When it comes to a casting role that requires an actor with having the neurotic touch, only one name comes to mind. Jack Nicholson who is best known for some of the most twisted roles in the past 50 years in film, he has to be the only man capable of capturing a role that could make just about anyone cringe and love it.

John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson born in Manhattan, New York City (April of 1937) to a showgirl named June Frances Nicholson, stage name June Nilson would soon be known to all of his classmates as the "Class Clown". Much talk has been made over the years as to who his father was - a tossup between Donald Furcillo who married June six months prior to Jack's birth, Eddie King who was June's manager at the time, or an unknown (rumors of June not knowing who the father was). Jack grew up thinking his grandmother (Ethel) and grandfather (John Joseph) were his parents, only until he was at the age of 37 when a reporter uncovered the truth while writing an article about him. By this time both his mother and grandmother had passed and Jack has been known to tell inquiring minds "Only Ethel and June knew and they never told anybody". He has never attempted a pursuit in finding his biological father, choosing to avoid a DNS test.

Jack Nicholson grew up with his mother’s religion (Roman Catholic), attended Manasquan High School where he soon became well known to all around and by 1954 was voted the Class Clown from classmates. He resided in Neptune City, New Jersey and by the time he ventured to Hollywood, the first job he landed was a gofer for Hanna-Barbera. He was offered a starting position as an animation artist (and he did have talent), but he declined stating that his real passion was acting.

And soon it started that the name of Jack Nicholson would rise up when his first film debut in a low budget movie called The Cry Baby Killer (1958) allowed him the chance of a title role. This also started the spark between him and Roger Corman (producer for The Cry Baby Killer) which they continued to collaborate for the next decade over numerous films. One that strikes out the most would be The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) with Jack playing Wilbur Force alongside Jonathan Haze (Seymour Krelboin). The movie has most in awe by the plot in which a florist’s assistant cultivates a plant that ends up feeding off human blood and flesh; hence the name The Little Shop of Horrors.

During the 60's, Nicholson took on many roles - over a dozen and many that are now "Classics" in the horror genre. The Wild Ride (1960), The Terror (directed by Roger Corman) made in 1963, The St. Valentine's Day Massacre from 1967 (another Corman flick), and Easy Rider from 1969 (directed by Dennis Hopper). He was also making a name for himself when it came to working with others, specifically Roger Corman and fellow director Monte Hellman (who was in on both movies Ride in the Whirlwind and The Shooting).

Jack Nicholson still believed in his passion for acting, even if the movies he had been in for the last decade did not stand up to par for him. Maybe try a hand as a writer and/or director? The perk was there, why not the job title as well? In 1963 with the help of Don Devlin, Jack helped out with Thunder Island. In 1964 he was teamed up with Monte Hellman and by 1965 he landed his own writing niche for the movie Ride in the Whirlwind. By the time 1967 came around Nicholson was writing for the movie The Trip, on his own (with full credits) and teamed up with Roger Corman who directed the flick. Jack also had his hand at directing with the 1971 movie Drive, He said among a few others.

Now he has directed (without credit) a hand full of movies, acted in well over a dozen and managed to write a handful as well. What comes next? Where is the first big acting break and when will it hit? Here is that very movie, Easy Rider (1969) wrote by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Terry Southern. The movie about two bikers traveling the American SW all for the thrill and excitement that comes with having freedom. Nominated for the movie with best Actor in a Supporting Role, his first award came in 1971 for the movie The Last Detail at the Cannes Film Festival.

In the 70's movies like Five Easy Pieces (1970), On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970), The Last Detail (1973), Chinatown (1974), Tommy (1975) and The Passenger (1975) all starred with Jack in many roles, all of which will be remembered throughout films history and that of Jack's career.

Once 1975 came around Jack Nicholson had starred in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, portraying Randle P. McMurphy and had finally made it large enough that many were starting to notice the 30 some year old actor. Many more films would come that would allow him the chance to work with other stars, like Robert De Niro in The Last Tycoon (1976) and Marlon Brando in The Missouiri Breaks (1976).

Fans all over the world can debate over Nicholson's most significant role so far in his long list of movies, but the only one that comes up more often than not is his character Jack Torrance from the 1980 psychological horror flick directed by Stanley Kubrick (novel by Stephen King), The Shining. There are so many famous quotes from this movie and coming from Jack Nicholson just looking into his eyes, you know he was made for this twisted role. How many fans can still get chills down their back from the quick line of "Here's Jonny!” And the most famous of all besides that of the phrase “Redrum” would have to be "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy".

During the 1980’s Jack still stayed busy with movies like The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) and Terms of Endearment (1983) but the movies that setback for the awards were Reds (1981), Prizzi’s Honor (1985) and The Witches of Eastwick (1987). The first two gave off Oscar nominations also with Ironweed from 1987, but no one could imagine what would come from good old Jacky boy.

In 1989 Jack Nicholson captured us again, this time with his role of The Joker in the Warner Bros. movie Batman. While going back three years before the make of this movie, Nicholson was producer Michael Uslan's first choice, even while other such names like Robin Williams, David Bowie and James Woods were all being tossed around. It is noted that Nicholson's contract stated how many "off hours" he would not be working, all of his scenes shot within a three week block and with a salary of $6 million dollars also receiving a large percentage of the box office gross (which many claim to be as high as $50 million dollars). One can now see why it is rumored that Jack had made roughly $60 million dollars for this role alone, to play the psychotic villain that we all love.

Nicholson landed another Academy award nomination for his role in A Few Good Men (1992) when casted as Nathan R. Jessep who was the hot-headed Col. that explodes in mid movie with the famous quote “You can't handle the truth!"

Nicholson, through good times and bad became the first actor to receive the Stanislavsky Award at the Moscow International Film Festival for "conquering the heights of acting and faithfulness" in 2001. This can translate back to some of his not so great movies by fans, like Man Trouble (1992) and Hoffa (1992) which he was also nominated for the Razzie Awards as worst actor in both films. Hoffa also ended up winning him a Golden Globe nomination, so the feelings by fans may not be all bad for him.

One great casting choice that comes to mind is the 1997 movie As Good as It Gets, which Jack Nicholson plays alongside Helen Hunt with his character Melvin Udall (an OCD writer working from home also known to many as a misanthrope). This movie allowed for another win by Jack in the category of Academy Award for Best Actor, while at the same time Hunt walked away with Academy Award for Best Actress.


Three of the top movies in the past decade for Jack Nicholson include About Schmidt (2002), Anger Management (2003) and The Bucket List (2007) all which show that this actor can go from comedy, romance and even to drama roles and still pull off an amazing job during any role he takes on. His work has spanned five decades, nominated for over 70 awards (winning dozens), and tied with Walter Brennan for the second highest-number of Oscar wins in acting categories. He is also the only man in film history to be most nominated male actor for the Academy Awards in the past 80 years.

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