Nicholson in a tuxedo
Nicholson in 2002

Jack Nicholson is an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter who made his film debut in The Cry Baby Killer (1958). Nicholson is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of his generation.[1][2] He is also one of the most critically acclaimed: his 12 Academy Award nominations make him the most nominated male actor in the Academy's history.[3] He is also a Kennedy Center Honoree and a recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award and the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award.[4][5][6]

In the first decade of his acting career, Nicholson had several minor roles in film and television, only having significant parts in independent films. Nicholson's breakout role was in the countercultural Easy Rider (1969). Nicholson next appeared in Five Easy Pieces (1970). He then starred in the comedy-drama Carnal Knowledge (1971). His performance in The Last Detail (1973) garnered him the Cannes Best Actor Award.[7] For his performance in the Roman Polanski-directed Chinatown (1974), he was awarded the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama.[8] He then portrayed Randle McMurphy in the Miloš Forman-directed One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), which won Best Picture and garnered him the Academy Award for Best Actor and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama.[9] In 1976, he starred in the film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Last Tycoon (1941). Also that year, Nicholson costarred with Marlon Brando in the western The Missouri Breaks. In 1978, Nicholson directed and starred in another western, Goin' South.

In 1980, Nicholson played Jack Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. For his portrayal of playwright Eugene O'Neill in Reds (1981), Nicholson was awarded the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.[10] He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for his acting in Terms of Endearment (1983).[11] He later returned in the 1996 sequel The Evening Star. He collaborated with director John Huston in Prizzi's Honor (1985), for which Nicholson earned another Best Actor nomination from the Academy.[12] His role as Francis Phelan in Ironweed (1987) garnered him yet another Oscar nomination for Best Actor.[13] He then portrayed the Joker in the Tim Burton-directed Batman (1989). Nicholson subsequently directed and acted in The Two Jakes (1990), a sequel to Chinatown. In 1992, he portrayed Jimmy Hoffa in the Danny DeVito-directed Hoffa.[14] That year Nicholson also appeared in the Rob Reiner-directed A Few Good Men. He collaborated with Burton again on Mars Attacks! (1996). His next role in As Good as It Gets (1997) garnered him the Academy Award for Best Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.[15] In 2006, he starred alongside Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio in the Martin Scorsese-directed The Departed. He starred opposite Morgan Freeman in the 2007 comedy The Bucket List. His final film appearance was in How Do You Know (2010), after which he reportedly retired due to memory loss.[16]

