Melvyn Douglas Height, Weight, Age, Family, Biography

Melvyn Douglas was an American actor and stage artist who rose to acclaim as a suave leading man in the 1930s. He became one of the 24 performers to win the Triple Crown of Acting (Academy Award, Emmy Award, and Tony Award) and his film credits include Being There, I Never Sang for My Father, The Americanization of Emily, Hud, Arsène Lupin Returns, The Old Dark House, The Changeling, As You Desire Me, The Lone Wolf Returns, The People’s Enemy, Woman in the Dark, And So They Were Married, Theodora Goes Wild, Women of Glamour, I Met Him in Paris, There’s Always a Woman, They All Kissed the Bride, There’s That Woman Again, Ninotchka, Good Girls Go to Paris, The Amazing Mr. Williams, He Stayed for Breakfast, This Thing Called Love, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, Intimate Strangers, On the Loose, The Sea of Grass, My Own True Love, Billy Budd, One Is a Lonely Number, Twilight’s Last Gleaming, The Candidate, The Tenant, Tell Me a Riddle, and Ghost Story.

Born Name

Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg

Other Name

Melvyn Douglas

Age

Melvyn Douglas was born on April 5, 1901.

Died

On August 4, 1981, he died from pneumonia and cardiac complications at the age of 80 in New York City, New York, United States.

Sun Sign

Aries

Born Place

Macon, Georgia, United States

Nationality

Education

Melvyn Douglas did not graduate high school.

Occupation

Actor, Stage Artist

Family

• Father – Edouard Gregory Hesselberg (May 3, 1870 – June 12, 1935) (Concert Pianist, Composer)
• Mother – Lena Priscilla (née Shackelford)
• Siblings – George Douglas (b. George Lamar Hesselberg) (August 7, 1903 – June 11, 1983) (Younger Brother) (Actor)
• Others – Heinrich/Henry Hesselberg (Paternal Grandfather), Sarah/Sora Davidov/Davidoff (Paternal Grandmother), Col. George Taliaferro Shackelford (Maternal Grandfather) (A General and Civil War veteran), Emma Jane Douglas (Maternal Grandmother)

Build

Slim

Height

6 ft 1¼ in or 186 cm

Weight

81.5 kg or 180 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Melvyn Douglas had dated –

1. Rosalind Hightower (1925-1930)​ – He got married to artist Rosalind Hightower in the year 1925 and they were blessed with a son named Melvyn Gregory Hesselberg on January 28, 1926. Melvyn and Rosalind divorced in 1930.
2. Helen Gahagan (1931-1980) – Melvyn married actor-turned-politician Helen Gahagan in 1931 and they had 2 children – a son named Peter (b. 1933) and a daughter named Mary Helen (b. 1938). The couple remained together until her death in 1980.

Race / Ethnicity

White

Douglas was of Ashkenazi Jewish descent on his father’s side and had English and Scottish roots on his mother’s side.

Hair Color

Salt and Pepper (In Advanced Age)

Eye Color

Hazel

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

Frequently played smooth characters with a strong sense of humor

Melvyn Douglas Facts

1. His father was a Jewish emigrant but Melvyn was unaware of his Jewish background until later in his youth and it was his paternal aunts who told him “the truth”.
2. Alongside Paul Newman, Patricia Neal, and Brandon deWilde, Melvyn Douglas co-starred as a Texas rancher named Homer Bannon in the 1963 Western film Hud. This role won him various accolades including the Academy Award for “Best Supporting Actor”, the Laurel Award for “Top Male Supporting Performance”, and the National Board of Review Award for “Best Supporting Actor”.
3. He was cast as Peter Schermann in an episode titled Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night of the anthology drama series CBS Playhouse in 1967 and this performance won him the Primetime Emmy Award in the “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie” category.
4. Melvyn Douglas brought to life the character of Ben Rand in the 1979 satire film Being There. For this role, he bagged the Golden Globe Award for “Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture” and an Academy Award, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, and New York Film Critics Circle Award for “Best Supporting Actor”.
5. Douglas has been honored with 2 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – one for movies at 6423 Hollywood Blvd. and one for television at 6601 Hollywood Blvd.

Featured Image by Insomnia Cured Here / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0