Jack Nicholson

“You only lie to two people in your life: your girlfriend and the police.”

To call Jack Nicholson the de facto standard of cool in Hollywood would be an understatement. Born John Joseph Nicholson on April 22 1937 in Neptune, New Jersey, his difficult youth was the stuff of the Hollywood fodder he would later become world famous for starring in; his father left him at an early age and he was led to believe his grandmother was his mother and his mother his older sister. The truth wasn’t revealed to him until a Time magazine researcher confronted him with the information while prepping a story on the man. Despite this shock, he continued onwards with his career and his list of credits reads more like a compendium of some of the greatest roles in cinematic history rather than the filmography of a single actor; his is a career to be both envied and amazed by.

Jack’s career as an actor started out in the infamous Roger Corman school of filmmaking hard knocks; working with and starring in several of Corman’s low budget quickies. His first film role for the man came in the 1958 thriller “The Cry Baby Killer,” starring as a juvenile delinquent who thinks he may have committed a murder. Nicholson next worked on Corman’s infamous “The Little Shop of Horrors” from 1960. Reportedly shot over a two-day period, the film went on to become an instant, if dated, cult classic. In the film, Nicholson portrayed Wilbur Force, meek, nerdish and eccentric patient of Dr. Farb (John Shaner); the role was a complete 180 from the roles that would later come to define Nicholson as an actor’s actor, but it did show off his versatility and underrated comedic ability. Three more films featuring Nicholson would be released within the same year: “Too Soon to Love” (which also featured mogul-in-training Robert Evans), “Studs Lonigan” and “The Wild Ride.” “The Wild Ride” was notable for being the first film to feature Nicholson in a starring role, playing “Johnny,” the hotheaded leader of a gang of high school hot-rodders.

In 1963, Corman cast Nicholson alongside Peter Lorre, Vincent Price, and Boris Karloff in “The Raven,” which was inspired by the Edgar Allen Poe poem of the same name. Nicholson soon began to explore his creative desires and later that same year, he made his (uncredited) co-directing debut with “The Terror,” alongside Francis Ford Coppola, Monte Hellman, and “Foxy Brown” helmer Jack Hill. Nicholson also starred in the film alongside Boris Karloff. If the sets used in both of these films look a little familiar, well they should; Corman used some of the same sets in both films as a cost saving measure. While time hasn’t been so kind to “The Raven,” “The Terror” has surprisingly held up well through the years.

Although still working in the low-budget filmmaking arena, landing the occasional television role on such series as “Dr. Kildare” and “The Andy Griffith Show,” Nicholson began to establish himself as true diamond in the rough, appearing in films like Monte Hellman’s “Ride the Whirlwind,” and “The Shooting,” as well as “The Stuntman” director Richard Rush’s “Hells Angels on Wheels,” and (perhaps most infamously) “Psych-Out” from 1964 through 1968. The time was ripe for Nicholson, and indeed an entire generation, to come into its own and make a bold cinematic statement, and in 1969, that statement came in the form of “Easy Rider.” Directed by Dennis Hopper, who was, as the kids say, “stoned out of his gourd” for most of the shooting, the film was to the 60’s counter-culture what “The Wild One” was to 50’s biker gangs. Not only was the film an essential document of the youth culture of the time, it was also a much needed shot in the arm to American cinema and its box office success signaled the beginning of an era of personal filmmaking in Hollywood that would last until the end of the 70’s. Although Nicholson’s role was minor, the film’s influence was so massive that nearly everyone that appeared in the film became a sort of cult hero to the people that connected with the film.

1970 saw Nicholson finally begin to receive the major Hollywood attention that had eluded him for so many years. “Five Easy Pieces” was Nicholson’s first starring role since “Easy Rider.” The film followed Nicholson as Robert Dupea as he returned home to see his ailing father. Nicholson’s performance In the film was absolutely riveting from beginning to end and many consider it to be the finest of his career. He followed the film with Mike Nichols’ “Carnal Knowledge” as well as his second feature film as director (first credited) with “Drive, He Said” in 1971. Nicholson showed off his acting prowess yet again in “The King of Marvin Gardens’” gripping first five minutes; with the camera on close-up and the background completely dark, Nicholson delivers a powerful monologue, grabbing a hold of the audience right from the outset. Although Nicholson’s role in “Marvin Gardens” was one that sustained the viewer’s attention throughout, it was also considerably subdued when compared to his next screen role.

In Hal Ashby’s “The Last Detail,” Nicholson commanded the screen in a way few other actors have ever even attempted. His performance as Billy “Bad Ass” Buddusky was one that was full of energy, rage and humor, and his lines were among the most quotable of any character in Jack’s career. Although the film may not be as fondly remembered today, it still stands as one of the great films in a decade full of gems. Jack’s next film, however, would stand head and shoulders above anything he had done before.

