Jack Nicholson

John Joseph Nicholson, born April 22, 1937, is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Over a career spanning five decades, he established himself as one of the most prominent actors of the 20th century, frequently playing charismatic rebels who challenged social structures. Throughout his career, Nicholson earned extensive recognition, including three Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, and a Grammy Award.

Nicholson was born in Neptune City, New Jersey, to showgirl June Frances Nicholson. He was raised by his grandparents believing his mother was his sister, a family secret he only discovered in 1974 through researchers from Time magazine. He grew up in New Jersey and attended Manasquan High School, where he was involved in drama and voted class clown. In 1957, he joined the California Air National Guard to fulfill military service requirements, performing duties as a firefighter before being discharged in 1962.

After moving to California, Nicholson worked as an office clerk for animation directors William Hanna and Joseph Barbera at the MGM cartoon studio. Declining an offer to train as an animator to pursue acting, he studied at the Players Ring Theater and landed early roles on stage and television. He made his feature film debut in Roger Corman's teen drama The Cry Baby Killer (1958). During the 1960s, he frequently collaborated with Corman and director Monte Hellman, while also working as a screenwriter on projects such as The Trip (1967) and Head (1968).

Nicholson achieved his career breakthrough playing alcoholic lawyer George Hanson in the counterculture film Easy Rider (1969), earning his first Academy Award nomination. His stardom solidified with his role as Bobby Dupea in Five Easy Pieces (1970), which established his image as a leading antihero. He followed this success with acclaimed performances in Mike Nichols's Carnal Knowledge (1971), Hal Ashby's The Last Detail (1973), and Roman Polanski's noir thriller Chinatown (1974).

Nicholson won his first Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Randle McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975). He earned two additional Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for Terms of Endearment (1983) and Best Actor for As Good as It Gets (1997). His extensive filmography includes notable performances in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980), Reds (1981), Batman (1989), A Few Good Men (1992), The Departed (2006), and The Bucket List (2007). In addition to acting, Nicholson directed three feature films: Drive, He Said (1971), Goin' South (1978), and The Two Jakes (1990). He retired from acting following his role in How Do You Know (2010).

With 12 nominations, Nicholson is the most nominated male actor in Academy Award history, and one of only two actors nominated for acting Oscars across five consecutive decades from the 1960s through the 2000s. His career achievements were further recognized with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1994, the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1999, and a Kennedy Center Honor in 2001.