Abandoned by his father in his childhood, he was raised believing his grandmother was his mother and his mother was his older sister. The truth was revealed to him years later when a Time magazine researcher uncovered the truth while preparing a story on the star. Jack had a 17-year relationship with actress Anjelica Huston, which ended in 1990 after Rebecca Broussard was carrying his child.
About Schmidt (2002): $10,000,000
The Pledge (2001): $10,000,000
Wolf (1994): $13,000,000
Hoffa (1992): $10,000,000
A Few Good Men (1992): $5,000,000
Batman (1989): $60,000,000 (total earnings)
The Witches of Eastwick (1987): $6,000,000
The Missouri Breaks (1976): $125,000 + 10% of all gross receipts above $12.5m
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970): $12,500
Ranked #6 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997] Recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. [1994] Used to be a messenger boy for MGM's cartoon department. Children: Jennifer Nicholson (b. 1963) with Sandra Knight; Caleb (b. 1970) with Susan Anspach; Honey Hollman (b. 1981) with Danish supermodel, Winnie Hollman; Lorraine Nicholson (b. 1990) and Raymond (b. 1992) with Rebecca Broussard. He was the 2001 John F. Kennedy Center Honors recipient. Dedicated his Oscar for As Good as It Gets to J.T. Walsh, his co-star in A Few Good Men who had died shortly before the Academy Awards in 1998. In 1994, in an apparent bout of rage, he smashed a man's car window in with a golf club. He expressed remorse for the incident in an interview with US Magazine. Loves jokes at his expense so much that he showed up at every Academy Awards hosted by Billy Crystal, who in turn would incorporate Nicholson somehow in the telecast. Lives on famed "Bad Boy Drive" a.k.a. Mulholland Drive in Beverly Hills, California. It's nicknamed so because its residents have included former Hollywood bad boys Warren Beatty, and the late Marlon Brando. Avid Los Angeles Lakers fan. He never misses a Lakers home game. Because of this, producers on his films must work the shooting schedule around the Lakers' schedule. Was asked, along with Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty, to play the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather. Dated Lara Flynn Boyle [1999-2001] The Best Lady at his wedding to Sandra Knight was Millie Perkins. The Best Man was Harry Dean Stanton. After their divorce, Nicholson lived, for a time, at Harry Dean Stanton's place. Never does televised interviews except for press conferences. But in 2004, while attending a fashion show for his daughter, designer Jennifer Nicholson, he agreed to be interviewed briefly by Robert Verdi for E! Entertainment. Flew to Cuba and met with Fidel Castro in June 1998. While there, he also met with leaders of the Cuban film industry, enjoyed local restaurants, jazz clubs and visited a famous cigar factory. He left greatly impressed with the country and its Communist dictator, who he described as "a genius", though the luxuries he was treated to on the island are off-limits to most Cuban citizens. Each one of the films for which he has won an Oscar has also won Best Actress in a Leading Role (Louise Fletcher, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; Shirley MacLaine, Terms of Endearment; Helen Hunt, As Good as It Gets). Has a second home in Aspen, Colorado. Graduate of Manasquan High School, Manasquan, New Jersey, where he was voted "Class Clown" by the Class of 1954. Boyhood friend of Danny DeVito. Nicholson's relatives and DeVito's relatives ran a hair salon together. Presented the Best Picture Oscar six times (1972, 1977, 1978, 1990, 1993, and 2006), more than any other actor or actress. Though he was a relative new comer and lacked the status typically associated with Best Picture presenters, the then-two-time nominee took on the assignment in 1972 when many better-known celebrities balked at the job, worried that they would be tainted if 'Stanley Kubrick's 's A Clockwork Orange won the top gong and they were seen by the public as linked to the controversial picture. Nicholson, who early on declared publicly that the loved the Oscar (when the sentiment wasn't chic), happily obliged. In addition to presenting the Best Actress trophy in 1999, he also presented the Thalberg Award to Warren Beatty in 2000 and an honorary award to Michelangelo Antonioni in 1995. Owns a large art collection including works by Pablo Picasso and Tamara de Lempicka Batman creator Bob Kane personally recommended him for the role of the Joker in Batman. The illegitimate son of Donald Furcillo, the son of Italian immigrants, and June Nicholson, whose father, Jack Sr., was Irish and mother, Ethel May, was of Dutch descent. He never knew his father and was raised by his grandmother. He was led to believe that June was his older sister. Turned down the role of Johnny Hooker in The Sting to play Billy "Bad Ass" Buddusky in The Last Detail, which was written by his close friend Robert Towne, as he did not want to appear in a purely commercial picture just then. Robert Redford eventually played the part. Both Nicholson and Redford were nominated for Best Actor of 1973 at the Academy Awards, losing to Jack Lemmon for Save the Tiger. Turned down the lead role of Roy Neary in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, even though he knew the movie would be a hit as he felt that the special effects would overwhelm any actor in the movie. Appeared in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Tommy. Both of those films were nominated for Best Actress Oscars. "Cuckoo" star Louise Fletcher won. Has been nominated for an acting Oscar in five different decades (1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s). In 2004, he attended his 50th high school reunion at Manasquan High School in Manasquan, New Jersey. Needless to say, his classmates were surprised and delighted that he attended. Is one of only a few actors to win a Best Supporting Actor Oscar after winning a Best Actor Oscar. The character Shipwreck from the animated GI Joe series of the 1980s was partly based on him (and partly based on Popeye