Tragic Details About Jack Nicholson

Legendary is the word generally associated with Jack Nicholson and everything he stands for: cinema, carousing, and Casanova charm. For someone like Nicholson, who has lived a long and full life, the journey could hardly have come easy. From being oblivious to the true identity of his mother well into his adulthood, to navigating the notoriously thorny crosshairs of Hollywood, he survived many challenges to come out on the other side, where a life as a recluse awaited him.

There is an increasingly tragic tenor that seems to have taken over Nicholson's image — that of an old man aging alone in his luxurious mansion on a street that was once known as California's "Bad Boy Drive," thanks in part to him. But it may or may not ring true, given Nicholson's self-admitted preference for solitude and his unabashed acknowledgment of all the wild and wonderful things he achieved. "When you look at life retrospectively you rarely regret anything that you did, but you might regret things that you didn't do," he told The Talks. Nicholson has practically retired from acting and public life but remains a subject of endless intrigue.

Jack Nicholson grew up in what seemed like a regular family. He had two older sisters, June and Lorraine, and a mother, Ethel May Nicholson, who effectively served as the matriarch of their New Jersey home in the absence of any hands-on father figures. "These were strong women — made their own way in a period of time when it just wasn't done that much," Nicholson told Rolling Stone. He went from childhood to youth, backed by his female kin. Except, things weren't as straightforward as he had been led to understand. As it turned out, June was actually Nicholson's mother, Lorraine his aunt, and Ethel May, his grandmother.

The conservative 1930s had driven the family to conceal an illegitimate relationship June had with a man Nicholson never met. Nicholson was unaware of this family secret until he was well into his 30s. What's more, the source was neither his mother nor his grandmother, both of whom had died by the time the truth came to light. Time magazine did a cover story on Nicholson in 1974 and, while digging into his life history, stumbled upon this significant detail. While the article didn't publicize Nicholson's true family dynamics, the actor was duly informed. Nicholson was naturally thrown off when he first heard it but, over the years, appeared to have made his peace with the falsehood. "I was very impressed by their ability to keep the secret, if nothing else." 

Jack Nicholson holds distinction today as one of Hollywood's most celebrated stars, an unmatched record of 12 Oscar nominations attesting to his acting greatness. It seems almost comical then to even consider that he was once led to believe that a film career wasn't for him. Acting happened by a stroke of chance for Nicholson, who visited Los Angeles for a holiday at 17 but — luckily for Hollywood — ended up staying. He started with odd jobs around production houses and eventually got his foot in the door as an actor — unfortunately, only in inconsequential B-grade films. "I was making a living, everyone who knew me said I was good, but everyone who knew me said I wouldn't make it — because I hadn't made it so far," he told the Independent. 

Nicholson debuted in 1958 with "The Cry Baby Killer" but it took him a good decade more to really come into his own. "Easy Rider" marked Nicholson's big Hollywood break, after which his career took off with "Chinatown," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," and "The Shining." Nicholson's filmography came to be studded with classics that are revered as some of the greatest films to have ever come out of Hollywood. From hearing that he wouldn't succeed to matter-of-factly claiming, "I am probably the most successful actor in the history of movies, financially speaking," it has been quite a journey for Nicholson.

In his over 50-year career, Jack Nicholson accumulated a wealth of friends but also feuds. Nicholson's beef with John Belushi, with whom Nicholson co-starred in his own 1978 directorial "Goin' South," was so publicized that it inspired a short film about it decades later. Belushi, then still a newbie, was roped into the project by Nicholson himself but soon proved to be a pain point for the actor-director. The "Saturday Night Live" comedian allegedly turned out to be one of the cast's more difficult members, driven by a volatile personality and an ever-growing drug habit. "The Cowboy & The Samurai" — the 2023 short film "kind of" based on their feud — features a purportedly real line Belushi said about Nicholson: "If I see him, I'll punch him." 

Nicholson's relationship with "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" director Miloš Forman was also strained. While the film was an Oscar magnet and earned Nicholson massive acclaim, things weren't all rosy behind the scenes. Nicholson didn't see eye to eye with Forman on his creative process, with the director often turning down suggestions his lead star came up with. Though their clash dissolved into the background with the success of their film, another celebrity was less forgiving when it came to calling Nicholson out. Ray Winstone, his co-star in "The Departed," made an infamous declaration about Nicholson's supposed arrogance, telling the Independent, "There's no need for it. This kind of feeling of being above everyone else." 

