Syndicated television reporter Nancy Collins caught up with Michael Douglas in a limousine on the way to The Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. Collins, who has long since ceased to be impressed by either limousines or movie stars, told us: "He's a sweetheart, without being oppressive about it. He's intelligent, ambitious and driven, and yet he's a man who has retained the capacity for recreational laziness."

Q 1

PLAYBOY: What advice would you give to an aspiring young filmmaker?

Michael Douglas: I'd tell him or her to begin by making porno flicks. My own first film--and, of course, this is a little-known fact--was something called Jew Gone Bad. Incidentally, it was never released. In fact, it has never been seen outside my home.

Q 2

PLAYBOY: The American male seems to be very confused nowadays. He doesn't seem to have a role anymore. How do you explain that?

Michael Douglas: The American male today doesn't know whether to be the sensitive man or the macho man. He's torn between dominance and supersensitivity. On the one hand, there's all the pressure about equal rights and a sense of fair play toward women, while on the other hand, women are complaining that men are getting too easy, too soft.

Q 3

PLAYBOY: Where do you put yourself in that framework?

Michael Douglas: A sensitive young man who likes to knock them around.

Q 4

PLAYBOY: What do you find sexy in a woman?

Michael Douglas: Intelligence and a sense of humor. And as far as dressing goes, I like something left to the imagination. I'd like to think maybe half the people missed what I saw.

Q 5

PLAYBOY: Is there a difference between what is sexually attractive in an actress and what is sexually attractive in a woman who is not an actress?

Michael Douglas: Yes. Basically, an actress is being paid a lot of money to be sexy, attractive and charming and intelligent. That's her job. It's almost a Western example of a geisha. I generally find a woman who is not in the business more attractive because she's not on. I find people the most attractive when they're not on, when they can't help themselves, when their appeal surfaces unconsciously.