ACTOR · BORN 1937
Jack Nicholson
- Born
- 22 April 1937, Manhattan, New York, USA
- Known for
- Joker (2019), Chinatown (1974), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Batman (1989)
60 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Jack Nicholson (born 22 April 1937) is an actor best known for Joker, Chinatown and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Jack Nicholson over the years
60 Interesting Facts About Jack Nicholson
Interesting Facts (22)
- #001
Jack Nicholson and Danny DeVito have been friends since childhood: relatives from both families ran a hair salon together, so the two saw each other often growing up, and the bond lasted throughout their Hollywood careers.
Jack Nicholson: a sceneImage: Wikimedia Commons · Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0 - #002
Playing the Joker in Batman, Jack Nicholson described the character as 'a psychotic version of Bugs Bunny,' a comparison that captured his chaotic, playful and dangerous nature, and his take made the Joker one of cinema's most memorable villains.
- #003
Jack Nicholson's first screen test was in front of legendary MGM boss Louis B. Mayer, who told him, 'I don't know what we can use you for, but if we ever need you, we'll really need you,' prophetic words for a future Hollywood giant.
Jack Nicholson: portraitImage: Wikimedia Commons · AP Wire Photo, Public domain - #004
Jack Nicholson turned down Roy Neary in 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (1977); he knew the film would be a hit but felt the special effects would overshadow the actors, a sign of how much he values character-driven stories.
- #005
After his neighbor Marlon Brando died, Jack Nicholson bought Brando's bungalow for 3.4 million pounds and then had it torn down, a move that got plenty of press and raised curiosity about the two legends' relationship.
- #006
Jack Nicholson's trademark sunglasses actually have prescription lenses: he's very nearsighted, so they're a necessity as well as a style statement.
- #007
Early on, Jack Nicholson worked as an office clerk for William Hanna and Joseph Barbera in MGM's cartoon department; they offered him a job as an animator, but he turned it down to focus on acting.
- #008
Jack Nicholson has been a lifelong admirer of Bob Dylan and Louis Armstrong, a reflection of his musical taste and wide cultural interests.
Jack Nicholson: Robert Eroica DupeaImage: Wikimedia Commons · Wes O'Donnell, CC BY-SA 4.0 - #009
Jack Nicholson's Mulholland Drive house once shared a driveway with that of Marlon Brando, his co-star in 'The Missouri Breaks' (1976), a neighborly link between two legends in Hollywood's small world.
- #010
In 1994, in a fit of anger, Jack Nicholson smashed a man's car window with a golf club, and later told US magazine he regretted it, an episode that showed how his rebellious streak could get out of hand.
- #011
Jack Nicholson is a passionate Los Angeles Lakers fan who rarely misses a home game, often sitting beside his good friend Lou Adler; contrary to popular belief, he has never asked studios to schedule shoots around games. He's also a lifelong New York Yankees fan.
- #012
The Terms of Endearment (1983) role was first offered to Burt Reynolds, who turned it down, and it went to Jack Nicholson, winning him an Oscar in one of the key films of his career.
- #013
The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) had a special NWA world championship belt made for Jack Nicholson's birthday in recognition of his love of wrestling and support for the NWA.
- #014
Jack Nicholson has been lifelong friends with Harry Dean Stanton since they first appeared together in Ride in the Whirlwind (1966), and from the 1970s on Nicholson is said to have slipped Stanton's initials, 'HDS,' into many of his films, a subtle tribute to their friendship.
- #015
When Jack Nicholson married Sandra Knight, Millie Perkins was maid of honor and Harry Dean Stanton best man, and after the divorce Nicholson lived at Stanton's house for a while, a sign of how close they were.
- #016
Jack Nicholson turned down James Caan's role in 'Misery' (1990) because he didn't want to do another Stephen King adaptation after 'The Shining' (1980), not wanting to repeat himself.
- #017
Jack Nicholson shaved his head for 'The Bucket List' (2007), a striking change that showed his commitment to the role.
- #018
In June 1998, Jack Nicholson traveled to Cuba and met Fidel Castro, meeting leaders of the Cuban film industry, eating in local restaurants, touring jazz clubs and visiting a famous cigar factory; he left deeply impressed by the country and by Castro, whom he called a 'genius,' though the luxuries he was shown were out of reach for most Cubans.
