Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones have been through a lot together. They’ve lived in both the US and Bermuda with their children, Dylan Douglas and Carys Zeta-Douglas, and have experienced many changes along the way.
Now, Dylan is an adult. At 20 years old, he has chosen his own path in life. Being the son of a famous Hollywood star, and the grandson of the legendary Kirk Douglas, brings a lot of pressure.
However, his parents made sure he had the best childhood possible, even moving away from Bermuda to support him.
Michael Douglas was born on September 25, 1944, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, to actor parents Diana and Kirk Douglas.
When Michael was six years old, his parents divorced, and he went to live with his mother. He only saw his father during holidays.
Growing up, Michael Douglas attended the Eaglebrook School in Massachusetts and later went to the elite Choate School.
Michael was introduced to the acting world at a young age. He spent summers with his father, Kirk, who was often shooting films. By his teenage years, Michael knew he wanted to be an actor and asked his father to help him find roles.
Kirk, however, didn’t think acting was right for his son because of the pressure and unpredictability of the industry. He didn’t want either of his sons in show business, but Michael couldn’t be stopped.
Michael Douglas decided to turn down studying at Yale University and instead moved to California.
“I grew up on the East Coast and was going to go to an Ivy League school, but at the last minute, I decided to be a hippie,” he explained. “There were protest movements about the war and peace movements at our university. It was a fantastic time.”
While studying at the University of California, Santa Barbara, he kept asking his father, Kirk, for help to get into the movie industry. In 1966, he landed his first role.
### Start of Acting Career
Michael Douglas made his debut in *Cast a Giant Shadow*, where his father also starred. He played an uncredited driver in the film.
“I was lucky to grow up watching how my father acted, along with stars like Tony Curtis, Burt Lancaster, and Frank Sinatra, who were often at our house,” Michael said on *The Talk*. “You see stars with their insecurities and how they behave, so I think that’s kept me grounded.”
Michael Douglas graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1968 and decided to move back to the East Coast. This time, he settled in New York City, where he continued to pursue his career in film.
Michael Douglas studied at the American Place Theatre and later at the Neighborhood Playhouse. He landed some leading roles and spent time performing in off-Broadway productions.
### Academy Award Winner
Before his first film role, Michael Douglas had a small part in the television show *The F.B.I.* The producer, Quinn Martin, was impressed with him, and Douglas then got a role in the new police series *The Streets of San Francisco*. The show premiered in 1972 and became Douglas’s big breakthrough.
*The Streets of San Francisco* became one of ABC’s highest-rated programs in the mid-1970s, airing during prime time. Michael Douglas received three consecutive Emmy Award nominations for his performance. He also directed two episodes of the series, gaining experience in directing, which he would use later.
In 1975, Michael produced the classic film *One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest*, which helped establish him as a top producer. The film won several Academy Awards, and Douglas himself won an Academy Award for Best Picture.
By this time, Douglas was a successful producer and director, and everyone wanted to work with him. He produced and starred in *The China Syndrome* (1979) alongside Jane Fonda. The movie received more Academy Award nominations and was named one of the best films of the year by the National Board of Review.
Michael Douglas went on to become a major Hollywood star with his performances as Gordon Gecko in *Wall Street* (1987), in *Falling Down* (1993), and *The Game* (1997).
### Michael Douglas – Catherine Zeta-Jones
During this time, he met his love, Catherine Zeta-Jones. Even before they met, he admired her talent.
“I was watching this movie and thought, ‘Wow, who is this girl? She’s incredible,’” Douglas remembered. He was watching a screening of her upcoming movie *The Mask of Zorro* at that moment.
The two stars met in 1996 at the Deauville Film Festival.
“I had been told Michael Douglas wanted to meet me,” Zeta-Jones said in a 2001 interview with Larry King. “I was a little nervous because I didn’t quite know what he wanted to meet me about.”
Michael Douglas knew right away that he had just met the love of his life.
However, Michael Douglas worried he had ruined any chance of a future with Catherine during their first meeting.
“I said to her after about half an hour, ‘You know, I’m going to be the father of your children,’” Douglas recalled on *The Jonathan Ross Show*, as quoted by E! News. “It sounded good, but she said, ‘You know, I’ve heard a lot about you and I’ve seen a lot about you, and I think it’s time I say goodnight.’”
### Married in 1999
Douglas and Zeta-Jones kept talking on the phone for about nine months and continued to enjoy dinners together. They eventually wondered why they weren’t officially together, so they decided to sit down and discuss it.
“He certainly didn’t want me as an ex-girlfriend on his list, and I certainly didn’t want ‘Michael Douglas’ as an ex-boyfriend on my list,” she said. “We looked at each other one day and said, ‘We’re having a lot of fun together.’”
