Kirk's comedian son was 46

The comedian brother of Michael Douglas was found dead at his New York home yesterday.

Drug addict Eric Douglas, 46, was discovered by a maid, sprawled across the living room floor of his one-bedroom flat.

He had a lifelong battle with drink and drugs, as well as several run-ins with the law, but police said there was no evidence drugs or foul play were involved in his death.

Eric, the youngest son of Hollywood legend Kirk, always struggled to escape the shadow of his famous family.

His acting career amounted to a few very minor film roles, and turned to stand-up instead, but failed to make a name for himself in comedy, either.

In an interview last year Eric blamed his troubles on his upbringing, claiming that he was shipped off by his father to a mental home at the age of  12 years old simply because “he didn't have time to deal with me".

He also said: “The pressures of being the youngest son in a famous family sometimes got to me. I used to feel I had to compare myself to them."

>> Click to hear Eric Douglas’s stand-up routine.

Published: 7 Jul 2004