Kirk Douglas had planned to portray the role of Randle Patrick McMurphy himself, exactly as he had on stage, when he led the initial effort to adapt One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest for the big screen in the 1960s. Ten years later, when production became serious, Douglas was too old for the role. As a result, director Forman looked at and got in touch with actors like Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando, and Burt Reynolds—his personal favorite—before deciding on Jack Nicholson. The film's main antagonist

Kirk Douglas family tree – all his children and wives