Their romance blossomed. Despite the 25-year age difference, which attracted media attention, they didn’t care because their love was strong. On New Year’s Eve in 1999, Michael Douglas proposed to Catherine at his home in Aspen, Colorado.
“Both of us were sick as dogs because we had the flu,” Douglas recalled in 2016. Later that year, they got married.
“I don’t take any of this for granted,” Zeta-Jones told *People* during their wedding. “When I look at Michael, I run around like a little girl. I can’t believe I came into his life and he came into mine.”
### Dylan Douglas
Just months after their engagement, there were rumors that the couple was expecting a child. In August 2000, Dylan Douglas was born. He was Catherine Zeta-Jones’s first child and Michael Douglas’s second; his first son, Cameron, was born in 1978 to his former wife, Diandra Luker.
Catherine and Michael welcomed their second child, a daughter named Carys Zeta-Douglas, in 2003. Like any marriage, they faced ups and downs, but their love always prevailed.
Now, their children are all grown up, and Dylan Douglas has chosen a very different career from that of his parents. He seems to be quite the daredevil.
Dylan Douglas is now 20 years old and has already lived in several places.
### Dylan Douglas – Childhood
As a young child, Dylan and his family lived in Bermuda. Michael Douglas has strong ties to the islands because his mother is from there, and he spent many teenage summers there.
In 2001, when Dylan was just one year old, Michael and Catherine decided to move the family to Bermuda. Being two major celebrities, they believed it would be better for their children to grow up away from the spotlight, which can often be toxic.
Douglas and Zeta-Jones, who were living in New York City at the time, wanted their kids to have a safe and calm upbringing without the hassle of paparazzi.
In Bermuda, they felt people respected their privacy.
“Bermuda creates an environment for us away from the entertainment business and gives our kids independence and freedom where showbiz isn’t on everybody’s lips,” Douglas said, as quoted by the *Bermuda Sun*. “It’s a lovely, lovely place.”
However, the family only stayed on the island for eight years because Dylan was diagnosed with dyslexia.
### Dylan Douglas – Dyslexia
Dylan didn’t start reading until he was five years old. His parents, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, decided it was best for him to attend a special school in New York. So, the Douglas family left Bermuda, and Dylan finally got the chance to show everyone what a great kid he was. He enrolled at the Windward School, which specializes in helping children with dyslexia.
Those years were very challenging for the Douglas family. Not only was Dylan’s half-brother Cameron sentenced to five years in prison, but Michael Douglas also found out that he had stage 4 tongue cancer. He went through chemotherapy and radiation therapy while Dylan was adjusting to his new school.
In the end, Michael Douglas successfully overcame his cancer treatment, and Dylan went on to enjoy school. During an emotional speech at a Windward School fundraiser, Dylan honored the school that helped him overcome his dyslexia and also talked about how his father’s cancer had affected his life.
Loud Neighbors Tell Old Man to Get Lost, Regret It Later – Story of the Day
A group of young students moved next to an older neighbor and wouldn’t stop blasting their music. They insulted the older man, but they soon learned that no one should mess with karma.
Mr. Adams had been living in his small two-bedroom house for many years. His dear wife passed away some time ago, and his children lived on the other side of the country. It could get lonely, but his neighborhood was amazing.
He was surrounded by caring families and tons of lovely people, especially next door. However, they were moving away soon because they needed more space for their growing family.
A group of college kids became his new neighbors | Source: Shutterstock
Mr. Adams wished them all the best and hoped that whoever filled that vacancy would be just as nice. Unfortunately, his prayers were not answered. A group of young college students moved into the house a few weeks later.
They couldn’t be older than 18, which meant fresh out of high school. Mr. Adams dreaded this situation but hoped that this group understood that they had just moved into a quiet neighborhood.
Sadly, he was wrong once again. As soon as they finished moving all their things, the teenagers started having parties. They got loud, and many other young people showed up. They didn’t turn off their music until 5 a.m. on a Monday.
Mr. Adams lived in a quiet neighborhood. | Source: Pexels
Mr. Adams had no idea what to do, but he was thinking of calling the Home Owners Association while watering his plants that morning. That’s when he saw Linda Shaw coming towards him. She lived across Mr. Adams with her husband and two preschool-aged children.
“Good morning, Mr. Adams!” she greeted.
“Good morning, Linda. How was your night?” he said.
“Oh. It was absolutely terrible. I couldn’t sleep for a second. Then my kids woke up around 2 a.m. and didn’t go back to bed until 5 a.m. when the music stopped,” Linda explained. “It’s funny because we have never had problems in this neighborhood.”
