Jack Nicholson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jack Nicholson
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Nicholson in 2001
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| Born |
John Joseph Nicholson
April 22, 1937 Neptune City, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Education | Manasquan High School |
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| Years active | 1955–2010 |
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Works
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Filmography |
| Spouse(s) |
Sandra Knight
(m. 1962; div. 1968) |
| Partner(s) |
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| Children | 6, including Lorraine and Ray |
| Awards | Full list |
John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Many people think he is one of the greatest actors ever. Over his five-decade career, Nicholson acted in 80 films. He won many awards, including three Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, and six Golden Globe Awards. He also received special honors like the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1994. In many of his movies, he played characters who stood up against society's rules.
Nicholson won Best Actor Oscars for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and As Good as It Gets (1997). He won Best Supporting Actor for Terms of Endearment (1983). He was also nominated for Oscars for films like Easy Rider (1969), Chinatown (1974), and The Shining (1980). He is one of only three male actors to win three Academy Awards. He is also the most nominated male actor in Oscar history, with 12 nominations.
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Early Life and Education
John Joseph Nicholson was born on April 22, 1937, in Neptune City, New Jersey. His mother, June Frances Nicholson, was a showgirl. Because June was only 17 and not married, her parents decided to raise Jack as their own child. They told him that June was his sister.
In 1974, when Jack was an adult, a magazine found out the truth. They told him that June was actually his mother, and his "sister" Lorraine was really his aunt. By then, both his mother and grandmother had passed away. Jack said finding out was a "dramatic event" but not "traumatizing."
Jack grew up in Neptune City, New Jersey. His family later moved to Spring Lake, New Jersey. In high school, he was known as "Nick" and was voted "Class Clown." He even had to go to detention every day for a whole school year! His high school, Manasquan High School, now has a theater and a drama award named after him.
Military Service
In 1957, Nicholson joined the California Air National Guard. He said he did this to avoid being drafted into the regular military. After basic training, he worked as a firefighter for his unit. During a time of tension called the Berlin Crisis of 1961, he was called to active duty for several months. He was discharged in 1962.
Acting Career Highlights
Getting Started in Hollywood
Jack first came to California when he was 13 to visit his sister. He got a job as an office worker for famous cartoon directors William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. They offered him a job as an animator, but he wanted to be an actor instead.
He started training as an actor and got small roles in plays and TV shows. His first movie was a low-budget teen drama called The Cry Baby Killer (1958). For the next ten years, he often worked with the film's producer, Roger Corman. Corman directed Nicholson in several movies, like The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) and The Raven.
When his acting career wasn't going well, Nicholson thought about working behind the camera as a writer or director. He wrote the screenplay for the 1967 film The Trip. He also helped write the movie Head, which starred The Monkees.
Breaking Through with Easy Rider
Nicholson's big break came with a role in the movie Easy Rider (1969). He played a lawyer named George Hanson. This role earned him his first Oscar nomination. The movie was made for only $400,000 but became a huge success, making $40 million. This role made him a hero for the "counter-culture movement" of the time.
Stanley Kubrick, a famous director, was very impressed by his acting in Easy Rider. He even considered casting Nicholson as Napoleon in a film about his life, but that project didn't happen.
Becoming a Leading Actor in the 1970s
In 1970, Nicholson starred in Five Easy Pieces. He played Bobby Dupea, an oil rig worker. This movie helped define his acting style. Critics wondered if he would become as famous as actors like Marlon Brando or James Dean. His career and income quickly grew. He said he became "much sought after" and his name became like a "brand image."
In 1971, he starred in Carnal Knowledge, a comedy-drama. The director, Mike Nichols, said few actors could handle the role, comparing Nicholson to legends like James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart.
In 1973, Nicholson starred in The Last Detail. He won Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival for this role and received another Oscar nomination. A critic, Roger Ebert, said Nicholson's acting was the main reason the movie was so good.
In 1974, Nicholson starred in Roman Polanski's thriller Chinatown. He played Jake Gittes, a private detective. He was nominated for another Oscar for this role. Ebert said this role was very important for Nicholson's career, as it showed he could play complex characters.
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One of Nicholson's biggest successes came in 1975 with his role as Randle P. McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. He played an anti-authority patient in a mental hospital who inspires other patients. The movie won five Academy Awards, including Nicholson's first Oscar for Best Actor. The director, Miloš Forman, let Nicholson improvise many parts of the film.
In 1975, he also starred in The Passenger. He played a journalist who takes on a new identity, only to find out the person he's pretending to be was a weapons smuggler. Nicholson thought so highly of this film that he bought the rights to it.
He continued to take on unique roles, even a small one in The Last Tycoon with Robert De Niro. He also worked with Marlon Brando in The Missouri Breaks (1976). Nicholson admired Brando greatly, calling him "the patron saint of actors."
Iconic Roles in the 1980s
In Stanley Kubrick's film The Shining (1980), based on Stephen King's book, Nicholson played the writer Jack Torrance. This role is still one of his most famous. Kubrick chose Nicholson because he felt his acting was "on a par with the greatest stars of the past." Nicholson improvised some famous lines, like "Here's Johnny!"
