Jack Nicholson

Jack Nicholson

• Full name: John Joseph Nicholson
• Date of birth: April 22, 1937
• Place of birth: Neptune City, New Jersey, U.S.
• Occupation: Actor, filmmaker
• Years active: 1954–present

Early life and career

Jack Nicholson was born in Neptune City, New Jersey, on April 22, 1937. His mother, June Frances Nicholson (née Nilson), was a chorus girl, and his father, John Joseph Nicholson, was a sign maker. Nicholson's parents were never married, and he was raised by his mother and her parents in Manasquan, New Jersey.

Nicholson began acting in the early 1950s, appearing in small roles in films such as The Cry Baby Killer (1958) and The Wild Ride (1959). He gained recognition for his role as biker Billy in Roger Corman's The Wild Angels (1966). Nicholson's breakthrough came in 1967, when he starred in Mike Nichols's comedy-drama The Graduate. His performance as Benjamin Braddock, a young man who has an affair with an older married woman, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

Career highlights

Nicholson has starred in a wide variety of films over the course of his career, including comedies, dramas, thrillers, and westerns. He has collaborated with some of the most acclaimed directors in Hollywood, including Stanley Kubrick, Roman Polanski, Martin Scorsese, and James L. Brooks.

Some of Nicholson's most notable films include:

• Easy Rider (1969)
• Five Easy Pieces (1970)
• 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)
• About Schmidt (2002)
• The Departed (2006)

Nicholson has won three Academy Awards for Best Actor, for his performances in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Terms of Endearment, and As Good as It Gets. He has also been nominated for 12 other Academy Awards, more than any other male actor in history.

Personal life

Nicholson has been married twice, to Sandra Knight from 1962 to 1968 and to Anjelica Huston from 1973 to 1989. He has five children, including actors Jennifer Nicholson and Ray Nicholson.

Nicholson is a lifelong smoker and has been open about his struggles with substance abuse. He has also been involved in several controversies, including an arrest for drunk driving in 1994 and a paternity suit filed against him in 1995.

Legacy

Jack Nicholson is one of the most iconic and acclaimed actors in Hollywood history. He has starred in some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films of all time, and his performances have earned him numerous awards and accolades. Nicholson is considered to be one of the greatest actors of all time, and his work has had a lasting impact on the film industry.