Linda came to greet Mr. Adams. | Source: Pexels
“I know what you mean. It was still a nightmare for me, though,” Mr. Adams added. “But I didn’t know if calling the cops was the right move.”
“I almost did it myself, but I didn’t want to cause any issues if they were just celebrating that first night in their new house,” she continued.
“Would the HOA help?” Mr. Adams asked.
“Maybe, although it’s hard to say why they let a group of teens move into this neighborhood. They might have connections,” Linda said. “Well, I’ve got to go. Lots of errands today, and hopefully, I can squeeze in a nap before picking up the kids.”
Mr. Adams had growing concerns about his new neighbors. | Source: Pexels
Mr. Adams said goodbye and decided to talk to these young people if they continued being loud, which probably wouldn’t happen until the weekend. But the neighbors decided to have another huge party that night, and he couldn’t take it anymore.
He went to their house and knocked on the door. A young man opened and frowned at Mr. Adams. “Hello? Can I help you?” he said.
“Young man, do you live here?” Mr. Adams asked.
“Yes. Who’s asking?” he answered.
The neighbors hosted rowdy parties. | Source: Pexels
“I’m your next-door neighbor. I need to ask you kids to keep your music down. This is a nice neighborhood with tons of families and older people,” Mr. Adams said as politely as possible.
“So? That’s not my problem. I pay rent just like anyone else, and I get to play as much music as I want to,” the young man responded rudely.
“I will call the cops if you guys don’t keep it down,” Mr. Adams threatened calmly.
“Go ahead. My dad’s the sheriff at the police station. There’s nothing you can do,” he said and smirked. “Now, go away old dude. This party doesn’t need an old fart hanging around. If you don’t like the music, move to a nursing home.”
A conceited teenager tells Mr. Adams to go away. | Source: Pexels
The teenager slammed the door in Mr. Adams’ face, the old man shocked by such insolence. Was the boy lying about his father? Would the cops really not answer his complaint? He had to try, at least.
But it looked like his neighbor was not lying because the squad car never came, and the teens enjoyed this party until 4 a.m.
“Linda, do you know if we can complain to the HOA about these young people?” Mr. Adams asked that morning after knocking on Linda’s door.
Mr. Adams talked to Linda again about their problems. | Source: Pexels
“I asked around, Mr. Adams. Last night was terrible too. I was on the phone with Mrs. Lowry, who knows everything around here. She told me that one of the teenager’s moms is part of the association,” Linda answered.
“I can’t believe this. One of them said that his father was the sheriff, and it has to be true because the cops never came after I called,” he continued.
“Mrs. Lowry said that we need to file a formal complaint to the local council with several signatures. I think a lot of people will sign it, but that takes time. My husband didn’t get any rest last night either. I don’t know how much of this we can take,” Linda said.
Linda had an idea but it will take time. | Source: Pexels
“Let’s go ahead with the complaint. I’ll help you get the signatures. In the meantime, we can tell everyone to call the HOA and the cops to see if that pressure gets a reaction,” Mr. Adams devised and went back home.
Unfortunately, it looked like these young people were really connected because the calls to the HOA and the cops didn’t help at all. But he and Linda collected all the signatures needed to file the formal complaint. They would have to wait for now.
Meanwhile, the neighbors continued having parties every single day since they moved into that house. Almost the entire neighborhood had knocked on their door to try and reason with them, but they wouldn’t listen.
Their teenage neighbors kept having parties. | Source: Pexels
One night, they added a sign over the front of their house, which read: “NO ONE SLEEPS TONIGHT!” Mr. Adams couldn’t believe this level of disrespect for others.
They even partied heavily during a huge storm. Their speakers were getting wet, but they seemed fine until a huge lightning bolt thundered and seemed to hit their equipment.
The music stopped miraculously, and when Mr. Adams peeked through his windows, he saw that the entire house had lost power. He laughed to himself and thought that nature was getting revenge on their behalf.
A lightning storm cut out their power.| Source: Pexels
He could finally read his novel and slept soundly for the first time in a few days. The following day, they still had no electricity. Apparently, the storm had blown through the outdated electric system at their house.
It took several days before they fixed things up completely. But by then, the city had received the neighborhood’s formal complaint. The teenagers could no longer play loud music past 10 p.m., and cops actually came when they tried to defy this ruling.
Finally, Mr. Adams and the rest of his peaceful neighborhood could continue their regular lives.
What can we learn from this story?
1. Respect your elders. These young people didn’t listen when adults politely asked them to stop, and karma hit them back.
2. Don’t abuse your power. They were also using their connections to break the rules and get away with anything. But they lost in the end.
Share this story with your friends. It might inspire people to share their own stories or to help someone else.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a boy who insults a lady at the mall but gets a huge lesson from his father.
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