Jack Nicholson: The Joker is Wild

Fri 16th May - 4:00PM

A look at the long and illustrious career of the acting legend.

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Jack Nicholson
born: 22-04-1937
birth place: Neptune City, New Jersey

A legendary lothario with 12 Academy Award nominations (including three wins) to his credit, Jack Nicholson remains one of the most successful and heralded actors in Hollywood.

Born in Neptune City, New Jersey, on 22nd 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.

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