Kirk Douglas

For most of his life ‘The Bad and the Beautiful’ actor Kirk Douglas (1916-2020) enjoyed good health, but in 1996, at the age of 79, he suffered a stroke which left him with speech problems.

Unfortunately, that was not the only health scare he went through.

In 2007, Esquire published a list of memorable Kirk Douglas quotes, including one on aging that suggests he also dealt with cardiac issues. The line reads: “Age is in the mind. I've survived a helicopter crash and back surgery. I have a pacemaker. I had a stroke that almost made me commit suicide. But I tell myself, I have to continue growing and functioning. That's the only antidote for age.”

Kirk - the father of 'Basic Instinct' actor Michael Douglas - died on February 5, 2020, aged 103.