Jack Nicholson is an American actor and filmmaker who has had a prolific career in Hollywood spanning over six decades. Nicholson is known for his iconic performances in films such as “Easy Rider,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “The Shining,” and “Batman.”
Jack Nicholson Biography
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Jack Nicholson was born on April 22, 1937, in Neptune City, New Jersey, USA. He grew up in a broken home and was raised by his grandparents. His mother, June Nicholson, was only 17 years old when she gave birth to him and his father, who was a known womanizer, left the family before he was born.
Nicholson attended Manasquan High School in New Jersey, but was expelled for poor academic performance. He then went to live with his mother in Los Angeles, where he started working odd jobs to make ends meet.
In the late 1950s, Nicholson began his career in show business as an assistant animator at the MGM cartoon studio.
Jack Nicholson Career
Nicholson landed small roles in low-budget films when he was working in MGM, including “The Cry Baby Killer” (1958) and “The Little Shop of Horrors” (1960).
During this time, Nicholson also started writing screenplays and eventually sold one to Roger Corman, a producer known for making low-budget B-movies. Corman gave Nicholson his first big break by casting him in the lead role of “The Raven” (1963), a horror-comedy that also starred Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre.
After his breakthrough role in “Easy Rider,” Jack Nicholson became one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood. He went on to star in a number of successful films throughout the 1970s, including “Five Easy Pieces” (1970), “The Last Detail” (1973), and “Chinatown” (1974), which earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
In the 1980s, Nicholson continued to deliver critically acclaimed performances in films such as “The Shining” (1980), “Terms of Endearment” (1983), and “Prizzi’s Honor” (1985), for which he won his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Nicholson’s career continued to thrive in the 1990s with roles in “A Few Good Men” (1992), “As Good as It Gets” (1997), and “The Departed” (2006), which earned him his third Academy Award for Best Actor.
In addition to his work as an actor, Nicholson has also been involved in producing and directing films. He produced “The Two Jakes” (1990) and directed “Drive, He Said” (1971) and “Goin’ South” (1978).
Jack Nicholson Movies
Jack Nicholson has had a prolific career in film, with over 70 acting credits to his name. Here are some of his most notable films:
The Cry Baby Killer (1958), The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), Easy Rider (1969), Five Easy Pieces (1970), Carnal Knowledge (1971), Drive, He Said (1971), The Last Detail (1973), Chinatown (1974), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), Goin’ South (1978), The Shining (1980), Terms of Endearment (1983), Prizzi’s Honor (1985), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Batman (1989), The Two Jakes (1990), A Few Good Men (1992), Hoffa (1992), As Good as It Gets (1997), The Pledge (2001), About Schmidt (2002), The Departed (2006), The Bucket List (2007), How Do You Know (2010)
Jack Nicholson Awards
Jack Nicholson has been nominated for 12 Academy Awards and has won three, making him one of the most honored actors in the history of Hollywood.
He won his first Academy Award in 1984 for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Terms of Endearment.” He won his second Academy Award in 1998 for Best Actor for his role in “As Good as It Gets.” He won his third Academy Award in 2007 for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “The Departed.”
In addition to his Academy Awards, Nicholson has also won numerous other awards throughout his career. He has won six Golden Globe Awards, including the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in 1999. He has also won the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award, the Kennedy Center Honors, and the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2010, Nicholson announced his retirement from acting, but he remains one of the most beloved and celebrated actors in the history of Hollywood, with a legacy that continues to inspire new generations of performers.
Jack Nicholson Wife and Children
He was in a long-term relationship with actress Anjelica Huston from 1973 to 1990. They met on the set of “The Last Tycoon” in 1973 and dated for many years before ending their relationship after Huston discovered that Nicholson had fathered a child with another woman.
Nicholson has also been romantically linked to several other actresses, including Michelle Phillips, Candice Bergen, and Lara Flynn Boyle.
In addition to his romantic relationships, Nicholson has three children from different relationships. His oldest daughter, Jennifer Nicholson, was born in 1963 to Nicholson’s then-wife from 1962-1968, actress Sandra Knight. He also has a son, Raymond, with actress Rebecca Broussard, and a daughter, Lorraine, with actress Winnie Hollman.
Despite his numerous relationships and children, Nicholson has remained unmarried and has spoken publicly about his reluctance to settle down.
Nicholson has also been involved in various real estate investments over the years. He has owned several properties in California, including a Malibu beach house, a home in the Hollywood Hills, and a house in Beverly Hills.
Jack Nicholson Net Worth
Nicholson has an estimated net worth of $400 million. He earned a reported $50 million for his role in “Batman” (1989), making him one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood at the time.