Original article published by WSJ
Written by Sarah Paynter
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The longtime home of the late “Spartacus” actor was purchased by Forme founder Stephen Liu
The Beverly Hills home of the late actor Kirk Douglas has sold for $9.015 million, significantly higher than its asking price of $7.495 million, according to listing agent Rochelle Maize of Nourmand & Associates.
The buyer is Stephen Liu, an orthopedic surgeon who is founder and chairman of the therapeutic wearables company Forme, Dr. Liu said.
The roughly 4,600-square-foot, four-bedroom home off Sunset Boulevard was listed roughly a month ago and received 31 offers, Ms. Maize said.
The home comes with a “Walk of Fame” inscribed with the signatures of celebrities such as Lucille Ball.
Mr. Douglas, an Oscar-nominated actor best known for his performance in the 1960 film “Spartacus,” purchased the home for $400,000 in 1976, and lived there with his wife, Anne Douglas, until his death in February 2020. Ms. Douglas died in April 2021. The home comes with the actor’s personal “Walk of Fame” collection of 22 stones inscribed with signatures of celebrities such as Lucille Ball.
“We typically get four to five offers at this price point,” Ms. Maize said. “Usually this type of activity is reserved for a $1 million property. It’s kind of unheard of.”
She added: “Celebrity properties always get a lot of eyes on them, but I think the Walk of Fame stones were such a valuable addition that so many people wanted.”
Dr. Liu said the Walk of Fame was in fact part of what attracted him to the house.
“[It is] a warm, charming house full of thriving vibes,” said Dr. Liu in an email. “[The] biggest surprise was the priceless garden Walk of Fame.”
The home has hand-painted frescoes, a fireplace and an updated kitchen.
Ms. Maize said the signatures on the Walk of Fame include Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra and Elizabeth Taylor, plus Mr. Douglas and his children: “Ant-Man” actor Michael Douglas, producers Joel and Peter Douglas and the late actor Eric Douglas.
The roughly 0.35-acre lot has a two-story guesthouse and a pool, Ms. Maize said. The circa-1921 house has a distinctive, starburst-patterned dining-room ceiling with hand-painted frescoes. The house also has a large skylight, a fireplace, an interior courtyard and an updated gourmet kitchen with a butler’s pantry and breakfast bar, she said.
Dr. Liu was represented by Mica Rabineau of Nourmand & Associates.
There were 7.8% fewer single-family home sales in Beverly Hills in the third quarter of 2021 compared with the same period of 2020, held back by limited inventory, according to Jonathan Miller of Miller Samuel Real Estate Appraisers and Consultants.
