Michael Douglas names the best production he ever worked on: “It was really great”
From the moment Michael Douglas was born, cinematic greatness seemed inevitable. As the son of Hollywood legends Kirk Douglas and Diana Dill, he faced immense pressure to carry on the family legacy. Not only has he risen to the challenge, but he has also surpassed expectations, earning two Oscars—one for ‘Best Actor’ in Wall Street and another for ‘Best Picture’ as a producer on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Over the course of nearly 60 years, Douglas has consistently delivered captivating performances, cementing his place as one of cinema’s most enduring talents.
In that time, Douglas’ career has taken him to many places and allowed him to work with many wonderful people. It would be impossible for him to pick a favourite set he’s ever worked on, but that’s precisely what he did when he spoke to Collider in 2024.
When promoting his new TV series Franklin, in which he plays US founding father Benjamin Franklin, Douglas spoke very highly of his time making the Apple TV+ show. “It was the best production I’ve ever been involved with in terms of the joy of the production,” he said. The series, which chronicles the politician’s time living in France trying to convince King Louis XVI to back his emerging country, was filmed on location in Versailles, just one of the many benefits that Douglas enjoyed.
“Not only was it the locations, shooting at Versailles every Monday, but it was just the environment of being in France,” Douglas recalled with a twinkle in his eye. “The extras were spectacular. All the extras were wonderful actors. They were just great. You find yourself, when you watch the show, just looking at each one, each four or five-hundred of them, incredible with the wigs — and looking not historical, but just like it was part of the environment”.
He added: “You’re there in Paris, in France, at these real locations, and these people are wearing the gowns. Olivier [Bériot], our costumer, gave them almost a worn look sometimes. It wasn’t all like it was brand new and fresh. The combination of all those things was a very important part and separated it from being just this historical pedestal into a real-life spy intrigue story.”
The calibre of his co-stars also gave Douglas reasons to be cheerful on set, particularly Noah Jupe, the actor 60 years his junior who plays Franklin’s illegitimate grandson, William Temple. “I knew his acting from The Quiet Place before, and I knew he was a wonderful actor,” Douglas said of Jupe. “As I watched him, I realised that even though he was actually closer to the age of 17 at the beginning with the kind of vulnerability he was acting, he could pick those scenes up where you could see how he’d grown, and his confidence had grown and his influence.”
No news has emerged yet on whether Franklin will get a second season, but reviews for it have been good, which is promising. Hopefully, the show will come back, if only so Douglas can keep having a nice time on holiday in France.
