Nick Nolte Biography

Nicholas King Nolte attended Arizona State University on a football scholarship, before being dropped for failing his classes. His rise to stardom has been long and difficult, and he has made a habit of lying to journalists about his past.

After studying acting at the Pasadena playhouse, he briefly studied with Bryan O'Byrne, at Stella Adler's Academy in Los Angeles. Switching then to theatre, he studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse. He also studied briefly with Bryan O'Byrne at Stella Adler's Academy in Los Angeles.

Nolte began years of travelling the country in regional theatre and small TV parts, and it was 14 years before he landed his breakthrough role - in 'Rich Man, Poor Man', the television series begun in 1976.

He won an Emmy nomination for his role in the show and made his film debut in 'The Deep', opposite Jacqueline Bisset, in 1977. He appeared in the football film 'North Dallas Forty' in 1979, and as Beat legend, Neal Cassady, in 1980's 'Heart Beat'.

Subsequent film roles such as 'Down And Out In Beverly Hills' in 1986, the Eddie Murphy vehicle '48 Hours' in 1982 and 'Under Fire', the next year, demonstrated Nolte’s depth and versatility. He also appeared in Martin Scorsese’s segment of the collaborative 'New York Stories'.

Constantly plagued by alcohol and drug problems, Nolte's career suffered during the late 1980s and early 1990s, despite films such as 'Cape Fear'. He got back on track with appearances in 'Mulholland Falls' in 1996 and Oliver Stone’s 'U-Turn' in 1997.

That year he also produced and appeared in 'Affliction', for which he won a 1998 Best Actor Nomination. In 1998, Nolte also starred in Terence Malick's 'The Thin Red Line', alongside Sean Penn, John Travolta and George Clooney. His portrayal of a US soldier in the World War II movie landed him a Chicago Film Critics Association Award nomination for best supporting actor.

Nolte went on to appear in a number of movies between 1999 and 2003, including 'Breakfast of Champions', 'The Golden Bowl', 'The Good Thief' and 'Hulk, which was a box office hit. Roles in 2004 movies 'Clean' and 'Hotel Rwanda' led to nominations including the Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actor and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast.

After starring in animation 'Over the Hedge' in 2006, Nolte went on to have roles in 'Off the Black' and 'Peaceful Warrior' in the same year, followed by 'The Mysteries of Pittsburgh' and 'The Spiderwick Chronicles' in 2008. The latter was a commercially successful fantasy movie, which received generally positive reviews and paved the way for his appearance on 'Tropic Thunder' alongside Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. His recent outings include 'Arcadia Lost' and 'Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore', which saw him play a voice role for a dog.

Nolte, who lives in Malibu, California, has not been successful as far as marriage is concerned as he has been divorced three times.