United Kingdom, Oct. 7 -- Michael Douglas has revealed crippling stage fright once left him vomiting into a wastebasket before performances - despite going on to become one of Hollywood's most celebrated leading men.

The 82-year-old Wall Street and Fatal Attraction star has recalled his unlikely route into acting while promoting his newly released memoir, One Helluva Ride.

Michael, the son of Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas and actor Diana Douglas, initially resisted following his parents into the profession and has admitted resenting the amount of time his father spent away from the family pursuing his career. But he eventually turned to theatre while studying at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Michael told People: "It was ...