Michael Douglas recovering from cancer, set to work again

Since announcing his stage-4 throat cancer diagnosis, Michael Douglas sat for his first interview with the new issue of ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ and revealed how he dealt with the horrifying news.

Michael’s year of 'adversity'
In the interview, published Tuesday, the 66-year-old actor expressed his joy over being able to talk after nearly a year of “adversity.”

Besides his advanced stage throat cancer, the adversity for Douglas also comprised his son’s imprisonment on drug charges, and his ex-wife suing him for earnings from the ‘Wall Street’ sequel.

"With my health and my son's incarceration, my ex-wife and the lawsuit -- to be able to sit here and talk to you, I'm so happy,” he said.

Cancer improves father-son relationship
However, the disease also did some good for Michael as it brought him closer to his 93-year-old father, Kirk Douglas, after several years of a strained relationship.

After discovering about Michael’s cancer, Kirk “really made an effort” to be with him. “He was back here almost 10 days. He came over everyday,” said Douglas. “He was great.”

During his growing up years, Michael Douglas said, his father was never around. He remained absent from their lives for long, and was often too angry. “In those key years, when Kirk was doing five movies a year, if we saw him it was only out of his guilt,” Douglas says.

The actor admitted that the same thing could have been repeated between him and his son, Cameron Douglas, 31, who was recently jailed on drug charges.

"I didn't think of this as life and death; I just saw it as an illness to get over. So I didn't dig into the bottom of my soul to see what I could see."--Michael Douglas

“I'm sure it's not easy, either, being a third generation,” he said. “Kirk was all-consumed, was overworked. Probably like myself at a certain time in my life.”

However, things were controlled in time and Douglas is planning to take his family on a trip around the world.

“They're at a good age where they'd be old enough to understand it but not be torn away from their peer group,” he says. “We just have to make sure we have enough stuff to do so we don't kill each other!”

Grateful for love and support
Douglas appreciated the support of his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, during his tough time, saying she was understanding enough to let him have his space as he wanted it.

Douglas also said he never feared coming close to death. “I didn't think of this as life and death; I just saw it as an illness to get over. So I didn't dig into the bottom of my soul to see what I could see.”

The actor is trying to get back to his normal life, but it will still take a month before he knows if he can actually manage everything.

He will have a PET scan in January to confirm if his tumor has been eliminated. His doctors have told him there's an 80 percent that he will beat cancer and the actor is really optimistic about his recovery.

However, he admits, the disease “certainly has put a little perspective on mortality,” and has “shown me what family is. It showed me a love that I never knew really existed.”