for what he’ll treasure most, Cameron said he was glad that his grandfather was able to meet Lua Izzy.
“My daughter is a little over 2 years old now and they spent a lot of time together over the past year and a half,” Cameron said. “He would light up every time she was around. When she was in the same room, all she wanted to do was either be in his lap or be the focus of his attention.”
He added, “I’ll remind her of that when she gets older, showing her that connection through photos. It’s pretty special.”
source: people.com
