Catherine Zeta-Jones had a special place in her heart for Kirk Douglas. She even had an affectionate pet name for him. “This guy on my knee, is 103!!!!! Happy Birthday Pappy!!! I love you with all my heart,” she wrote in a December 2019 Instagram post. Beyond the personal realm, Zeta-Jones also admired Douglas for the changes he promoted in Hollywood. In January 2018, the “Mask of Zorro” actor was able to show her pride publicly.
When she presented a Golden Globe award alongside Douglas, Zeta-Jones highlighted his role in putting an end to the Hollywood Blacklist in 1960. “He not only hired blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo to write the epic ‘Spartacus,’ but he also had Trumbo receive his proper screen credit for his work,” she said. Douglas, in turn, showed the respect he had for Zeta-Jones. “I want to say a speech, but I don’t want to say it because I could never follow you,” he said.
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When Kirk died in February 2020, his daughter-in-law put her affection for him on display. “To my darling Kirk, I shall love you for the rest of my life. I miss you already. Sleep tight,” she captioned an Instagram post featuring a black-and-white photo of them together. Zeta-Jones has continued to show her appreciation for Kirk, even after his death. “Missing you every day. Happy birthday Pappy,” she wrote in a December 2020 Instagram post to honor what would have been his 104th birthday.
