Known as Sex Addict, Michael Douglas Admits His Libido

KOMPAS.com - He was a renowned Hollywood ladies’ man dogged by rumours he was a sex addict. Now, however, Michael Douglas has told how his infamous ‘libido’ has finally calmed down following his marriage to Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones and the passing of time.

The 65-year-old actor’s first marriage to actress Diandra Lucker broke up because, she insisted, of his womanising ways. But Oscar-winning actor Douglas says he has been tamed by growing older and his contented family life with Miss Zeta-Jones, who is 25 years his junior.

He admitted: ‘I’m probably more comfortable with myself now, probably not leading with my libido quite as strongly, which comes with age and happiness.’

The actor went on: ‘I’ve probably calmed down. It’s interesting when you have kids [at my age] because you’re kind of betwixt and between.

‘Some of your friends, the only kids they’ve got are grandchildren.'

Douglas met Zeta-Jones in 1998 at the Deauville Film Festival in Northern France.

They married two years later – and have two children together, Dylan, nine, and six-year-old Carys.

And the actor - who battled alcoholism - admitted he reassessed his life at that time.

‘I would say definitely around the time I married Catherine. I started making some conscious decisions and prioritising.

‘As little children entered the equation – with a bride, an actress, 25 years younger, in her prime – the important part became them.'

Douglas’ son Cameron -  from his marriage to Lucker -  is currently awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to heroin possession and conspiracy to distribute drugs.

He will be sentenced later this month and faces a minimum 10-year prison sentence. And devastated father Douglas admitted: ‘It’s an ongoing problem. But substance abuse has been a big problem in different areas of our family. I lost a brother five years ago.

‘So it’s terribly sad and a difficult situation. But anybody who has family or friends who have been involved in substance abuse knows what a nightmare situation it and how much pain it causes.’

The actor was talking ahead of the release later this year of his new movie Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.

In the film, he reprises his Oscar winning role as Gordon Gecko – whose legendary motto was ‘greed is good’-  from the 1987 original.

Speaking in the new issue of Esquire magazine, Douglas revealed he lost more than a third of his wealth in the financial crisis of 2008.

He admitted: ‘I lost 35 to 40 per cent of my net worth on the ’08 crash’ before adding that, since then, he has seen the investments 'come back up'.