Once Jack Nicholson came into the spotlight, he could barely escape it. The star's fabled life in the fast lane was a subject of huge intrigue among the press and public, who had become familiar with his extravagant lifestyle. In fact, the goings-on at his iconic residence in Mulholland Drive had earned it a reputation as "the wildest house in Hollywood," where parties raged on around the clock. According to legend (and many written records), substances of all kinds flowed at these star-studded gatherings, with Nicholson's own drug use being publicized endlessly. That he starred in counterculture films like "Easy Rider" and "Psych-Out" only added to his drug-laced saga. 

"I think Jack sort of used it, probably like Freud did, in a rather smart way," actor Anjelica Huston told Vulture about her ex-boyfriend's cocaine use, adding that it helped him with lethargy. Like Huston, Nicholson's other famous friends like Robert Downey Jr. and Robin Williams have given memorable glimpses into his highly sensationalized — and often romanticized — hard-partying ways. Nicholson himself has been more conservative with the details and in a rare admission to the Daily Mail once, seemingly suggested that the full picture didn't always make it to the public. "I've woken up in trees, I've woken up almost hanging off cliffs, but I've always known how to sort myself out," he said, claiming that he had a handle on his life, "contrary to opinion." 

After a decade of acting, Jack Nicholson switched over to the other side of the camera and tried his hand at directing with the 1971 film "Drive, He Said." Not unlike its freewheeling director, the independent feature scandalized the industry. Its subject matter was a tad too liberal for the audience's palate, featuring some rather candid sex scenes that caused a violent uproar at the Cannes Film Festival. Not to mention, Nicholson's debut directorial venture wasn't commercially successful either. Yet, he persisted and made "Goin' South" just a few years later. The 1978 Western comedy, which also starred Nicholson, failed to hit the mark as well. 

"Discussions of my directing always get me into trouble. I either have a fist fight or a heart attack," he told Film Comment. Despite the lukewarm reaction to his two filmmaking efforts, Nicholson neither distanced himself from his creations nor his abilities as a director. "I think I've got the seed of it and, what's more, that I can make movies that are different and informed by my taste." Even so, there was still the slight issue of Nicholson not receiving any offers to direct. He took matters into his own hands, one last time, and directed the 1990 film "The Two Jakes." A sequel to his own "Chinatown," it was inundated with production issues and couldn't perform as impressively as the original classic, leading Nicholson to sadly abandon his passion for direction. 

Jack Nicholson's record isn't spotless when it comes to controversies. The "Wolf" star was notably at the center of a lawsuit that alleged he assaulted a sex worker whose services he had availed in 1996. The woman accusing Nicholson claimed he had offered to pay her $1,000 but later backtracked on his word, becoming "loud and abusive" (via The Guardian). While Nicholson settled the case at the time, it made headlines again some years later, when the woman's legal reps claimed that he injured her so forcefully that it caused damage to her brain and vision. Nicholson's supposed violent streak was notorious during the '90s, when he was also accused by another woman of such aggression that he damaged her breast implants. 

Nicholson's life was also girdled by disturbing allegations that didn't directly incriminate him but which brought him into the fold of controversy by association. In his heyday, Nicholson was rubbing shoulders with some of Hollywood's best and baddest. One of his most troubling friendships was with disgraced filmmaker Roman Polanski, who directed him in the 1974 classic "Chinatown." Three years after the film released, Polanski visited Nicholson's house in his absence with a 13-year-old girl, drugging and raping her there. Despite the incident of sexual abuse committed on his property — which led to Polanski's conviction — Nicholson did not dissociate himself from the director, referring to him as a "genius" in a piece for Vanity Fair. 

Jack Nicholson legendary status in film circles doesn't offset his promiscuous reputation that has left many female co-stars uncomfortable. In 1986, Nicholson and Meryl Streep joined forces to portray an on-screen couple in "Heartburn," a film that fueled rumors of a forbidden romance between them. It has been suggested, however, that the truth was far more sinister. 

A Nicholson biography in 2013 alleged that the actor's "relentless sexual overtures" drove Streep to boot him out of her hotel room and pledge never to make another film with him. While Streep denied the claim, she did reveal that when Nicholson tried to co-star with her in the 1981 film "The Postman Always Rings Twice," he alerted her "that there would be a lot of nude scenes" for her character, per Town & Country.

Meanwhile, Geena Davis admitted to being at the receiving end of Nicholson's advances in the early days of her career, telling The New Yorker that she deflected him with a retort she had learned from Dustin Hoffman: "I would love to, but it would ruin the sexual tension between us." What's more, Nicholson's supposed impropriety also made an icon like Cher doubt herself around the time they co-starred in "The Witches of Eastwick," when — along with director George Miller — Nicholson tried to get her off the film saying she was "too old" and "not sexy" (via The Hollywood Reporter).

