Comedian Douglas Dead

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on July 6th, 2004

Tom Hays, writing for Associated Press:

Oscar-winning actor Kirk Douglas’ youngest son, who battled drug and alcohol problems for years, was found dead Tuesday inside an apartment building, police said.

Eric Douglas, 46, was discovered after someone flagged down a passing police car. There were no signs of foul play, police said. An autopsy was planned.

Eric Douglas was an aspiring actor and comedian, but he never found the success of his father or of his Academy Award-winning sibling, Michael Douglas (news). He had a short-lived acting career in the 1980s and early ’90s, playing supporting roles in movies such as “Delta Force 3: The Killing Game.”

He also appeared in an episode of the HBO program “Tales From the Crypt” opposite his father, who earned an Emmy nomination for his role on the show.

In recent years, the youngest of Kirk Douglas’ four sons drew attention more for his problems than for any performances. In a 2000 interview, he said he spent eight days in a coma after a pill overdose a year earlier.

For years before that, Eric Douglas struggled with drug and alcohol addictions while repeatedly clashing with the law. He spent time behind bars and in rehabilitation clinics.

We recall being at the Improv on Melrose just before we moved back east, in late-1993, and Eric would emcee at the club on the occasional evening. He aspired to be a standup comic. But then again, it was 1993– a startling number of managers and agents advised their clients to do standup… we’re not exactly clear as to what they envisioned for their clients.

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