The legendary actor Jack Nicholson has been on the scene for over 60 years, and during his career, he was best known for his roles as villain and anti-hero. He was nominated for an Academy Award 12 times, earning the title of the actor with the most nominations in Hollywood history. Nicholson celebrated his 83rd birthday yesterday, and we remind you about some significant moments in his life.
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His full name is John Joseph Nicholson, and he was born in New York but grew up in Neptune City. The reason he was born away from his family was the circumstances at that moment. His mother June was a teenager, and their family wanted to keep his birth a secret. Although it was not known at first who his father was, musician Don Furcillo later admitted he slept with June at the time.
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To protect the family’s reputation, June gave birth in another city, and her mother Ethel raised Jack as her son. Nicholson grew up convinced that his grandmother was actually his mother, and he had long believed his mother to be his sister.
Journalists discovered the truth about his family
He only learned the real truth about his family when he was 37 and was already famous. The facts were revealed by Time magazine while their journalist was doing a great story on a popular actor. June and Ethel were already dead by that point.
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As a young man, Nicholson worked numerous jobs to save money, among which the position of a lifeguard on the Jersey shore stood out. After graduating from high school, he moved to Los Angeles, where he lived with June. Among the first jobs in showbiz was the job of assistant of animators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, who are better known for their cartoon series “Tom & Jerry”. If he hadn’t become an actor, he probably would have made his career as an illustrator in Hollywood.
He was 21 when he first appeared on the big screen, and it was in the crime drama “The Cry-Baby Killer.” The film was also the first in a series of his collaborations with director Roger Corman. His most significant role from the beginning of his career was that of a masochistic patient in Corman’s 1960 film “The Little Shop of Horrors.”
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Nicholson became a great friend with Bruce Dern and Harry Dean Stanton while all three were making careers in Hollywood. During his career, he worked as a director and collaborated with several musicians, such as The Monkees.
He lived in the house for a while next to his famous colleague Marlon Brando on Mulholland Drive in Santa Monica, where Warren Beatty also lived. The street they lived in was nicknamed “the streets of the bad guys,” and after Brando passed away in 2001, Nicholson bought his house out of respect for a colleague.
Read Also: Marlon Brando Was a Woman Magnet Who Loved Men and Had 11 Children
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By the time he played the Joker in the famous movie “Batman”, Nicholson was already a legend in the acting world. That’s why he agreed with Tim Burton all the details about the film and secured a percentage of all rights. So far, he has earned about $ 60 million for the role thanks to his enterprising spirit.
Read Also: Bruce Willis Turned 65 and His Life Story Is Pretty Amazing!