the Sailor Man). Is of Italian, Irish, and Dutch heritage. Claims his personal favorite performances are his works in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Batman, Hoffa and As Good as It Gets. Nicholson has been nominated for a Razzie Award as Worst Actor twice, for his performances in Man Trouble and Hoffa. With his seventh Best Actor nomination for As Good as It Gets , he surpassed Laurence Olivier as the most nominated actor ever with 11 total nominations (Nicholson had four Best Supporting Actor nominations in 1970, 1982, 1984 and 1991; Olivier had nine Best Actor and one Best Supporting Actor nominations. He extended the lead with his eight Best Actor nod for 'About Schmidt' (2001)_ , which tied him with Spencer Tracy and 'Paul Newman' for second place in Best Actor nominations. (Newman also has one Supporting Actor nomination.) An 12 time acting nominee (eight times as Best Actor, four times as Best Supporting Actor), he ties 'Katharine Hepburn's 12 nominations (all in the Best Actress category) and only Meryl Streep with 13 (10 in the Best Actress category) has more acting nominations. ('Bette Davis' was nominated 10 times for an Academy Award, all of them Best Actress nods.) After presenting the Best Picture Oscar at the The 78th Annual Academy Awards to Crash, he told the press he was surprised as he thought Brokeback Mountain would win. Nicholson then told the press that he himself had voted for Brokeback Mountain. His performance as "Badass" Buddusky in The Last Detail is ranked #12 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006). His performance as Randle Patrick McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is ranked #47 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006). The song "Santa Baby" in the film, Party Monster was recorded as a gift for the actor by the actress and recording artist, Cynthia Basinet, as were many other songs, including "Haunted Heart" and "Someone To Watch Over Me". She was later nominated for a shared Nobel in '05. Was in attendance at Chris Penn's funeral Along with Marlon Brando, Nicholson eagerly sought the role of Dr Martin Dysart in Sidney Lumet's film adaptation of Sir Peter Shaffer's play Equus. The part went instead to Richard Burton, who received his seventh and final Oscar nomination for his performance. His performance as Jack Torrance in The Shining is ranked #82 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time. His performance as Jake 'J.J.' Gittes in Chinatown is ranked #37 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time. His performance as Randle Patrick McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is ranked #14 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time. Turned down the role of Caligula in the infamous Bob Guccione film Caligula. The role eventually went to Malcolm McDowell. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is ranked #17 on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time. He turned down the role of Richard Nixon in Nixon. Turned down the role of Willie in Bad Santa. His performance as Jack Torrance in _The Shining (1980)_ is ranked #25 on the American Film Institute's 100 Heroes & Villains. His performance as The Joker in Batman is ranked #45 on the American Film Institute's 100 Heroes & Villains. Premiere Magazine ranked him #16 on a list of The Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005). Was considered for the role of Allie Fox in The Mosquito Coast. The part went to Harrison Ford instead. He is a fan of professional wrestling Demolished his neighbor Marlon Brando's bungalow, which he bought for £3.4 million following the actor's death in 2004. Checked himself into Cedars Sinai Hospital with a salivary gland infection. (11 September 2006) Was offered the role of Sy in One Hour Photo but turned in down. The part was given to Robin Williams instead. With his win for "As Good As It Gets" in 1998, he became the first actor in 20 years to win both a 'Best Actor Golden Globe - Comedy' and 'Oscar' for the same role. He had to stop promoting The Departed due to neck injury. His mother June died from cancer in 1963. Had a relationship to Anjelica Huston from 1973 to 1989. As he is a fan of professional wrestling, his all time favorites are Harley Race, Ric Flair and John Cena. The longest he has ever gone between Oscar nominations was six years, between One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Reds. He was considered for Jon Voight's role in Coming Home. He was considered for Jason Miller's role in The Exorcist. Most of Nicholson's performance in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever ended up on the cutting room floor, including a musical number sung by him. He was considered for Harrison Ford's role in The Mosquito Coast. He was considered for Sir Anthony Hopkins's role in The Silence of the Lambs. He was considered for Dustin Hoffman's role in Sam Peckinpah's controversial film Straw Dogs. Along with Clint Eastwood, Nicholson turned down George Clooney's role in Three Kings. Turned down Gene Hackman's role in Hoosiers. He was considered for John Malkovich's role in In the Line of Fire. He was considered for James Caan's role in Misery. He was considered for Mickey Rourke's role in Angel Heart. He is tied with Walter Brennan for the most Oscar wins by any male actor. Appears in Batman opposite Pat Hingle. Hingle appeared in The Shining, a remake of The Shining, in which Nicholson appeared. Was the first choice to play Tank Sullivan in Space Cowboys (2000). The part went to James Garner. Wants to one day induct Ric Flair into the WWE Hall Of Fame. Once said in an interview that if he can get Jim Carrey, Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr. and Johnny Depp to be a part of it, he will start his own wrestling promotion. Was originally signed to play Daddy Warbucks in John Huston's Annie but dropped out after the original producer departed the project. Shaved his head for _Bucket List, The (2007)_ . William Friedkin tried to get Nicholson star in "Sorcerer" (1977), but Nicholson didn't want travel anywhere in that time.