Showbiz411

Michael Douglas: “He’s a rock star,” someone said last night when Douglas came into the Booth Theater to see Kathleen Turner‘s opening night in “High.” He was accompanied by his longtime publicist Allen Burry. It’s true. Everyone wanted to see Douglas, find out how he is, ask after wife Catherine Zeta Jones, etc. He greeted Nederlanders and Shuberts alike. The New York Post’s Cindy Adams, who sometimes bolts during intermissions, was seated next to Burry, and wasn’t going anywhere.

Douglas has survived cancer and kept a mane of shiny, thickish gray hair. Unbelievable. He looks great. At intermission, I asked him about filming his next movie, “Liberace.”

“We have to wait until September, I think,” he said. “Matt Damon’s going off to make a payday picture this summer. And I have to gain some weight.” Damon is indeed filming “Elysium” with Jodie Foster, directed by Neill Blomkamp, for Sony.

And how is CZJ? “She’s off to Louisiana to shoot a new film,” Michael said, making no reference to CZJ’s recent news headlines. I didn’t bring them up. When the film is shot, the family heads to their home in Spain for the summer.

And how is Michael’s dad, Kirk Douglas, who stole the Oscar show? “He’s 94 and doing great,” Michael said. “He did just about steal that show, didn’t he?” He said, and grinned.

Roger Friedman

Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News. Friedman previously wrote the Intelligencer column at New York Magazine, He writes for Parade magazine and has written for Details, Vogue, the New York Times, Post, and Daily News and many other publications. He is the writer and co-producer of a film about R&B Music called “Only the Strong Survive,” which was released by Miramax in 2003 and was a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals.