There’s no denying that Jack Nicholson is a Hollywood legend. His first role in the 1958 low budget thriller Cry Baby Killer turned into a 60-year career that made him the male actor with the most Academy Award nominations of all time. Nicholson’s appearances in movies such as One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, The Shining, The Departed, Batman and As Good As It Gets turned him into a household name with a $400 million net worth.
Nicholson turned 84 this spring, and fans used the occasion to look back on some of his most iconic roles and quotes, including the quip “The less people know about me, the easier my job is.” Indeed, fans have seen and heard little from Nicholson in the last decade, save for a few television appearances and roles that didn’t materialize. The actor’s last performance was in the romantic comedy How Do You Know, which was released in 2010.
What has Jack Nicholson been up to since his last appearance on screen?
1 His Last Film Was a Box Office Bomb
In 2010, Jack Nicholson appeared in James L. Brooks’ How Do You Know alongside Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd. The movie was a complete box office disaster, earning a C- rating on cinemascore and making just $7 million of its $120 million budget on opening weekend. In an interview with SheKnows, Nicholson revealed his friendship with James L. Brooks convinced him to take the role.
“He [writer-director James L. Brooks] is kind of close to me. I’ll always work with Jimmy. He’s probably the best screenwriter in the world. You know you are going to get great material. He always casts wonderful actors, look at us all [in How Do You Know]. That, plus you really get to work with, and I accent the adjective, a dear friend,” Nicholson revealed.
James L. Brooks’ IMDB page tells us he hasn’t made many movies since How Do You Know, which could explain why we haven’t seen Nicholson on the big screen in over a decade!
2 He Spends Time With His 5 Kids
Though Jack Nicholson tries to keep his personal life a mystery, he has long been rumoured to be a ladies man, dating women decades younger than him. Nicholson is the father of 5 children with 4 different women, and some of his children are parents themselves!
Nicholson’s oldest daughter Jennifer was born in 1963, during Nicholson’s marriage to Sandra Knight. Jennifer has since had children of her own – she gave birth to son Sean in 1996 and Duke in 1999, making Nicholson a grandfather. Nicholson also became a father to his son Caleb in 1970, while dating actress Susan Anspach. His third daughter Honey, whom he shares with former model Winnie Hollman, was born in 1981, while his youngest children Lorraine and Ray, shared with Rebecca Broussard, were born in 1990 and 1992. It seems most of his children are following in their father’s footsteps – all of them have acting credits to their name.
3 His Relationship With The Kids
In 2008, Nicholson discussed his relationship with Lorraine and Ray to AARP magazine, saying “I always read to them, from childhood on; I think that’s a father’s responsibility. I took them to things I knew they might not love — opera, ballet. They like going to the ball games with me. And they are very comfortable around show business; they are good set rats. They walked in on my death scene in ‘The Departed.’ I said, “If I can get these two kids really worried, I’m doin’ my job!”
4 Jack Nicholson Has Been Reading Scripts
When Nicholson disappeared from the spotlight after How Do You Know, rumours began spreading that the actor was suffering from memory loss and could no longer remember his lines on set. Nicholson’s camp was quick to debunk the rumours, telling E! the rumours were “cuckoo” and that Nicholson was “actively reading scripts” and “looking forward to his next project.”
When Nicholson disappeared from the spotlight after How Do You Know, rumours began spreading that the actor was suffering from memory loss and could no longer remember his lines on set. Nicholson’s camp was quick to debunk the rumours, telling E! the rumours were “cuckoo” and that Nicholson was “actively reading scripts” and “looking forward to his next project.”
In 2013, Nicholson turned down a leading role in Nebraska. He also co-developed the film St. Vincent, but recommended Bill Murray for the lead role. In 2017, he signed on for a remake of a German comedy alongside Kristen Wiig, but later dropped out in 2018.
“If I get a good script tomorrow that I want to do, I’m sure I’ll be doing it. If I don’t, I won’t,” Nicholson declared to MTV.
5 He Likes Not Working
In an interview with SheKnows, Nicholson revealed that he’s taken the last decade to relax, sleep in, play golf, hang out with his kids, and not be employed. “I like not working. I know that’s hideous and maybe even blasphemous, but I really do. I think I’ve started to infect others, the young guys. I had a conversation with Leo [DiCaprio], where he said he really likes not working. I said, “See what I mean?” [Laughs] I don’t want to infect these guys. I don’t mind not working,” he said.
6 Jack Nicholson And The Lakers
Nicholson is also known as a Los Angeles Lakers superfan, attending many games with his famous friends throughout the years. In fact, his last public appearance was at a Lakers game with his son Ray in February 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The actor has never officially confirmed that he is retired, but he sure has slowed down considerably since his 70th birthday. Nicholson’s friend Peter Fonda revealed that the actor was “basically retired”, and with his impressive net worth and incredible list of achievements, Nicholson certainly doesn’t need the money.
