Michael Douglas Stays Mum at 'Wall Street 2' Premiere

Sept. 21, 2010 — -- Monday night in New York City stock brokers in three-piece, pinstriped suits and celebrities in glittering ball gowns crowded the red carpet outside the Ziegfeld Theater in the hopes of catching a glimpse of their hero, Gordon Gekko, for the much-anticipated premiere of "Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps."

Weeks after announcing his real-life battle with stage-four throat cancer, Michael Douglas, who won an Oscar in 1988 for his powerful portrayal of Gekko (the greedy insider trader) in the original "Wall Street" movie, put on another noteworthy performance with a brave face as he walked an intimidating and noisy Manhattan red carpet.

Surrounded by wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, director Oliver Stone and costars Shia LaBeouf, Carey Mulligan, Josh Brolin, Susan Sarandon, Frank Langella and Eli Wallach, Douglas didn't stop for interviews but instead embraced his friends and charmed the press with his permanent glistening smile.

Although Douglas' illness humanizes him, his colleagues continue to revere him for his acting prowess.

LaBeouf, who plays a young successful trader and Gekko's daugther's fiancée in the new movie, gushed, "Douglas is a legend. ... He's the face they'll paint on walls. He's an American institution, as is Oliver. These are masters of craft and just to be around them you hope something rubs off on you. They're incredible men, really. I think the biggest thing I came away [with] from this is how great they are as men. I knew they were great artists but they're good dudes."