Michael Douglas coming to Woodbury Jewish Center

Michael Douglas, the Oscar-winning actor whose credits include "Wall Street," "Fatal Attraction," "Basic Instinct" and "The American President," will launch a book tour to promote "One Helluva Ride," his first-ever memoir.

And his first stop will be ... the Woodbury Jewish Center?

With little fanfare, the Conservative synagogue has managed to book Douglas, who turns 82 on Sept. 25, for a book signing and a Q&A on Oct. 5. The event is part of the Malin Family Speaker Series, which brings in "prominent" guests to talk about Jewish issues, according to center trustee Rob Dwek. Douglas, however, would seem to be far more prominent than such recent speakers as podcaster Haviv Rettig Gur or Swedish-Israeli pundit Jonathan Conricus. What’s more, Douglas’ appearance in Woodbury will precede the book's official release by a day: "One Helluva Ride" will be published Oct. 6. 

After sending just one email to the center’s congregation announcing the star’s appearance, "it’s exceeding any other speakers that we’ve had," Dwek said. The VIP tickets, which include a meet-and-greet and a photo opportunity with Douglas, are already sold out.

Douglas, son of Jewish screen star Kirk Douglas, identifies as Reform Jewish but is not particularly known for his religious beliefs. In 2024, he visited an Israeli kibbutz that had been hit in the previous year’s terrorist attack by Hamas and criticized what he called pro-Palestinian protesters who had "no knowledge."

The actor’s appearance at the center, though, will focus not on politics but instead on "One Helluva Ride," which Grand Central Publishing is touting as "the unfiltered story of his life." It promises to touch on Douglas’ difficulties with his famous father, his battles with addiction and his marriage to Catherine Zeta-Jones as well as his many film roles. In a statement released earlier this year, Douglas called the book "my story on my own terms."

"If conversations come up about his faith or his points of view, obviously that’s fine," Dwek said of the event. "But it really is very much about what’s between the covers of the book."

According to Dwek, the Malin Family Speaker Series began in 2024 with the goal of establishing the Woodbury Jewish Center as Long Island’s answer to Manhattan’s 92nd Street Y, the cultural juggernaut on the Upper East Side known for hosting a wide range of artists, celebrities and public intellectuals.

As it turns out, Douglas will also be speaking at the 92nd Street Y — the day after he visits Woodbury.

For more information and to purchase tickets, which are $36, go to woodburyjc.org.

By Rafer Guzmán

rafer.guzman@newsday.com