Jack Nicholson is a retired American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter who made his film debut in The Cry Baby Killer (1958). Nicholson is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of his generation. He is also one of the most critically acclaimed: his 12 Academy Award nominations make him the most nominated male actor in the Academy's history. He is also a Kennedy Center Honoree and a recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award and the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award.

In the first decade of his acting career, Nicholson had several minor roles in film and television, only having significant parts in independent films. Nicholson's breakout role was in the countercultural Easy Rider (1969). Nicholson next appeared in Five Easy Pieces (1970). He then starred in the comedy-drama Carnal Knowledge (1971). His performance in The Last Detail (1973) garnered him the Cannes Best Actor Award. For his performance in the Roman Polanski-directed Chinatown (1974), he was awarded the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama. He then portrayed Randle McMurphy in the Miloš Forman-directed One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), which won Best Picture and garnered him the Academy Award for Best Actor and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama. In 1976, he starred in the film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Last Tycoon (1941). Also that year, Nicholson costarred with Marlon Brando in the western The Missouri Breaks. In 1978, Nicholson directed and starred in another western, Goin' South.

In 1980, Nicholson played Jack Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. For his portrayal of playwright Eugene O'Neill in Reds (1981), Nicholson was awarded the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for his acting in Terms of Endearment (1983). He later returned in the 1996 sequel The Evening Star. He collaborated with director John Huston in Prizzi's Honor (1985), for which Nicholson earned another Best Actor nomination from the Academy. His role as Francis Phelan in Ironweed (1987) garnered him yet another Oscar nomination for Best Actor. He then portrayed the Joker in the Tim Burton-directed Batman (1989). Nicholson subsequently directed and acted in The Two Jakes (1990), a sequel to Chinatown. In 1992, he portrayed Jimmy Hoffa in the Danny DeVito-directed Hoffa. That year Nicholson also appeared in the Rob Reiner-directed A Few Good Men. He collaborated with Burton again on Mars Attacks! (1996). His next role in As Good as It Gets (1997) garnered him the Academy Award for Best Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. In 2006, he starred alongside Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio in the Martin Scorsese-directed The Departed. He starred opposite Morgan Freeman in the 2007 comedy The Bucket List. His final film appearance was in How Do You Know (2010).

Film

+ YearTitleRoleNotes 1958 1960 Too Soon to Love Buddy Studs Lonigan 1962 1963 Thunder Island — Writer only 1964 Flight to Fury Also writer Back Door to Hell Burnett Ensign Pulver Dolan 1966 Also producer Ride in the Whirlwind Wes Also writer and producer 1967 Gino Uncredited Hells Angels on Wheels Poet — Writer only 1968 Psych-Out Stoney Head Movie Director in Restaurant Uncredited cameo; Also writer and producer 1969 Easy Rider 1970 On a Clear Day You Can See Forever Bunny Five Easy Pieces 1971 Carnal Knowledge Mitch Drive, He Said — Director, writer and producer 1972 1973 1974 Chinatown 1975 Tommy One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 1976 Brimmer 1978 Goin' South Also director 1980 1981 Reds 1982 1983 Terms of Endearment 1985 Prizzi's Honor 1986 Heartburn 1987 Broadcast News Ironweed 1989 Batman 1990 Also director and producer 1992 Man Trouble Hoffa 1994 Wolf 1995 1996 Blood and Wine Mars Attacks! 1997 As Good as It Gets 2001 2002 About Schmidt 2003 Anger Management Something's Gotta Give 2006 2007 2010 I'm Still Here Himself How Do You Know

Television

+ YearTitleRoleNotes 1956 NBC Matinee Theater Musician's Son Episode: "Are You Listening?" 1960 Mr. Lucky Martin Episode: "Operation Fortuna?" Bud Episode: "The Mink Coat" 1961 Tales of Wells Fargo Episode: "That Washburn Girl" Sea Hunt Episode: "Round Up" Bronco Episode: "The Equalizer" 1962 Hawaiian Eye Episode: "Total Eclipse" 1966 Dr. Kildare 4 episodes 1966–67 2 episodes 1967 Episode: "A Son for a Son" 1986 Narrator (voice) Television short 1988 How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin & How the Camel Got His Hump Narrator (voice) Television short 2015 Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special Himself Television special 2025 Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special Himself Television special

See also List of awards and nominations received by Jack Nicholson

Notes

References

External links

Jack Nicholson at the Rotten Tomatoes