Cameron watched his father in action in ‘Fatal Attraction' when he was younger. ‘ I wouldn't have wanted that but it happened and he dealt with it. Her knows about the movies business. He should do. Like me he's been brought up in it. He's had to learn to deal with all of it.' He was uncomfortable with “Basic Instinct” and seeing me naked but I said: “ I do action pictures. O go “Bang], Bang” when we're shooting someone. They fall down but they're not dead. It's the movies and it's the same thing with lovemaking. He said:'' Yeah, Dad, I know you shoot somebody with a blank but when you kiss them you really kiss them.'
Five years ago when he was only thirteen the youngster took part in a week of family therapy at the Sierra Tucson clinic in Arizona which specialises in treating sexual addiction, drug abuse and alcoholism. His father says reports that he was being treated for sex addiction were off track, inspired by his acrobatic sexual antics with Sharon Stone in ‘Basic Instinct'. He said:' There wasn't anything to all of that.I went to rehab for alcohol abuse.'
He blamed the booze problem on an exasperating and heavy work schedule over the years.
And coping with the pressures of having a famous father.
As his own son has run-ins with the law and drinking he is said to be privately concerned about how far Cameron will go. He's had advice from Clint Eastwood who has also dealt with similar problems.
They agree -- and hope -- it is ‘a growing up thing.'
Meanwhile, Michael Douglas has been coping with another supposed bad boy -- Val Kilmer. The two co-star in ‘The Ghost and the Darkness' which is the true tale of two man-eating lions who were sop ferocious, aggressive and cunning that they managed to bring a British railroad building operation in East Africa to a standstill. The lions which hunted as a pair killed for sport which was unheard of behaviour for lions. Known as ‘The Ghost' and ‘The Darkness' they were responsible for 130 deaths in just a few months.
‘It is an incredible thriller about events that actually took place -- you couldn't make up what these lions did' says Douglas who produced the film with his partner Steven Reuther. And Kilmer who stars as engineer and lion hunter John Patterson? ‘ He was', says Douglas with a smile, ‘ just a pussycat. It was fun working with him and also doing a period piece for it's set in the 1890s.'
Michael Douglas wants to do something now for his family history.He has the rights to a father-son story called ‘A Song for David'. The plan was for him and his father to star. But following Kirk Douglas's stroke that may not be possible. At last year's Oscar Kirk Douglas accepted an honorary award and looked out into the audience at his family telling a billion TV viewers:
‘I see my four sons. They are proud of the old man.And I am proud too. Proud to be part of Hollywood for fifty years.'
Michael Douglas openly wept as he listened to his father. Whatever hurts or pressures had long gone.
He says he hopes his longterm relationship with his own son will develop as strongly. His mother thinks he and Cameron should make ‘A Song for David' together.
‘But who,' asks Michael Douglas, ‘ will get top billing?.'
He believes the Douglas Dynasty will go on in Hollywood :' I am sure that my father's history and integrity I inherited -- certainly I've always been conscious of it. His biggest influence has always been his tenacity and and stamina.I learned early on that it takes a lot of endurance and a lot of extended concentration to accomplish what you want to.
‘I've carried that from him more than anything and I hope Cameron carries that from me.'
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