Jack Nicholson's Impressive Career in Pictures

Jack Nicholson was born in 1937 in New Jersey and has been active in the film industry for more than 60 years! His acting skills have made him gain the title of one of the few actors who can perfectly perform almost any role without hesitating! In many of his films he has portrayed characters who rebel against social standards.

Nicholson approached the Hollywood world for the first time when he was 17. Animators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera offered him a starting-level job but he declined it explaining that he wanted to be an actor and took acting classes instead. Nicholson's first on-screen appearance was in the teen drama The Cry Baby Killer in 1958.

During the 1960's Jack Nicholson appeared in some films portraying minor roles, but he also worked behind the camera as a writer and director. He wrote the screenplay for the 1967 film The Trip, and later on he co-wrote the movie Head, which starred the rock group The Monkees. Nicholson also arranged the film's soundtrack. However, he was reportedly not 100% happy with what he was doing because he actually wanted to appear on screen.

Luckily for him, it seems that the decade of the 1970's was a turning point in his career. In 1974 he starred in the Roman Polanski's noir thriller Chinatown, playing the role of "Jake", which earned him a Golden Globe Award as well as a British Academy of Film and Television Art Award for Best Actor in a Motion Drama Picture and Best Film Actor in a Leading Role, respectively. He was also nominated for an Academy award but lost to Al Pacino. 

However, in 1976 Jack Nicholson won his first Academy award for his work in the 1975 film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, where he played the role of "McMurphy", a guy who pretends to be mentally ill in order to avoid spending the rest of his life in prison. His role as "McMurphy" also earned him a Golden Globe award and a British Academy of Film and Television award, among other recognitions. 

The decade of the 1980's was also a very important part of Jack Nicholson's professional career. In 1980 he was cast for the Stanley Kubrick's horror film The Shining, based on the Stephen King's novel of the same name. The scene where Nicholson in his role as "Jack" says "Here's Johnny!" is probably one of the most popular ones in horror film history!

Who doesn't remember "Garrett Breedlove" in the 1983 film Terms of Endearment? This was one of the most acclaimed roles of Jack Nicholson during the 1980's which made him win another Academy award for Best Supporting Actor in 1984. In the film he shared credits with Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, and Danny DeVito, among other celebrities.

But what about "Melvin Udall"? The romance novelist who struggles with an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is another legendary character protrayed by Jack Nicholson in the 1997 film As Good As It Gets. Once again, the actor won an Academy award for Best Actor and was particularly praised by the audience for "perfectly depicting what people with OCD have to deal with."

Since the 2000's Jack Nicholson has appeared in several films like About Schmidt, Anger Management, and most recently in How Do You Know. In 2008 he was inducted into the California Hall of Fame, and in 2010 he was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. One year later the actor received a honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Brown University for being "the most skilled actor of our lifetime."

But what about Jack Nicholson's love life? From 1973 to 1990 he had a relationship with the American actress, director, producer and former fashion model Anjelica Huston, best known for her role as "Morticia Addams" in The Addams Family. During the time they were together they made several public appearances, especially on red carpet events.