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Jack Nicholson Biography (1937-)

Original name, John Joseph Nicholson; born April 22 (some sources cite April28), 1937, in Neptune, NJ; son of June Nicholson; grandson of John (a sign painter) and Ethel May (an operator of a beauty parlor) Nicholson; married Sandra Knight, 1961 (divorced, 1966); children: (first marriage) Jennifer; (withSusan Anspach) one son; (with Rebecca Broussard) Lorraine, Raymond. Education: Graduate of Manasquan High School, Manasquan, NJ; studied acting with Jeff Corey, 1957, and with other drama teachers. Avocational interests: Spectator sports, especially basketball. Addresses: Agent--Bresler, Kelly, and Associates, 11500 West Olympic Blvd., Suite 510, Los Angeles, CA 90064-1529. Career: Actor, director, producer, and writer. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, messenger in cartoon department, 1957; Players Ring Theatre, member of troupe, 1957-58. Awards, Honors: Academy Award nomination, Golden Globe Award nomination, National Society of Film Critics Award, New York Film Critics Circle Award, and British Academy Award nomination,British Academy of Film and Television Arts, all best supporting actor, 1969, for Easy Rider; Academy Award nomination, best actor, and Golden Globe Award nomination, best motion picture actor in a drama, both 1970, for Five Easy Pieces; Golden Globe Award nomination, best motion picture actor in a drama, 1971, for Carnal Knowledge; Cannes International Film Festival Award, Academy Award nomination, best actor, Golden Globe Award nomination, and British Academy Award, best actor in a motion picture drama, all 1973, for The Last Detail; Academy Award nomination, Golden Globe Award,National Society of Film Critics Award, National Board of Review Award,British Academy Award, and New York Film Critics Award, all best actor, 1974, forChinatown; Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, National Society of FilmCritics Award, British Academy Award, and New York Film Critics Award, all best actor, 1975, for One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest; British Academy Award, National Board of Review Award, Academy Award nomination, all bestsupporting actor, and Golden Globe Award nomination, best motion picture actor in a supporting role, all 1981, for Reds; Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, National Society of Film Critics Award, National Board of Review Award, New York Film Critics Circle Award, and Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, all best supporting actor, 1983, for Terms of Endearment; Academy Award nomination, best actor, Golden Globe Award, best actor in a comedy or musical motion picture, National Society of Film Critics Award, and New York Film Critics Circle Award, best actor, all 1985, for Prizzi's Honor; Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, best actor, Academy Award nomination, best actor, and Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a motion picture drama, all 1987, for Ironweed; Shared Grammy Award (with Bobby McFerrin), best children's recording, NationalAcademy of Recording Arts and Sciences, 1987, for The Elephant's Child; Saturn Award, best actor, Academy of Science Fiction, Horror, and Fantasy Films, and New York Film Critics Circle Award, best actor, both 1987, forThe Witches of Eastwick; Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a motion picture comedy or musical, and British Academy Award nomination, best supporting actor, both 1989, for Batman; AcademyAward nomination, best actor, and Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a motion picture drama, both 1992, for Hoffa; National Board of Review award, best supporting actor, Academy Award nomination,best supporting actor, Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by anactor in a supporting role in a motion picture, and MTV Movie Award nominations, best male performance and best villain, all 1992, for A Few Good Men;Lifetime Achievement Award, American Film Institute, 1994; Golden Satellite Award nomination, best actor in a comedy or musical motion picture, 1996,for Mars Attacks!; Academy Award, best actor, Golden Globe Award, bestperformance by an actor in a motion picture comedy or musical, Screen ActorsGuild Award, outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, Golden Satellite Award, National Boardof Review Award, American Comedy Award, funniest lead actor in a motion picture, Blockbuster Entertainment award nomination, favorite actor in a video, ALFS Award, actor of the year, London Critics Circle, Online Film Critics Society Award, best actor, and runner-up for Toronto Film Critics Association Award, best actor, all 1997, for As Good As It Gets; received star on Hollywood Walk of Fame, 1997; Jack Webb Award, Los Angeles Police Department, 1998; Cecil B. DeMille Award, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, 1999; ALFS, London Film Critics Circle Award for actor of the year, 1999; Kennedy Center Honor, 2001. Addresses: Agent: Bresler, Kelly, and Associates, 11500 West Olympic Blvd., Suite 510, Los Angeles, CA 90064-1529.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Occupation

