10 facts about the crazy and wonderful Jack Nicholson (11 photos)

Jack Nicholson is truly one of the most respected actors in Hollywood history. Immense talent, a huge contribution to the industry and, of course, a signature grin combined with incredibly plastic eyebrows - a facial expression that has been parodied many times in pop culture. Over his more than 60-year career, he has repeatedly starred in recognized masterpieces, proving over and over again that he is a true professional in his field.





1. He's not really Jack.



Surprisingly, “Jack Nicholson” does not officially exist. The actor's real name is John Joseph Nicholson, and he took the pseudonym "Jack" when he was just starting his acting career. According to Nicholson himself, his real name then seemed to him not memorable enough for Hollywood. In the same interview, he admitted that he chose the name "Jack" in honor of the hero of his favorite book, The Sailor's Return.

2. He grew up in New Jersey





Jack Nicholson was born on April 22, 1937 in Neptune City, New Jersey. The actor grew up in a working class family, and they often had to go through difficult times. His mother was a dancer, and his father did not participate in his son's life. Nicholson spent his youth in the neighboring town of Manasquan, where he attended high school and terrified the locals with his reputation as an inveterate rebel. But despite his rowdy ways, Nicholson's talents eventually led him to Hollywood.

3. He holds two records for the number of nominations and prestigious awards.



Jack Nicholson is considered one of the greatest actors of all time for a reason: not only has he won three Oscars, he is also the only actor in the history of the award to have been nominated in every decade from the 1960s to the 2000s . Nicholson has also won six Golden Globes throughout his career, more than any other male actor in history. In addition, he was nominated for dozens of other awards, including BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Awards, and even won a Grammy for Best Children's Song. Nicholson was also officially inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

4. He was only married once



Although Nicholson had many high-profile affairs during his long career, he was married only once: in 1962, the actor married Sandra Knight, but the couple divorced in 1968. Since then, Jack Nicholson has dated many famous actresses, including Anjelica Huston (The Addams Family) and Lara Flynn Boyle (Twin Peaks).

5. At the same time, he has five children.



Nicholson has five children, which doesn't sound all that incredible, but there's a caveat: they're from four different women. His eldest child, Jennifer Nicholson, was born in 1963 to his then-wife Sandra Knight. In the 1970s, Nicholson had another daughter (Honi Hollman) with Danish model Winnie Hollman. The star also has two children with actress Rebecca Broussard - Ray and Lorraine Nicholson. Finally, in 1990, he had a son, Caleb Goddard, with actress Susan Anspach.

6. He's a big fan of art.



Over the course of his career, Nicholson has amassed a truly impressive collection of various works of art from some of the world's most renowned artists. The actor's collection ranges from contemporary artists such as Ed Ruscha and John Baldessari to masters such as Pablo Picasso. Nicholson describes the collecting process as an exciting adventure and says he loves discovering new works to add to his collection.

7. Jack Nicholson loves to play golf



If Jack Nicholson isn't on set, he's probably practicing his swing on the golf course. The actor is an avid golfer. Known to spend hours on the driving range perfecting his form and testing out new clubs.

8. He is the winner of the most prestigious award in the industry.



In 1994, the American Film Institute awarded Jack Nicholson its Lifetime Achievement Award. The AFI Life Achievement Award is perhaps one of the most honorable awards in the film industry, awarded only to the best of the best. Later, in 2009, he had the honor of presenting this award to another actor, Michael Douglas - so to speak, the cherry on the cake.

9. He starred in more than 70 films



Over the course of his impressive career, Nicholson has played many brilliant roles, and each is unique. He managed to play both charming swindlers and ruthless killers. Most audiences know him from such masterpieces as One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and As Good As It Gets, as well as the incomparable Joker in Tim Burton's classic Batman and the crazed writer Jack Torrance in Kubrick's The Shining.

10. Jack Nicholson is something of a writer himself.



Nicholson gave his best not only in front of the cameras, but also behind them - during his career he wrote several scripts and memoirs. Firstly, he wrote the script for the film “He Said Let's Go” (1971), which he later directed. Nicholson also co-wrote the screenplay for The Two Jakes (1990), the sequel to the cult film Chinatown. But that's not all - Nicholson also wrote a memoir called Jack Nicholson: The Search for Cool in 2010, and later co-authored a book called About Nicholson, a collection of interviews and essays about his life and work.