Nick Nolte

Nicholas King Nolte is an American actor and former model. Born on February 8, 1941, he gained widespread recognition for his versatile roles across dramatic and romantic genres in film and television. His work has earned him a Golden Globe Award, alongside nominations for three Academy Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award. Distinctive for his trademark athleticism and gravelly voice, he was named People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive in 1992 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2017.

Nolte was born in Omaha, Nebraska. His father was a farmer's son and football player at Iowa State University, and his mother worked as a department store buyer and antique dealer. Nolte attended Kingsley Elementary School, Westside High School, and Benson High School, from which he was expelled before graduating in 1959. He subsequently attended Pasadena City College, Arizona State University, Eastern Arizona College, and Phoenix College, participating in football, basketball, and baseball. Poor academic marks eventually ended his studies, after which he pursued acting. He trained at the Pasadena Playhouse and the Stella Adler Academy of Acting and Theatre, later spending several years performing in regional theater.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Nolte worked as a model, prominently appearing in a 1972 advertisement and packaging for Clairol's Summer Blonde hair lightener. His early acting work included television appearances on series like Griff and Barnaby Jones, as well as television pilots such as Winter Kill and Adams of Eagle Lake. Nolte rose to national prominence starring in the 1976 ABC miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man, receiving a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.

Following his breakthrough, Nolte established himself in feature films, starring in The Deep (1977), Who'll Stop the Rain (1978), and North Dallas Forty (1979). His prominent 1980s and 1990s screen roles included 48 Hrs. (1982), Cannery Row (1982), Under Fire (1983), Teachers (1984), Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Extreme Prejudice (1987), Three Fugitives (1989), and Another 48 Hrs. (1990). He won a Golden Globe Award and earned his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for The Prince of Tides (1991). He earned a second Best Actor Oscar nomination for Affliction (1997), with other major film credits including Cape Fear (1991), Lorenzo's Oil (1992), Jefferson in Paris (1995), U Turn (1997), and The Thin Red Line (1998).

Nolte continued to perform extensively throughout the 2000s and beyond, starring in films such as The Good Thief (2002), Hulk (2003), Hotel Rwanda (2004), Peaceful Warrior (2006), The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008), Tropic Thunder (2008), and A Walk in the Woods (2015). He received a third Academy Award nomination, for Best Supporting Actor, for his performance as Paddy Conlon in Warrior (2011). His television projects include HBO's Luck (2011–2012), Gracepoint (2014), the Epix series Graves (2016–2017)—for which he received a Golden Globe nomination—The Mandalorian (2019), and Poker Face (2023).