Actor, director, producer, writer

Birth Details

April 22, 1937

Neptune, New Jersey, United States

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Film Appearances
• Jimmy, Cry Baby Killer, Allied Artists, 1958
• Buddy, Too Young to Love(also known as Too Soon to Love), Rank, 1959
• Johnny Varron, The Wild Ride, Filmgroup, 1960
• Weary Reilly, Studs Lonigan, United Artists, 1960
• Wilbur Force, Little Shop of Horrors(also known as The Passionate People Eater), Filmgroup, 1960
• Will Brocious, The Broken Land, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1961
• Roxford Bedlo, The Raven, American International Pictures, 1962
• Lieutenant Andre Duvalier, The Terror(also known as The Castleof Terror, The Haunting, and Lady of the Shadows), AmericanInternational Pictures, 1963
• Dolan, Ensign Pulver, Warner Bros., 1964
• Burnett, Back Door to Hell, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1964
• Jay Wickham, Flight to Fury, Feature Films, 1966
• Billy Spear, The Shooting, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1966
• Wes, Ride the Whirlwind(also known as Ride in the Whirlwind), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1966
• Poet, Hell's Angels on Wheels, U.S. Films, 1967
• Gino, The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, Twentieth Century-Fox,1967
• Stoney, Psych-Out, Columbia, 1968
• Himself, Head, Columbia, 1968
• George Hanson, Easy Rider, Columbia, 1969
• Bunny, Rebel Rousers, Four Star Excelsior, 1970
• Tad Pringle, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Paramount, 1970
• Robert Eroica Dupea, Five Easy Pieces, Columbia, 1970
• Jonathan Fuerst, Carnal Knowledge, Avco-Embassy, 1971
• Mitch, A Safe Place, Columbia, 1971
• David Staebler, The King of Marvin Gardens, Columbia, 1972
• Billy Buddusky, The Last Detail, Columbia, 1973
• J.J. "Jake" Gittes, Chinatown, Paramount, 1974
• Oscar Sullivan, The Fortune(also known as Spite and Malice), Columbia, 1974
• David Locke, The Passenger(also known as Profession: Reporter, Professione: Reporter, and El reportero), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1975
• Doctor, Tommy(also known as Tommy by "The Who" and The Who's Tommy), Columbia, 1975
• Randle Patrick "R.P." McMurphy, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, United Artists, 1975
• Tom Logan, The Missouri Breaks, Warner Bros., 1976
• Brimmer, The Last Tycoon, Paramount, 1976
• Henry Lloyd Moon, Goin' South, Paramount, 1978
• Jack Torrance, The Shining(also known as Stanley Kubrick'sThe Shining), Warner Bros., 1980
• Charlie Smith, The Border, Universal, 1981
• Frank Chambers, The Postman Always Rings Twice(also known as Wenn der Postmann zweimal klingelt), Paramount, 1981
• Eugene O'Neill, Reds, Warner Bros., 1981
• Notre Dame de la croisette,1981
• Garrett Breedlove, Terms of Endearment, Paramount, 1983
• Charlie Partanna, Prizzi's Honor, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1985
• Mark Forman, Heartburn, Paramount, 1986
• Daryl Van Horne, The Witches of Eastwick, Warner Bros., 1987
• Bill Rorich, Broadcast News, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1987
• Francis Phelan, Ironweed, TriStar, 1987
• The Joker/Jack Napier, Batman, Warner Bros., 1989
• J.J. "Jake" Gittes, The Two Jakes, Paramount, 1991
• Harry Bliss, Man Trouble, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1992
• Colonel Nathan R. Jessup, A Few Good Men, Columbia, 1992
• James R. "Jimmy" Hoffa (title role), Hoffa, Twentieth Century-Fox,1992
• Will Randall, Wolf, Columbia, 1994
• Freddy Gale, The Crossing Guard, Miramax, 1995
• President James Dale/Art Land, Mars Attacks! Warner Bros., 1996
• Garret Breedlove, The Evening Star, Paramount, 1996
• Melvin Udall, As Good As It Gets(also known as Old Friends), Sony Pictures Entertainment, 1997
• Alex Gates, Blood and Wine, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1997
• The Pledge, Warner Bros., 2000
• Himself, Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures(documentary), 2001
• Film Work
• Director
• The Terror(also known as The Castle of Terror, The Haunting, and Lady of the Shadows), American International Pictures, 1963
• Drive, He Said, Columbia, 1970
• Goin' South, Paramount, 1978
• The Two Jakes, Paramount, 1991
• Producer
• Ride the Whirlwind(also known as Ride in the Whirlwind), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1966
• The Shooting, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1966
• (With Bob Rafelson) Head, Columbia, 1968
• (With Steve Blauner) Drive, He Said, Columbia, 1970
• Television Appearances
• Episodic
• "Anniversary Party," Mr. Lucky, CBS, 1960
• Martin, "Operation Fortuna," Mr. Lucky, CBS, 1960
• "The Mink Coat," Barbara Stanwyck Theater, NBC, 1960
• "The Washburn Girl," Tales of Wells Fargo, NBC, 1961
• "The Equalizer," Bronco, ABC, 1961
• "Total Eclipse," Hawaiian Eye, ABC, 1962
• "The Encroachment," Dr. Kildare, NBC, 1966
• "A Patient Lost," Dr. Kildare, NBC, 1966
• "What Happened to All the Sunshine and Roses?" Dr. Kildare, NBC, 1966
• "The Taste of Crow," Dr. Kildare, NBC, 1966
• "Out of a Concrete Tower," Dr. Kildare, NBC, 1966
• Crew member, "The Lost Bomb," Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, ABC, 1966
• Father of the baby, "Opie Finds a Baby," The Andy Griffith Show, CBS, 1966
• Marvin Jenkins, "Aunt Bee, the Juror," The Andy Griffith Show, CBS, 1967
• "A Son for a Son," Guns of Will Sonnet, ABC, 1967
• Narrator, The Elephant's Child, Showtime, 1987
• Also appeared in episodes of Cheyenne, ABC; and Divorce Court, syndicated.
• Specials
• Making "The Shining,"1980
• The American Film Institute Salute to John Huston, CBS, 1983
• Michael Landon: Memories with Laughter and Love, NBC, 1991
• An American Reunion: New Beginnings, Renewed Hope,1993
• Doctor (in archival footage), The Who's Tommy: The Amazing Journey,1993
• The American Film Institute Salute to Jack Nicholson(also known asThe AFI Salute to Jack Nicholson), CBS, 1994
• Narrator, Celebrate Storytelling with Danny Glover(animated), PBS,1994
• The American Film Institute Salute to Steven Spielberg(also knownas The AFI Salute to Steven Spielberg), NBC, 1995
• A Salute to Dustin Hoffman(also known as The 27th American FilmInstitute Life Achievement Award: A Salute to Dustin Hoffman), ABC, 1999
• America's Millennium, CBS, 1999
• (In archival footage) Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The Early Years (1955-70),2000
• Gimme Some Truth: The Making of the "Imagine" Album, Bravo, 2000
• Himself, America: A Tribute to Heroes,2001
• Awards Presentations
• The 62nd Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1990
• The 33rd Annual Grammy Awards, CBS, 1991
• Presenter, The 65th Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1993
• The 70th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1998
• The 56th Annual Golden Globe Awards,1999
• Presenter, The 5th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards,1999
• Presenter, The 71st Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1999
• Presenter, The 72nd Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 2000
• Honoree, The Kennedy Center Honors,2001
• Stage Appearances
• Appeared in Tea and Sympathy, Hollywood, CA.
• RECORDINGS
• Taped Readings, with Music by Bobby McFerrin
• The Elephant's Child, Rabbit Ears Music, 1987
• How the Camel Got His Hump, Rabbit Ears Music, 1990
• How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin, Rabbit Ears Music, 1990
• WRITINGS
• Screenplays
• (With Don Devlin) Thunder Island, Associated Producers, 1963
• Ride the Whirlwind(also known as Ride in the Whirlwind), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1966
• Flight to Fury, Feature Films, 1966
• The Trip, American International Pictures, 1967
• (With Bob Rafelson) Head, Columbia, 1968
• (With Jeremy Larner) Drive, He Said(adapted from the novel by Larner), Columbia, 1970
• Goin' South, Paramount, 1978
• Nonfiction
• (Author of foreword) Scott Osler and Steve Springer, Winnin' Times: The Magical Journey of the Los Angeles Lakers, Macmillan (New York City), 1986
• (With Eric Morris and Joan Hotchkis) No Acting Please, Ermor Enterprises (Los Angeles, CA), 1995
• (Author of introduction) Tommy Baratta and Marylou Baratta, Cooking for Jack, Pocket Books (New York City), 1997

