Jack Nicholson Biography

Born in Neptune City, New Jersey, on 22 April 1937, John Joseph Nicholson Jr., referred to as ‘Jack’, was born to a beautician mother, Ethel, and a self-employed sign painter and window dresser, John Sr. After John Sr. walked out on the family, Jack was raised by Ethel and two sisters, June and Lorraine.

A class clown, sports fan, and honour student, Nicholson studied drama in high school and welcomed the opportunity to live in Los Angeles with his sister, June, upon his graduation.

The 17-year-old soon landed a job as a gopher for MGM Studios, and invested his income in acting classes. In 1958, he received his first break with ‘The Cry Baby Killer’, which was produced by his friend Roger Corman. The film marked the first of several collaborations during the early 1960s, and although Jack was grateful for the work, he longed to escape the "B" movie genre.

In 1963, Nicholson suffered a devastating loss when June succumbed to cancer. Her death occurred during a crucial juncture in Jack's life: as the newly married young actor welcomed his first child.

The 1960s also ushered in a counterculture movement that Jack Nicholson capitalised upon. ‘Easy Rider’ in 1969 finally catapulted the actor to stardom at the age of 32. Nicholson played hard-drinking lawyer George Hanson, for which he received his first Oscar nomination. The part of Hanson was a lucky break for Nicholson - the role had in fact been written for actor Rip Torn, but Torn withdrew from the project after a bitter argument with the film's co-director Dennis Hopper.

Nicholson’s on-screen image as a rebel spilled into his personal life. Divorced from Sandra Knight, Nicholson drew headlines not only for performances in films like ‘Five Easy Pieces’, but also for his romantic exploits, most notably with Anjelica Huston, the daughter of legendary director John Huston.

In 1974, as Nicholson's career shifted into high gear with the release of 'Chinatown', he learned shocking personal news. A reporter from Time Magazine informed the actor that June Nicholson, not Ethel, was Jack's mother. Ethel was, in fact, his grandmother. A stunned Nicholson channelled his emotion into his next project, ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest’, for which he won his first Academy Award. Nicholson never looked back.

Although he failed to gain any Oscar attention for Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Stephen King's 'The Shining' (1980), it remains one of Nicholson's most significant roles. His next Oscar, the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, came for his role of retired astronaut Garrett Breedlove in 'Terms of Endearment' (1983). Nicholson continued to work prolifically throughout the 1980s, starring in movies such as 'The Postman Always Rings Twice' (1981), 'Reds' (1981), 'Prizzi's Honor' (1985), 'The Witches of Eastwick' (1987) and 'Ironweed' (1987).

Nicholson’s next major hit came in 1989, when he played the role of the Joker in 'Batman' to great acclaim. He earned another Academy nomination three years later for his performance as Colonel Nathan R. Jessop in 'A Few Good Men' (1992), which was about a murder in a Marine Corps unit in Guantanamo.

The versatile actor’s star continued to rise as he picked up another Best Actor Oscar award in 1997 for his role as Melvin Udall, a neurotic author with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), in the romance 'As Good as It Gets'. His co-star Helen Hunt won the award for Best Actress.

Post-2000, Nicholson delivered a number of good performances in a variety of movies including 'Anger Management' (2002) and 'Something’s Gotta Give' (2003). His quiet, restrained performance in 'About Schmidt' (2002), earned him an Academy Award Nomination for Best Actor. Nicholson portrayed a retired actuary who questions his own life following the death of his wife.

Most recently, Nicholson took on a more sinister role as Frank Costello, a sadistic Boston Irish Mob boss presiding over Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning 'The Departed'.

Now a father of three, Nicholson remains a confirmed bachelor. As he has matured, Nicholson's rebellious persona has become peppered with a mischievous playfulness that has proven as effective on-screen as off.