United Nations Messenger of Peace and actor Michael Douglas participates in a panel discussion on the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty during the 63rd session of the U.N. General Assembly at U.N. headquarters, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008. [Agencies]

Michael Douglas had to field questions Wednesday about the financial turmoil shaking world markets from reporters recalling his role in the 1987 film "Wall Street."

The actor sought to focus on the subject of Wednesday's news conference — urging the United States and eight other holdout nations to ratify a nuclear test ban treaty.

Douglas won an Academy Award for portraying the rapacious banker Gordon Gekko, who popularized the phrase "greed is good" in the movie.

After world leaders here condemned the "boundless greed" of world markets, Douglas was asked to compare nuclear Armageddon with the "financial Armageddon on Wall Street."

But the likening to Gekko did not end there, with a reporter asking: "Are you saying Gordon that greed is not good?"

"I'm not saying that," Douglas replied. "And my name is not Gordon. He's a character I played 20 years ago."

Douglas, who married actress Catherine Zeta-Jones in 2000, has won two Oscars — as a producer for 1975's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and as best actor for his role in "Wall Street."

(China Daily/Agencies September 25, 2008)