Global Exclusive/ When Michael Douglas' Oscar-winning One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest got rejected by studios

Michael Douglas won the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award at the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) on November 28. During the interview with Republic Digital, the American actor and producer opened up about moments or projects that stood out as particularly meaningful or transformative. He also talked about his Oscar-winning film One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975) getting rejected by several studios.

Michael Douglas about moments or projects that stood out as transformative

Speaking to the portal, Douglas said that though his first significant role came in the TV series The Streets of San Francisco, his first movie as a producer One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest played an important part in his career. He added that the film won five Oscars including for the Best Film that year, which he had never anticipated.

"I don't know, first of all, was the television series The Streets of San Francisco, was that ever in India?...That was years ago. But for me probably, the first movie I ever produced which was One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and was fortunate enough to win the Oscar for the best film that year, we won 5 Oscars, that started me in a career as a producer, which I had never anticipated, so that obviously played an important part," he said.

Douglas added that when he made the film he was 29, and when he won the Oscar, he was 30. When asked did he knew about the film's potential, to this, he denied it and added that they knew the film was "very good but nobody wanted to distribute it". Recalling, financing the film independently, he added that he was fortunate enough to have a partner and together they financed the whole film.

"We had the finished picture, the finished movie that won the Oscar, we came down to Hollywood, because my partner lived in Northern California, we came to Hollywood, we shot at all the studios, and they all passed, every studio passed. The same movie, the last choice, the last choice distributor took it, it went on. And I was able to look at all those studios, you know. So that played an important part in the beginning of my producing career," he concluded.

More about One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

The film helmed by Miloš Forman was based on Ken Kesey's novel of the same name. The film starred Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher in the lead, while the supporting cast included Will Sampson, Danny DeVito, Sydney Lassick, William Redfield, Christopher Lloyd and Brad Dourif.

It is the second to win all five major Academy Awards (Best Picture, Actor in Lead Role, Actress in Lead Role, Director, and Screenplay).