In 1983, Nicholson won his second Oscar, for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his role as retired astronaut Garrett Breedlove in Terms of Endearment. He starred alongside Shirley MacLaine.
Nicholson worked a lot in the 1980s. He starred in films like Reds (1981), Prizzi's Honor (1985), and The Witches of Eastwick (1987). He received three more Oscar nominations during this decade.
In the 1989 Batman movie, Nicholson played the evil villain, the Joker. The film was a huge international hit. Nicholson was very proud of his performance as the Joker, calling it a "piece of pop art."
Success in the 1990s
For his role as Colonel Nathan R. Jessup in A Few Good Men (1992), Nicholson received another Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He played a hot-headed military officer. The film's director, Rob Reiner, said Nicholson's acting made the other actors perform even better.
In 1996, Nicholson worked again with Batman director Tim Burton on Mars Attacks!. He played two different characters: President James Dale and a Las Vegas property developer.
Nicholson won his third Oscar, for Academy Award for Best Actor, in the romantic comedy As Good as It Gets (1997). He played Melvin Udall, a writer with obsessive-compulsive disorder. He said he tried to show the disorder in a realistic way. The film was a big success, making $314 million. His co-star, Helen Hunt, also won an Oscar for her role.
Later Roles in the 2000s
In 2001, Nicholson starred in The Pledge, a mystery drama. He played a retired police detective trying to find a murderer. Critics praised his performance. In About Schmidt (2002), he played a retired actuary who questions his life after his wife dies. This quiet performance earned him another Oscar nomination.
He also appeared in comedies like Anger Management (2003) with Adam Sandler. In Something's Gotta Give (2003), he played an older playboy who falls for his young girlfriend's mother, played by Diane Keaton.
In 2006, Nicholson played Frank Costello, a tough Boston mob boss, in Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning film The Departed. This role earned him worldwide praise and several awards nominations.
In 2007, Nicholson starred with Morgan Freeman in The Bucket List. They played two dying men who decide to fulfill a list of goals before they pass away. To prepare, Nicholson visited a hospital to see how cancer patients dealt with their illnesses.
Recent Appearances
Nicholson's last film role was in 2010, in the movie How Do You Know. In 2013, he said he didn't consider himself retired, but he wasn't as eager to act anymore.
He made a special appearance on SNL 40 in 2015. After the death of boxer Muhammad Ali in 2016, Nicholson gave a rare interview about his friendship with Ali. He was approached for roles in Toni Erdmann (2017) and Ready Player One (2018), but he turned them down. In 2019, the director of Doctor Sleep, a sequel to The Shining, asked Nicholson to make a cameo, but he declined.
Personal Life
Family and Children
Jack Nicholson has six children from different relationships. He was married once to his co-star Sandra Knight from 1962 to 1968. They had one daughter, Jennifer (born 1963).
He later had a son, Caleb (born 1970), with actress Susan Anspach. He also has a daughter, Honey (born 1982), with Winnie Hollman. With Rebecca Broussard, he had two children: Lorraine (born 1990) and Raymond (born 1992). He also has a daughter, Tessa (born 1994), with Jeannine Gourin.
Nicholson has said that children "give your life a resonance that it can't have without them." He also mentioned that he wished he had seen more of his oldest daughter when she was young because he was busy building his career.
Friendships and Hobbies
Nicholson lived next door to famous actor Marlon Brando for many years in Beverly Hills. Warren Beatty also lived nearby, leading people to call the road "Bad Boy Drive." After Brando passed away, Nicholson bought his house and had it taken down out of respect.
He was also good friends with writer Hunter S. Thompson. After Thompson died, Nicholson attended his memorial service. Nicholson is also friends with actors Danny DeVito and Joe Pesci.
Jack Nicholson is a big fan of sports. He loves the New York Yankees baseball team and the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team. He has had courtside seats at Lakers games since 1970 and is often seen cheering them on. He sometimes even argued with game officials!
He also collects 20th-century and modern paintings. His collection includes works by famous artists like Henri Matisse and Andy Warhol.
Political Views
Nicholson has said he is a "lifelong Democrat" but supports every president. He has supported Democratic candidates in past elections. He also supports things like solar energy and raising teachers' pay.
Awards and Legacy
Notable Films
Some of Jack Nicholson's most famous films include:
- Easy Rider (1969)
- Five Easy Pieces (1970)
- Chinatown (1974)
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
- The Shining (1980)
- Terms of Endearment (1983)
- Batman (1989)
- A Few Good Men (1992)
- As Good as It Gets (1997)
- The Departed (2006)
Accolades and Honors
Jack Nicholson has been nominated for 12 Academy Awards (Oscars), which is more than any other male actor in history. He is one of only two actors to be nominated for an Oscar in films made in every decade from the 1960s to the 2000s. With three Oscar wins, he is tied for the second-most acting Oscars ever, behind only Katharine Hepburn who won four.
In 2013, Nicholson helped present the Academy Award for Best Picture alongside First Lady Michelle Obama. He has presented this award eight times!
In 2008, he was inducted into the California Hall of Fame. In 2010, he was also inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. In 2011, he received an honorary degree from Brown University. The university's president called him "the most skilled actor of our lifetime."
See also
In Spanish: Jack Nicholson para niños
