Michael Douglas has revealed that his longtime friend Jack Nicholson often teased him about a very specific acting habit.
Namely, Douglas recalled this humorous anecdote during a Q&A session, and revealed that Nicholson often teased him about his habit of running his fingers through his hair while acting.
"My hair has always been an important detail in my performance. It's funny how such a small thing helps bring a character to life," Douglas said.
"Jack Nicholson always made fun of me for that habit. He'd say, 'What's this about running your fingers through your hair?' And I'd joke with him and say, 'You should talk,'" he added, laughing.
Douglas also spoke during the Q&A about the experience of landing the legendary role of Gordon Gekko. He revealed that he wasn't the first actor to be offered the role.
"I recently read an article that said that director Oliver Stone first contacted Warren Beatty, who turned it down, and then Richard Gere, who also turned it down. I didn't know about that. You always want to think it was you," he said.
"I didn't know Olivier, I read the script and it was a serious, demanding acting experience. I was really lucky... You rarely get such good roles in life."
Douglas believes he ultimately got the role because he personally knew some key aspects of the characters.
"I guess Oliver was looking for an actor who had a certain business acumen. Being a producer myself and growing up in New York, I was familiar with the East Coast lifestyle. I think that influenced his choice."
Douglas said that Stone treated the actors he worked with very demandingly, "as if they were in the trenches."
"He pushed the actors to the max. His results with the actors are impressive. I'm deeply grateful that he gave me this role and that he pushed me to do my best," he said.
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