WASHINGTON, DC— Michael Douglas, the Academy Award® winning actor and 2015 Movies for Grownups® Career Achievement Award winner, recently decided that show business is not the most important thing in life anymore.  Despite so many successes throughout his 50-film career,—and after surviving cancer—Douglas has embraced a second chance at fatherhood, a fresh shot at his marriage and a newfound spirituality.

In an insightful interview with AARP The Magazine, Douglas reflects on a life with as many rises and falls asthe streets of San Francisco.  The ride recently included a 2013 separation from his wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, while managing her struggle with bipolar disorder. Just last summer, Douglas lost his mother, Diana, to cancer at age 92, and he sees his father eyeing the proverbial hands of time. Now Douglas appreciates life more than ever.

Here are excerpts from the February/March issue of the AARP The Magazine cover story featuring Michael Douglas, available in homes today and online now at www.aarp.org/magazine/

On saving their marriage:
“It took work on both our parts.  I don’t think there’s much chance of fixing a relationship if one of you is already out the door.” – Michael Douglas

“I think we’re both mellower and wiser.  That comes naturally with time.  We count our blessings.” – Catherine Zeta-Jones

On his battle with cancer: 
“It’s been five years, and I feel really good, but you have a new appreciation.  I’m more motivated, more responsible.  My younger kids could be my grandchildren.  I want to be here a while.”

On his regrets about his first round at parenting:
“When you’re busy all the time, you don’t think about a whole lot of things other than the realities that are in front of you.”

On his son Cameron, 37, who is serving time for a drug conviction:
“I see him twice a month now because he’s incarcerated closer to our home. He’s a drug addict, but he’s done more than his fair share of time for it.”

On his son Dylan’s Torah study and bar mitzvah:
“Dylan brought a lot of the Jewish values into our home—community, family, working to repair the world.”

On his subsequent search for spirituality:
“They always talk about lessons being passed down from father to son, but if you keep yourself open, you can actually have things come up from your children.”

On life after his father’s stroke:
“The crisis opened a new world that otherwise might have passed him by, and helped him do so much good for so many people.  We’re very close now, Dad and I.  I feel fortunate having him around long after the highlights of his career.” 

About AARP The Magazine
With nearly 36 million readers, AARP The Magazine is the world's largest circulation magazine and the definitive lifestyle publication for Americans 50+. AARP The Magazine delivers comprehensive content through health and fitness features, financial guidance, consumer interest information and tips, celebrity interviews, and book and movie reviews. AARP The Magazine was founded in 1958 and is published bimonthly in print and continually online. Learn more at www.aarp.org/magazine/. Twitter: twitter.com/AARP

About AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. We advocate for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services. A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Español, a Spanish-language website addressing the interests and needs of Hispanics. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.