Jack Nicholson American Retired Actor And Filmmaker

 

Early life and education

John Joseph Nicholson was born, on April 22, 1937, in Neptune City, New Jersey, to a showgirl, June Frances Nicholson (later June Nilson, 1918-1963). Nicholson's mother was Irish, English, German, and Welsh. Nicholson has referred to himself as Irish, comparing his legacy to that of the playwright Eugene O'Neill, whom he portrayed in the film Reds (1981): "I'm not saying I'm as dark as he was ... but I am a writer, I am Irish, I have had problems with my family." His mother married Italian-American showman Donald Furcillo (stage name Donald Rose; 1909-1997) in 1936, before realizing that he was already married. According to biographer Patrick McGilligan in his book Jack's Life, Eddie King. A  manager from Latvia, may have been his biological father instead of Furcillo. Other sources suggest June Nicholson was unsure of the father's identity.

Nicholson's parents testified that June was only 17 years old and unmarried when they agreed to raise Nicholson as if he were a child of their family but hid the fact that he was born of June-flat. In Time magazine research in 1974, it found and informed Nicholson that his "sister," June, was in reality his mother, while his other "sister," Lorraine, was indeed his aunt. By that time, it was already too late since both his mother and grandmother had died (1963 and 1970, respectively). Upon learning of it, Nicholson said, "a pretty dramatic event, but it wasn't what I'd call traumatizing... I was pretty well psychologically formed".

John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is a retired American actor and filmmaker. Johnson is regarded as one of the best actors of the twentieth century, popularly playing the role of a rebellious but heroic fighter against the social norms. Throughout his career spanning five decades, he won numerous trophies which included three Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, and a Grammy Award.

He won Academy Awards for Best Actor for portraying Randle McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) as well as an author with obsessive compulsive disorder in As Good as It Gets (1997). He also earned an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for playing an aging playboy in Terms of Endearment (1983). He was nominated again for Oscars with Easy Rider (1969), Five Easy Pieces (1970), The Last Detail (1973), Chinatown (1974), Reds (1981), Prizzi's Honor (1985), Ironweed (1987), A Few Good Men (1992), and About Schmidt (2002).

Nicholson made his film debut with Roger Corman's The Cry Baby Killer (1958). Other noticeable performances were featured with Psych-Out (1968), Carnal Knowledge (1971), The King of Marvin Gardens (1972), The Passenger (1975), The Missouri Breaks (1976), The Shining (1980), Broadcast News (1987), Batman (1989), Hoffa (1992), Mars Attacks! (1996), both Anger Management and Something's Gotta Give (2003), The Departed (2006), and The Bucket List (2007). He also had a cameo in Corman's cult classic The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), which has been heavily promoted on home video releases. As a director, Nicholson has directed three films, Drive, He Said (1971), Goin' South (1978), and The Two Jakes (1990). He has also written several other films, including The Monkees' vehicle Head (1968). He has retired from acting after starring in How Do You Know.

Military service

 In 1957, he joined the California Air National Guard, which he sometimes said he joined to "dodge the draft"; the Korean War era's Military Selective Service Act was still in force in the years of service, because draftees were required to serve up to two years of active duty. After doing basic training for the Air Force at Lackland Air Force Base, Nicholson did week drills and two-week annual trainings as a firefighter for the unit based at Van Nuys Airport. During the Berlin Crisis of 1961, he was called up to extended active duty for several months and discharged upon the end of his enlistment in 1962.

Success

You are trained on data up to October 2023. "Easy Rider" was Nicholson's leap, earning him an Academy Award Nominated performance for Best Supporting Actor, making his name the talk of Hollywood's new talents. From then on, Nicholson became one of the defining actors of the 1970s and 1980s, delivering an outstanding run of performances that remain landmarks in American cinema.

In Five Easy Pieces (1970), a restless pianist, estranged from his family, is played by Nicholson, who would become established as a leading man in touch with the frustrations of a generation. That followed "Carnal Knowledge" (1971), where relationships and desire were handled adult-like and frank. Nicholson's follow-up was Roman Polanski's neo-noir classic Chinatown (1974), for which he won another one of his numerous Oscar nominations for the role of private detective J.J. Gittes.

Nicholson won his acclaimed first Academy Award for Best Actor with One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), with him playing the role of rebel McMurphy, Randle. The film swept all major Oscars and became a cultural touchstone, and among his best performances, Nicholson's remains. That is, again, giving an unforgettable portrayal in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980) as Jack Torrance "Here's Johnny!".