- #019
In 1977, Nicholson attended Claudine Longet's murder trial at the Pitkin County Courthouse in Aspen, Colorado, the same courtroom where notorious serial killer Ted Bundy was brought to stand trial for murder a few months later.
- #020
Nicholson turned down Willie T. Soke in the black comedy Bad Santa (2003) to make About Schmidt (2002), and Billy Bob Thornton took the role.
- #021
Nicholson joined the Players Ring Theatre in Los Angeles, playing small roles, then started The Store Theatre with friends, which lasted a single production; once he became famous, he never went back to the stage.
- #022
Nicholson's Jake "J.J." Gittes in Chinatown (1974) is 37th on Premiere magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
Behind the Scenes (7)
- #023
Jack Nicholson names 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' (1975), 'Batman' (1989), 'Hoffa' (1992) and 'As Good as It Gets' (1997) as his favorite performances of his own acting career. These productions display his mastery in both dramatic and character-driven roles. Nicholson's choice also lays bare the diversity and depth of his career.
- #024
Jack Nicholson is one of five actors to win an acting Oscar twice for films that won the Best Picture Oscar. The others are Marlon Brando, Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman and Mahershala Ali. Unlike these names, Nicholson also won an acting Oscar for a film that did not win Best Picture.
- #025
For many years, Jack Nicholson believed his grandmother Ethel May and grandfather John J. Nicholson were his parents. The truth only emerged in 1974. This misconception left a deep mark on him regarding his family history and affected his search for identity.
- #026
A large portion of Jack Nicholson's performance in 'You Can't See Infinity on a Clear Day' (1970), including a musical number he performed, was cut in the editing room. The project is remembered as one in which Nicholson's talents could not be fully displayed.
- #027
On August 29, 2009, he attended Senator Ted Kennedy's Catholic funeral mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Boston.
- #028
In The Last Detail (1973), Nicholson's character says, "Sailors are really scum, you know? It takes a certain kind of sadistic temperament to be a sailor." Later in his career, he played Marine Colonel Nathan Jessup in A Few Good Men (1992).
- #029
He turned down Gene Hackman's role in Hoosiers (1986).
Characters & Cast (7)
- #030
Batman creator Bob Kane personally suggested Jack Nicholson for the Joker in Batman (1989), and Nicholson's take won huge praise from critics and audiences, becoming one of the most iconic screen versions of the character.
- #031
Jack Nicholson was considered for Michael Corleone in 'The Godfather' (1972) but turned it down, saying a real Italian should play it; he was also looked at for Tom Hagen.
- #032
Jack Nicholson was interested in playing the Father in 'A Christmas Story' (1983), but the budget couldn't stretch to his salary, so the role went to someone else, a sign of his clout in the industry.
- #033
Even before casting Jack Nicholson in 'The Shining' (1980), Stanley Kubrick had wanted him for the lead in his never-made film about Napoléon Bonaparte, a sign of how much Kubrick believed in him.
- #034
Jack Nicholson was considered for Hades in Disney's Hercules (1997) and even recorded dialogue before the part went to James Woods, a rare brush with voice acting.
- #035
Nicholson was considered for Dustin Hoffman's role in The Graduate (1967), though, as he put it, "They considered every actor I had lunch with."
- #036
Jack Nicholson was considered for Eddie Valiant in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), but the part went to Bob Hoskins.
Career & Awards (17)
- #037
Jack Nicholson earned Oscar nominations in five different decades, from the 1960s to the 2000s, and across two centuries, a unique run of acclaimed work spanning generations.
- #038
Jack Nicholson loves a joke at his own expense and attended every Academy Awards ceremony Billy Crystal hosted, with Crystal always finding a way to work him into the show, a running gag that became one of the ceremonies' highlights and cemented their friendship.
- #039
Jack Nicholson dedicated his Oscar for 'As Good as It Gets' (1997) to J.T. Walsh, his co-star in 'A Few Good Men' (1992), who had died shortly before, a gesture of respect and loyalty to a colleague.
- #040
Jack Nicholson's first job was as a mail clerk in the Hanna-Barbera cartoon department at MGM, his first step into the film world and the start of the road to acting.
- #041
Jack Nicholson presented the Best Picture Oscar to 'Crash' at the 2006 Academy Awards and afterwards told the press he was surprised, having expected 'Brokeback Mountain' to win, and admitted he had voted for 'Brokeback Mountain' himself, a candid glimpse of his views.
