On the occasion of Jack Nicholson’s 86th birthday, here are 10 lesser-known facts about him that may surprise you.
Jack Nicholson: One of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, Jack Nicholson, is celebrating his 86th birthday today. With a life full of surprises and unconventional choices, from his upbringing to his iconic roles on-screen, Jack Nicholson has done some impressive and quirky things. So, to honor him, we decided to take a closer look at some of the most interesting facts about his life and career.
Jack Nicholson’s childhood
As it turns out, Jack Nicholson’s childhood had a surprising twist. Born on April 22, 1937, and raised in Manasquan, New Jersey, he appeared to live an ordinary middle-class life with his parents, John and Ethel May Nicholson, and his sisters, Lorraine and June Nicholson. However, in 1974, when he was 37 years old, a curious Time magazine reporter revealed that John and Ethel May were not his parents, but his grandparents. Shockingly, the boy’s mother was June, the woman he believed to be his sister.
Despite the startling news,Jack Nicholson commented that since he learned about it as an adult, it didn’t have as great an impact on him psychologically as it might have if he had found out earlier in life.
Jack Nicholson’s role as the Joker in Tim Burton’s
During the making of the 1972 mob classic, The Godfather, Nicholson turned down the role of Michael Corleone, openly admitting that he declined the opportunity. He believed that the role should be played by an Italian person, and he felt that he was not the right fit. He said, “I turned down the original Godfather because I thought it should’ve been played by an Italian. I both do and don’t regret that decision, but I know it was right. Al Pacino was the perfect actor for it, and the picture is better because of him.”
Nicholson’s role as the Joker in Tim Burton’s 1989 film, Batman, not only made him one of the most famous but also one of the wealthiest actors in Hollywood. He arranged a deal in which he would receive a percentage of the merchandising profits, ultimately earning him over $50 million.
He spent 3 months living completely nude.
To prepare for a big intimate scene in a movie, Nicholson spent 3 months wandering around his home naked, getting to know his inner naturalist and becoming comfortable in his own skin no matter who stopped by his house. The actor enjoyed being naked so much that even after the 3-month period, he attended some interviews completely naked.
Jack Nicholson has 6 children with 5 different partners.
His first child, Jennifer Nicholson, was born in 1963 when he was married to Sandra Knight. In 1981, Nicholson had his third child, Honey Hollman, with model Winnie Hollman. He shares his fourth and fifth children, daughter Lorraine and son Ray Nicholson, with actress Rebecca Broussard. In 1994, Jack welcomed his youngest and sixth child, Tessa Gourin, with Jennine Gourin.
Other interesting facts you might not know about Jack Nicholson include that he has never done a talk show, he created a record at school by being in detention every day for a whole year, he always wears sunglasses, he is an avid art collector, he received a payment of only $329 a week for his role in Easy Rider, and he’s a Lakers fan and loves baseball – especially the New York Yankees.
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