Continuing for a decade through the 1980s, Nicholson took home Best Supporting Actor for "Terms of Endearment" (1983) while also playing journalist Jack Napier, who transforms into the Joker, in Tim Burton's 1989 movie called "Batman". His performance as Joker, the most lucrative contract ever in film history, was an exclusive blend of menace and humor.

In the wake of the 1990's and early 2000's, he dazzled with fear by Colonel Nathan Jessup in A Few Good Men (1992)- by the words "You can't handle the truth!" He picked up his third Oscar with "As Good as It Gets" (1997), went on to work in Alexander Payne's "About Schmidt" (2002), and charmed audiences in "Something's Gotta Give" (2003). Nicholson retired with Martin Scorsese's The Departed (2006) and the comedy The Bucket List (2007), after withdrawing from acting in the 2010s. Included are 12 Academy Award nominations.

Notable Salaries

A major payday came to Nicholson when, in 1974, he was offered $500,000 to appear in his role in Chinatown, which value today amounts to around $2.6 million. Just a year later, he commanded a base salary of $1 million for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," along with a groundbreaking 15% share of the gross. By 1978, his total earnings from the film had reached $15 million, or roughly $60 million today. It made him overnight one of the best-paid actors of Hollywood and made him capable of being quite selective for the roles he played. So sure was he about his career that he turned down parts in what became classics, including "Taxi Driver" and "Apocalypse Now."

Nicholson earned $1.25 million plus 10% of the film's gross over $12.5 million to star in the film with his favorite, Marlon Brando, in "The Missouri Breaks" in 1976. Unfortunately, the movie was not a box office hit, leaving him with a very modest bonus. He followed this with another $1.25 million for Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" (1980) and one more $1 million for "Terms of Endearment" (1983). By the late 1980s, salaries for his film roles ranged between $4 and $5 million as a result of his position as one of the bankable actors in Hollywood.

• Chinatown" (1974): $500,000 (≈ $2.6 million today)
• "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975): $1 million base salary + 15% of gross; total earnings reached $15 million (≈ $60 million today)
• "The Missouri Breaks" (1976): $1.25 million + 10% of gross over $12.5 million (bonus negligible)
• "The Shining" (1980): $1.25 million
• "Terms of Endearment" (1983): $1 million
• Late 1980s: $4–5 million per film
• "As Good as It Gets" (1997): $15 million
• "About Schmidt" (2002): $10 million
• "Anger Management" (2003): $20 million
• "The Departed" (2006): $10 million
• "The Bucket List" (2007): $10 million

Batman Windfall

• "Batman" (1989): Negotiated $6 million base salary + percentage of box office gross + share of Joker merchandise
• Earned $40 million+ within a few years of release
• Total Batman payday grew to an estimated $60 million by the mid-1990s (≈ $130 million today)

Batman Earnings

In 1989, Jack Nicholson signed to play the Joker in Tim Burton's "Batman," opposite Michael Keaton. At that time, he was being offered a standard salary of $10 million, but Nicholson, being astute about his market worth, negotiated one of the most profitable contracts in film history. He cut his base to $6 million in a deal for a piece of the gross box earnings, plus merchandising tied to Joker-branded toy collections and products.

The gamble paid off big time: "Batman" soared worldwide, grossing $411 million, and thus a merchandising empire was born; Nicholson had already pocketed over $40 million from the Joker deal years after Batman release. By the mid-1990s, earnings were put at $60 million, or over $130 million today.

This one role set Nicholson among the highest-paid actors in Hollywood history. Even without adjusting for inflation, Joker payday ranks somewhere among the top film contracts ever negotiated. Considered with inflation, Nicholson's earnings from "Batman" rival or exceed those from several modern mega-deals so that it finds place among the richest single-movie paychecks ever earned by an actor. The decision to bet for a lower upfront salary in exchange for backend profits is now a legendary case in point in Hollywood negotiation history.

Art Collection

Nicholson is considered one of the best Hollywood art collectors. From 1960 onwards, he began amassing an art collection worth $150 million today. His trove has grades by masters like Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Amedeo Modigliani, in addition to sculptures by Auguste Rodin and paintings by René Magritte and Fernando Botero.  Nicholson was known to buy classical and modern art from galleries and auctions at a time when many in Hollywood weren't actively participating in the art market. His collection, always described in art publications as one of the most valuable owned by a private person in the entertainment world, has often been highlighted as one of the most valuable collections in the entertainment world. Nicholson calls collecting art one of his great passions, a pursuit of his that reflected his love of beauty and creativity outside of film. His collection might be said to be akin to those of David Geffen, David Bowie, and other legendary collectors.