- #042
In all three films that won Jack Nicholson an Oscar, Best Actress went to the same film: Louise Fletcher for 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' (1975), Shirley MacLaine for 'Terms of Endearment' (1983) and Helen Hunt for 'As Good as It Gets' (1997), proof of how often he was paired with strong female performances.
- #043
Jack Nicholson holds the record for presenting the Best Picture Oscar, eight times (1972, 1977, 1978, 1990, 1993, 2006, 2007 and 2013); the first time, in 1972, he agreed to do it when many big names refused because Stanley Kubrick's 'A Clockwork Orange' was so controversial, a sign of his standing and his willingness to take risks.
- #044
Orson Welles wrote 'The Big Brass Ring' (1999) with Jack Nicholson in mind for the lead, but although the two admired each other, Nicholson wouldn't lower his fee and Welles couldn't afford it, a missed opportunity for both.
- #045
Two of Jack Nicholson's three Oscar-winning performances were directed by James L. Brooks, Terms of Endearment (1983) and As Good as It Gets (1997), making him one of four actors to win two Oscars under the same director, with Walter Brennan, Dianne Wiest and Christoph Waltz.
- #046
Accepting a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1999 Golden Globes, Jack Nicholson said he started shooting his first film on 5 May 1955 and took it as a good omen, since 5 was the jersey number of his childhood idol Joe DiMaggio; four months later he attended DiMaggio's memorial service.
- #047
Jack Nicholson was considered for Sergeant Emil Foley in An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) but turned it down, and Louis Gossett Jr. won an Oscar in the role, one of the missed opportunities of Nicholson's career.
- #048
Jack Nicholson turned down Johnny Hooker in The Sting (1973) to make The Last Detail (1973), written by his close friend Robert Towne, not wanting to do a purely commercial film at the time; Robert Redford took the role, and both actors were nominated for Best Actor that year, but Jack Lemmon won.
- #049
Rolling Stone dubbed Jack Nicholson 'The Great Seducer,' a nickname for his charisma and effect on women, and an image he never shook off.
- #050
Six of Jack Nicholson's films have been chosen for the Library of Congress's National Film Registry as 'culturally, historically or aesthetically' significant: 'Easy Rider' (1969), 'Five Easy Pieces' (1970), 'Chinatown' (1974), 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' (1975), 'The Shining' (1980) and 'Broadcast News' (1987), all counted among the masterpieces of American cinema.
- #051
Nicholson has received the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award.
- #052
In The Last Detail (1973), Nicholson's character says, "Sailors are really shit, you know? It takes a certain kind of sadistic temperament to be a sailor"; later he would play Marine Colonel Nathan Jessup in A Few Good Men (1992).
- #053
Nicholson is the only actor to win Best Actor twice for films in which the leading actress also won Best Actress: with Louise Fletcher for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and Helen Hunt for As Good as It Gets (1997).
Life & Family (7)
- #054
For many years, Jack Nicholson refused TV interviews outside press conferences, though lately he occasionally gives reporters a few words when approached; he hasn't been on a talk show since 1971, a sign of how much he values his privacy.
- #055
Jack Nicholson is a big pro wrestling fan whose all-time favorites include Harley Race, Ric Flair and John Cena; he watches often and knows the sport well.
- #056
Jack Nicholson has six children by five different women: Jennifer (1963, with Sandra Knight), Caleb (1970, with Susan Anspach), Honey (1982, with Winnie Hollman), Lorraine (1990) and Ray (1992, both with Rebecca Broussard) and Tessa (1994, with Jennine Marie Gourin).
- #057
Jack Nicholson's first passion was screenwriting, a side of him later overshadowed by his acting success; with director Monte Hellman he wrote 'Epitaph,' a script about abortion based partly on his own marriage, which Roger Corman rejected for breaking the taboos of the time.
- #058
Jack Nicholson graduated from Manasquan High School in New Jersey in 1954, voted 'Class Clown' by his classmates, an early sign of the comic gifts and magnetic personality that would shape his career.
- #059
Jack Nicholson's mother, June Frances Nicholson, died of cancer on July 31, 1963; only years later did he learn that the woman he'd grown up thinking was his sister was actually his mother, a loss that left a deep mark.
- #060
With the release of Joker (2019), Nicholson, Joaquin Phoenix and Jared Leto were the three living actors to have played the Joker in an official live-action Batman production (Cesar Romero died in 1994 and Heath Ledger in 2008).
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Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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