Michael Douglas to Receive Eugene O'Neill's Monte Cristo Award

Two-time Academy Award winner Michael Douglas has been tapped to receive the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's 12th annual Monte Cristo Award in recognition of his achievements and contributions to the theater community, both internationally and in the U.S. His wife Catherine Zeta-Jones will present the honor at a gala dinner set for April 16, 2012 at New York City's Edison Ballroom.

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“It is a rare moment when the O’Neill can honor an individual with such far reaching impact on our institution," said O'Neill executive director Preston Whiteway. "Michael Douglas defines the ethos of the Monte Cristo Award – pioneering, artistic excellence, and a commitment to theater.  His relationship to the O’Neill and to founder George White is profound, and helped to make the O’Neill what it is today. I look forward to a fantastic evening in April.”

Douglas began at the O'Neill Theater, spending three summers from 1966-68 and serving on the board of trustees since 1980.

“My time at the O’Neill is one of the greatest influences on my life and career.For an artist, it is a place unique in the world. I am delighted to accept this award from an organization which has helped shape American theater," Douglas said.

Douglas starred in the breakout TV role in The Streets of San Francisco, co-starring Monte Cristo Award honoree Karl Malden. He has also starred or produced in numerous projects, including: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The China Syndrome, Romancing the Stone, Fatal Attraction, Wall Street, Basic Instinct, Falling Down, Traffic, The American President and others. Douglas won Oscars in 1976 as a producer on Cuckoo's Nest and in 1988 for best actor in Wall Street.

Douglas begins filming Beyond the Candleabra, a biopic of Liberace, in summer 2012.

Past recipients of the Award include James Earl Jones, Harold Prince, Kevin Spacey, Neil Simon, Jason Robards, Jr., Edward Albee, August Wilson, Zoe Caldwell, Brian Dennehy, Karl Malden, Arthur & Barbara Gelb and Wendy Wasserstein.