Jack Nicholson's reputation as a chronic womanizer is an inextricable part of his legacy as a cinema icon. The number of women he charmed into bed is popularly stipulated to have been around 2,000 but there is really no way to be sure. In Nicholson's own words to the Daily Mail, he said, "Hell, I don't count." Out of the many known and unknown partners Nicholson took during his lifetime, his relationship with actor Anjelica Huston was the longest and the most talked about. The duo met in 1973, embarking on a tumultuous affair that lasted on and off for well over a decade. It ended for good when actor Rebecca Broussard got pregnant with his child in 1989.

It was almost unsurprising when Nicholson's relationship with Broussard ended. The man wasn't exactly known for settling down with one woman, after all. But in his words to Vanity Fair after the breakup with Broussard, Nicholson was emotive in a way often deemed uncharacteristic of playboys like himself. "You're left. You're abandoned. And you're not going to be over it for another year, whatever the f**k you do," he said. Greek actor Helena Kallianiotes corroborated this claim about her friend, saying, "It takes a long time for Jack to allow a female into his life." Consequently, breakups were supposedly painful for Nicholson, often taking years to fully heal. 

Jack Nicholson lived out the prime of his life and career before the flashing lights as one of Hollywood's most celebrated denizens. And then, as it so happens, age began catching up to him. As the new millennium began, Nicholson, who had been ruling the film industry for 40 years, all but relinquished his superstar status. His screen appearances severely declined and in the few odd roles he did take on post-2000, like "The Bucket List," his advancing age was crucial to the storylines.

On the personal front too, things were changing for Hollywood's aging Lothario. "I'm definitely still wild at heart. But I've struck bio-gravity," he told the Daily Mail. "There were points in my life where I felt oddly irresistible to women. I'm not in that state now and that makes me sad." He also admitted to feeling a "constant loss" as the years wore on, coupled with sadness over the death of friends and an awareness that a similar fate awaited him.

That said, Nicholson barely lost his charm with age. As he told The Guardian, his character seemed to have improved as he gained years. "Pretty much for the first time in my life, I felt young for my age," he said, recalling his 70th birthday. Notwithstanding his self-admitted physical decline — "I have looked better, I agree" — Nicholson remained quite the media darling, being chased by the paparazzi everywhere he went.

Jack Nicholson has always been unapologetically articulate about the many relationships he has had with women. A topic that has proved thornier for him to navigate is about the children he has fathered. Though Jack Nicholson has six kids — Jennifer Nicholson, Caleb Goddard, Honey Hollmann, Lorraine Nicholson, Ray Nicholson, and Tessa Gourin — he has bothered to build relationships with only a few members of his brood. Jennifer (his daughter with ex-wife Sandra Knight), and Lorraine and Ray (his daughter and son with ex-girlfriend Rebecca Broussard) are the only Nicholson children to have frequently been pictured alongside him and about whom the actor has fondly spoken.

"What do I do well as a father? I'm there all the time. I give unconditional love. And I have a lot of skills in terms of getting them to express themselves," he once told Esquire. Not all his children can probably attest to that though. While Caleb Goddard, whom he shares with actor Susan Anspach, has admitted to Nicholson privately acknowledging him as a son, his daughter Tessa Gourin has been forthcoming about her non-existent relationship with her father. "One of the most influential actors happens to be my biological father and for whatever reason, he isn't interested in having a relationship," she wrote in a tell-all piece for Newsweek, detailing their few odd meetings during her childhood. Honey Hollmann, Nicholson's daughter with model Winnie Hollman, has kept away from the spotlight.

In recent years, Jack Nicholson has retreated from the world to the extent that any rare sighting of him now is enough to make global headlines. It happened last in 2023, when the star was photographed out on the balcony of his longtime Mulholland Drive residence after over a year of absence from public view. "He's made it clear his home is his castle," a source told RadarOnline, which reported that Nicholson was more or less living as a recluse. "It's like he doesn't want to face reality anymore — and that's just sad." The trajectory of Nicholson's life, from a blazing hero to an aging has-been, inspired comparisons to his legendary neighbor Marlon Brando, who similarly spent his final years in isolation.

There have also been concerns about Nicholson's health, with reports alleging for years that the actor is living with dementia. The last film he delivered was in 2010 — the multi-starrer romcom "How Do You Know" — and while there was buzz in 2017 that he would come out of retirement for a Hollywood remake of "Toni Erdmann," there have sadly been no new Nicholson films. Following his last release, Nicholson did admit to his gradual withdrawal, telling the Daily Mail, "My life has changed. ... People won't believe that, but it's true. But you adjust your life to your circumstances, and I can spend a lot of time on my own."