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

• Bingham, Dennis, Acting Male: Masculinities in the Films of James Stewart, Jack Nicholson, and Clint Eastwood, Rutgers University Press (New Brunswick, NJ), 1994.
• Brode, Douglas, The Films of Jack Nicholson, Citadel (Secaucus, NJ), 1996.
• Campbell, Nancy and Jackie Shirley, Jack Nicholson, Smithmark Publishing, 1994.
• Dowling, David, Jack Nicholson, Stein & Day (Briarcliff Manor,NY), 1984.
• International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 3: Actors and Actresses, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1986.
• Shepard, Donald, Jack Nicholson: An Unauthorized Biography, St. Martin's (New York City), 1991.
• Siegel, Barbara, and Scott Siegel, Jack Nicholson: The Unauthorized Biography, Avon (New York City), 1991.
• Sylvester, David, Jack Nicholson, Scribner (New York City), 1982.

Periodicals:

• American Film,. January, 1984
• Biography, pp. 16-17. August, 1998
• Cosmopolitan, p. 236. September, 1994
• Empire, p. 188. October, 1997
• Entertainment Weekly, p. 20. October 9, 1998
• New York Times,. July 13, 1986
• New York Times Magazine, pp. S28-S30. September 10, 1989
• Premiere, pp. 58-68. September 10, 1990
• Rolling Stone, March 19, 1998, pp. 36-40. March 29, 1984
• Time. August 12, 1974