With a title sequence drenched in sepia tone, and perhaps the most existential trumpet solo in film music history, Roman Polanski’s “Chinatown” lulls us into its sublime state of 1940’s L.A. and classic Hollywood noir. Working off of one of the greatest screenplays ever written for motion pictures, Nicholson created what could be seen as the ideal noir private eye in Jake Gittes. Nicholson next worked with Michelangelo Antonioni in “The Passenger” (1975). The film was seen as quite challenging to audiences at the time and fizzled at the box office despite many great reviews and another stellar performance by Nicholson as a reporter working in Africa. 1975 also saw Jack in one of his most endearing and memorable roles as R.P. McMurphy in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” The role finally garnered Nicholson an Academy Award for his work. Topping off a busy year, Nicholson also found time for a small cameo in the Who's rock opera Tommy, displaying a rare example of his singing talent as A. Quackson, Mental Health Specialist.

In 1976, Jack was seen in two films working with screen legends: Marlon Brando in “The Missouri Breaks,” and director Elia Kazan in an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Last Tycoon.” Although thematically both films have very little in common, it is interesting nonetheless to see these two Hollywood giants who both made their names in the 50’s, pass the torch to a new era of talent. Jack returned to the director’s chair with 1978’s “Goin’ South,” a comedy about a man (Nicholson) who is saved from a hanged man’s fate by an obscure town law. It would be another two years before audiences would see Jack in another film, but there’s little doubt that it was worth the wait.

“The Shining,” Stanley Kubrick’s take on Stephen King’s best-selling gothic horror novel, featured Jack in what is perhaps his most terrifying and popular role to date. Much like the film itself, Nicholson’s performance is deliberately paced, gradually building to its startlingly frightening heights. In 1981, Nicholson starred in a steamier remake of the John Garfield classic, “The Postman Always Rings Twice,” as well as Warren Beatty’s Russian revolution epic “Reds.” 1982’s “The Border” saw Jack deliver another strong performance as a conflicted U.S. border patrol agent.

Jack’s performance in 1983’s weepy “Terms of Endearment” earned him his first Oscar for work as a supporting actor. Flush with accolades and success, he next opted to work with director John Huston in what would be one of his final films, “Prizzi’s Honor.” Showing off his versatility, Jack turned in a brilliant comedic performance alongside Susan Sarandon, Cher, and Michelle Pfeiffer in 1987’s “The Witches of Eastwick,” and then later that year, gave a pulverizing performance in Hector Babenco’s “Ironweed,” which also starred Meryl Streep. Both performances couldn’t be more polar opposite, however they work together to show just what Jack is capable of at any given moment on screen.

Warner Bros. big screen, big budget adaptation of “Batman” in 1989 saw Jack in dual roles of sorts. First as the cool and calm Jack Napier, then later as the off-the-wall “homicidal artist” The Joker. The film was the first pairing between Nicholson and director Tim Burton, but certainly wasn’t their last. Tim’s gothic daydream of futuristic noir turned out to be one of the biggest hits of the decade and cemented Burton as a bankable Hollywood filmmaker and Jack as a bankable Hollywood star willing to try almost anything once.

Jack entered the 90’s as a bona fide Hollywood icon, but that didn’t seem to slow him down one bit as he continued to tackle risky roles for one so established in the industry. He kicked off the decade with a return to the director’s seat with the “Chinatown” sequel “The Two Jakes.” Co-starring Harvey Keitel, the film was a continuation of both the Jake Gittes character as well as the story from the original film. Although the film doesn’t measure up to its classic predecessor, it is still a worthy follow-up. In 1992, he delivered solid performances in the hit “A Few Good Men” and “Hoffa” as the infamous title character. 1996’s underrated “Blood and Wine” saw a more mature Jack return the type of role that made him a star during the 70’s; it was fitting as director Bob Rafelson considers the film to be the last in a trilogy of sorts that started out with “Five Easy Pieces” and continued in “The King of Marvin Gardens.”

Burton and Nicholson once again teamed up for 1996’s “Mars Attacks!” Appearing again in another dual role for a Burton film (Tim sure does like to get his money’s worth out of Jack, doesn’t he?), Nicholson played both satiric figurehead (President Dale) and comic foil (Art Land). Although the film wasn’t as successful as their previous pairing, it has gone on to achieve a certain cult status among fans. The following year, he starred in “As Good as It Gets” as an obsessive-compulsive writer living in New York; his performance won him yet another Academy Award.

“My motto is: more good times.”

Now at an age when most actors seem to rest on their laurels by “phoning-in” performances, Jack Nicholson continues to be an unrelenting creative force in Hollywood. Looking at his three most recent works, 2002’s “About Schmidt,” 2003’s “Anger Management” and “Something’s Gotta Give,” all of which are tonally very different comedies, you can see Jack reaching for notes that he hasn’t played before, and although he may occasionally hit a sour spot along the way, it is nevertheless absolutely fascinating to see him at work.

Joe Cortez 2004

Links:
Jack Nicholson on Biography.com
Young Jack Nicholson: Auspicious Beginnings
Jack Nicholson sound board
Biographical information, filmography and Nicholson quotes courtesy IMDB