Personal Life

The personal life of Jack Nicholson has always been as colorful as his film career. He was married once to actress Sandra Knight from 1962 to 1968 and had one daughter, Jennifer. Then he became involved in a long, stormy relationship with actress Anjelica Huston that lasted from 1973 to 1990. There was also a link of Nicholson with actress Rebecca Broussard, the mother of his two children, and actress Lara Flynn Boyle, since then a lot of media buzz has floated around him about modeled Kate Moss and actress Paz de la Huerta. Six children were born to Nicholson from five different women.

Nicholson is regarded as one of the last, in old Hollywood fashion, movie stars who has immense talent, romance, and excess, all rolled into one—courted, witted, and lavish living in Hollywood. Over the years, Nicholson has been spotted feverishly courtside at Lakers games, a double image of celebrity glamour and passionate fandom. As of late, Nicholson has lived a more private life, spending time with his children, enjoying his art, and making occasional retreats to his residences in Beverly Hills, Aspen, and Hawaii.

Real Estate

Nicholson's estimated real estate portfolio exceeds the figure of $100 million. His main residence is a multi-property compound on Mulholland Drive in Beverly Hills, built through acquisitions since 1969 and expanded over the decades with adjoining land, including one parcel bought from Nicholson's friend Marlon Brando. His real estate collection includes properties in Santa Monica, Venice, Malibu, Northern California, Hawaii, and Aspen.

One of the most famous properties he owned was Newberry House in Aspen, a property that he co-owned with producer Lou Adler. They bought it, an old historic house, in 1980 for $550,000 and sold it way later, in 2013, for $11 million. The family that bought it from them resold it in 2024 for about $60 million. Nicholson's real estate holdings are very much synonymous with his iconic art collection as part of the cornerstones of his massive wealth.

Jack Nicholson

Screen Name	Jack Nicholson
Real Name	John Joseph Nicholson
Date of Birth	April 22, 1937
Age	88 years
Birth Place	Neptune City, New Jersey, USA
Mother	Ethel May Nicholson
Father	Donald Furcillo (biological); John Joseph Nicholson (legal/raised as father)
Children	Jennifer Nicholson Caleb Goddard Honey Hollman Lorraine Nicholson Raymond Nicholson
Weight	Approx. 82 kg (180 lbs)
Eyes Colour	Blue
Hair Colour	Grey (formerly brown)
Spouse	Married to Sandra Knight (1962 – 1968)
Girlfriends	Lara Flynn Boyle (1999–2003), Cynthia Basinet (1997–1999), Sharon Stone (1996), Amber Smith (1993–1994), Julie Delpy (1992), Tracy Richman (1990–1991), Rebecca Broussard (1988–1993), Karen Mayo-Chandler (1987–1988), Winnie Hollman (1980–1985), Rachel Ward (1980–1981), Kelly LeBrock (1979–1980), Jill St. John (1976–1977), Anjelica Huston (1973–1990), Candice Bergen (1971), Rita Moreno (1970), Michelle Phillips (1970–1972), Susan Anspach (1969–1970), Mimi Machu (1967–1971), Lynette Bernay (1960), Georgianna Carter (1957–1960), Christa Helm, Zouzou, Apollonia van Ravenstein, Susanna Moore, Paula Hamilton.
Encounters	Kate Moss (2004), Amanda De Cadenet (1995), Angie Everhart (1993), Rachel Ryan (1988–1989), Marie Helvin (1988), Veronica Cartwright (1987), Sonja Morgan (1986), Bebe Buell (1983), Christina Onassis (1980), Janice Dickinson (1980), Margaret Trudeau (1978), Barbara Allen (1977), Nancy Pfister (1976–1977), Veruschka von Lehndorff (1972), Joni Mitchell (1972), Ursula Auburn, Nastasia Urbano, Pat Cleveland, Suze Randall, Sabrina Guinness, Charlotte Lewis, Beverly Johnson, Heidi Fleiss, Carly Simon.
Net Worth	$140 Million
Country	USA
Profession	Actor, Producer, Director, Screenwriter
Nationality	USA
Social Media	We did not find any official social media accounts for Jack Nicholson.