Film

Nicholson seated on a coach
Nicholson in The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
Nicholson with Boris Karloff in The Terror (1963)
Nicholson standing next to a woman
Nicholson with Michelle Phillips at the 1971 Golden Globes
Jack Nicholson smiling
Nicholson after receiving a 1976 Oscar nomination for his performance in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
See caption
Nicholson with Easy Rider (1969) co-star Dennis Hopper at the 62nd Academy Awards in 1990
See caption
Nicholson at the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010
Table containing films with Jack Nicholson
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1958 The Cry Baby Killer Jimmy Wallace [17]
1960 Too Soon to Love Buddy [18]
1960 The Wild Ride Johnny Varron [19]
1960 The Little Shop of Horrors Wilbur Force [20]
1960 Studs Lonigan Weary Reilly [21]
1962 The Broken Land Will Brocious [22]
1963 The Raven Rexford Bedlo [23]
1963 The Terror Andre Duvalier [24]
1963 Thunder Island — Writer only [25]
1964 Flight to Fury Jay Wickham Also writer [26]
1964 Back Door to Hell Burnett [27]
1964 Ensign Pulver Dolan [citation needed]
1966 The Shooting Billy Spear Also producer [28]
1966 Ride in the Whirlwind Wes Also writer and producer [29]
1967 The St. Valentine's Day Massacre Gino Uncredited [30]
1967 Hells Angels on Wheels Poet [31]
1967 The Trip — Writer only [32]
1968 Psych-Out Stoney [33]
1968 Head Movie Director in Restaurant Uncredited cameo
Also writer and producer 		[34][35]
1969 Easy Rider George Hanson [36][37]
1970 On a Clear Day You Can See Forever Tad Pringle [38]
1970 The Rebel Rousers Bunny [39]
1970 Five Easy Pieces Robert Eroica Dupea [40]
1971 Carnal Knowledge Jonathan Fuerst [41][42]
1971 A Safe Place Mitch [43]
1971 Drive, He Said — Director, writer and producer [44]
1972 The King of Marvin Gardens David Staebler [45]
1973 The Last Detail Signalman 1st Class Billy L. "Badass" Buddusky [46][47]
1974 Chinatown J. J. "Jake" Gittes [48]
1975 Tommy The Specialist [49]
1975 The Passenger David Locke [50]
1975 The Fortune Oscar Sullivan [51][52]
1975 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Randle Patrick "Mac" McMurphy [53]
1976 The Missouri Breaks Tom Logan [54]
1976 The Last Tycoon Brimmer [55]
1978 Goin' South Henry Lloyd Moon Also director [56]
1980 The Shining Jack Torrance [57]
1981 The Postman Always Rings Twice Frank Chambers [58]
1981 Reds Eugene O'Neill [59]
1982 The Border Charlie Smith [60]
1983 Terms of Endearment Garrett Breedlove [61]
1985 Prizzi's Honor Charley Partanna [62]
1986 Heartburn Mark Forman [63]
1987 The Witches of Eastwick Daryl Van Horne [64]
1987 Broadcast News Bill Rorish [65][66]
1987 Ironweed Francis Phelan [67]
1989 Batman Jack Napier / The Joker[note 1] [68]
1990 The Two Jakes J. J. "Jake" Gittes Also director and producer [69]
1992 Man Trouble Harry Bliss [70][71]
1992 A Few Good Men Colonel Nathan R. Jessup [72]
1992 Hoffa Jimmy Hoffa [73]
1994 Wolf Will Randall [74]
1995 The Crossing Guard Freddy Gale [75]
1996 Blood and Wine Alex Gates [76]
1996 Mars Attacks! President James Dale / Art Land[note 2] [78][77]
1996 The Evening Star Garrett Breedlove [79]
1997 As Good as It Gets Melvin Udall [80]
2001 The Pledge Jerry Black [81]
2002 About Schmidt Warren R. Schmidt [82]
2003 Anger Management Dr. Buddy Rydell [83]
2003 Something's Gotta Give Harry Sanborn [84]
2006 The Departed Francis "Frank" Costello [85]
2007 The Bucket List Edward Cole [86]
2010 How Do You Know Charles Madison [87]

Television

Table containing television appearances by Jack Nicholson
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1956 NBC Matinee Theater Musician's Son Episode: "Are You Listening?" [88]
1960 Mr. Lucky Martin Episode: "Operation Fortuna?" [88]
1960 The Barbara Stanwyck Show Bud Episode: "The Mink Coat" [88]
1961 Tales of Wells Fargo Tom Washburn Episode: "That Washburn Girl" [88]
1961 Sea Hunt John Stark Episode: "Round Up" [88]
1961 Bronco Bob Doolin Episode: "The Equalizer" [88]
1962 Hawaiian Eye Tony Morgan Episode: "Total Eclipse" [88]
1966 Dr. Kildare Jaime Angel 4 episodes [88]
1966–67 The Andy Griffith Show Marvin Jenkins / Mr. Garland 2 episodes [89]
1967 The Guns of Will Sonnett Tom Murdock Episode: "A Son for a Son" [88]
1986 The Elephant's Child Narrator (voice) Television short [90]
1988 How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin & How the Camel Got His Hump Narrator (voice) Television short [citation needed]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Napier becomes the Joker.[68]
  2. ^ Nicholson plays two separate characters.[77]

References

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External links

Films directed by Jack Nicholson
Categories