The Biography Channel - Jack Nicholson Biography

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

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.