Michael Douglas Admits He 'Didn't Know' His OscarWinning "Wall Street "Role Was Offered to 2 Other Hollywood Stars Before Him Tereza Shkurtaj, Raven BrunnerFebruary 8, 2026 at 9:00 AM 1 Michael Douglas. Mireya Acierto/Getty On Jan. 31, 2026, Michael Douglas sat down with Alicia Malone to talk about his awardwinning performance in the 1987 film, Wall Street During their conversation, the 81yearold actor admitted to recently learning which two stars turned down the role of Gordon Gekko before he was cast Still, Douglas said he was "honored" to play the part and be part of Oliver Stone's iconic m...
- - Michael Douglas Admits He 'Didn't Know' His Oscar-Winning "Wall Street "Role Was Offered to 2 Other Hollywood Stars Before Him
Tereza Shkurtaj, Raven BrunnerFebruary 8, 2026 at 9:00 AM
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Michael Douglas.
Mireya Acierto/Getty
On Jan. 31, 2026, Michael Douglas sat down with Alicia Malone to talk about his award-winning performance in the 1987 film, Wall Street
During their conversation, the 81-year-old actor admitted to recently learning which two stars turned down the role of Gordon Gekko before he was cast
Still, Douglas said he was "honored" to play the part and be part of Oliver Stone's iconic movie
Michael Douglas' casting as Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone's Wall Street would go on to define his career, but the role almost went to two other actors before coming across his desk.
At the time, Douglas was eager for a challenging, layered character and was "honored and blown away" that he was chosen to play the wealthy corporate raider. What he didn't realize until decades later, however, was that two major stars had previously turned down the role before he was cast.
"I must say, we were talking just before, while doing a little preparation for this, since I have not seen the movie fully in about 40 years ... but I saw an article recently that said that Oliver first went to Warren Beatty, who passed on it, and then to Richard Gere, who passed on it," Douglas told Alicia Malone at the TCM Classic Film Festival New York Pop-up x 92NY event on Jan. 31.
"I didn't know any of that because you always like to think you were the one," he added.
Michael Douglas in 'Wall Street.'
Moviestore/Shutterstock
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Nevertheless, Douglas said he took the project seriously from the very beginning.
Despite not knowing Stone personally at the time, the script immediately stood out as "serious, serious work" – the kind that demands full commitment. Wall Street wasn't just a financial drama; it was a sharp critique of greed, ambition and moral compromise in 1980s America.
"I was really happy, excited to bring the heart," he said. "You don't get many good parts in your life."
Michael Douglas in 'Wall Street.'
Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty
Douglas also shared why he believed Stone ultimately chose him to play Gekko, pointing to his background in producing and familiarity with New York City.
"I guess when Oliver was asked, he was looking for an actor that had some business acumen and because I was also a producer, and because I did grow up in New York City, went to Allen Stevenson School, and then I went to prep schools," he explained.
"So I had a familiarity with the East Coast and that kind of life. And I had friends that I met from early school who were into Wall Street, so I wasn't closely familiar with it, but I understood the lifestyle. I guess that's why he chose it," the actor shared.
Although Stone may have had Beatty and Gere in mind when he first created the part, it was Douglas' blend of personal experience and professional insight that brought authenticity to his character and created a performance that remains iconic decades later.
Douglas went on to win Best Actor at the Academy Awards for his performance in the 1987 crime thriller.
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Source: Entertainment
Published: February 08, 2026 at 04:45PM on Source: MARIO MAG
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