Born in Manhattan, New York City

April 22, 1937

John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson was born in Manhattan, New York City, the son of a showgirl, June Frances Nicholson.

Attended Manasquan High School

August 5, 1954

Nick, as he was known to his high school friends, attended nearby Manasquan High School where he was voted "class clown" by the Class of 1954. A theatre and a drama award at the school are named in his honor. In 2004, Nicholson attended his 50 year high school reunion accompanied by his aunt Lorraine.

Married Sandra Knight

June 17, 1962 - August 8, 1968

Nicholson married Sandra Knight on June 17, 1962. The couple had one daughter, Jennifer Nicholson (born 1963) before divorcing on August 8, 1968.

The Trip

August 23, 1967

His first real taste of writing success was the LSD-fueled screenplay for 1967's The Trip, which starred Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper.

Easy Rider

June 26, 1969

after a spot opened up in Fonda and Hopper's Easy Rider, it led to his first big acting break. Nicholson played hard-drinking lawyer George Hanson, for which he received his first Oscar nomination.

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

June 17, 1970

He appeared in the movie adaptation of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.

Child with Susan Anspach

September 5, 1970

He has one son, Caleb Goddard (born 1970), with actress Susan Anspach, his Five Easy Pieces co-star.

Five Easy Pieces

September 12, 1970

A Best Actor nomination came for his persona-defining role in Five Easy Pieces (1970), which includes his famous chicken salad dialogue about getting what you want.

Drive, He Said

June 30, 1971

His first movie as a director was a 1971 quirky release called Drive, He Said.

17 Years Relationship with Anjelica Huston

April 1, 1973 - May 2, 1989

Nicholson's longest relationship was for 17 years to actress Anjelica Huston, from 1973 to 1989, the daughter of film director John Huston. However, the relationship ended when the news reported that Rebecca Broussard had become pregnant with his child.

Best Actor Oscar

Feburary 26, 1975

Nicholson earned his first Best Actor Oscar for portraying Randle P. McMurphy in the movie adaptation of Ken Kesey's novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, directed by Miloš Forman in 1975. His Oscar was matched when Louise Fletcher received the Best Actress Award for her portrayal of Nurse Ratched.

The Shining

May 23, 1980

Although he did not garner any Academy Award attention for Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining,it remains one of Nicholson's most significant roles.

Relationship with Model Winnie Hollman

June 2, 1980 - April 5, 1982

he had another daughter, Honey Hollman (born 1981), was with Danish model Winnie Hollman.

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor

April 9, 1984

His next Oscar, the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, came for his role of retired astronaut Garrett Breedlove in Terms of Endearment (1983), directed by James L. Brooks.

Attends Every Lakers Game

March 1, 1987

He has been spotted sitting courtside for the past 25 years at both The Forum and the Staples Center. His ardent refusal to miss a Lakers home game means that studios must schedule filming around the Lakers home schedule

Nicholson as The Joker

June 23, 1989

The 1989 Batman movie, wherein Nicholson played The Joker, was an international smash hit, and a lucrative percentage deal earned Nicholson about $60 million. Nicholson was to reprise his role as The Joker in the fifth installment in the franchise Batman Triumphant in 1999, but Warner Bros. Pictures canceled the project.

Children with Rebecca Broussard

April 16, 1990

He had two children from his relationship with Rebecca Broussard: Lorraine Nicholson (born 1990) and Raymond Nicholson (born 1992).

A Few Good Men

December 11, 1992

For his role as hot-headed Colonel Nathan R. Jessep in A Few Good Men (1992), a movie about a murder in a US Marine Corps unit, Nicholson received yet another Academy nomination. This film contained the "You can't handle the truth!" scene, which has since become widely known and imitated, one of Aaron Sorkin-penned soliloquys to become part of popular culture.

Road Rage Incident

Feburary 8, 1994

During a road rage incident in 1994, he allegedly smashed another driver's car window with a golf club.

Academy Award for Best Actor

March 23, 1998

Nicholson would go on to win his next Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Melvin Udall, a neurotic author with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), in the romance As Good as It Gets (1997), again directed by James L. Brooks. Nicholson's Oscar was matched with the Academy Award for Best Actress for Helen Hunt as a Manhattan waitress drawn into a love/hate friendship with Udall, a frequent diner in the restaurant in which she worked.

Stanislavsky Award

Feburary 2, 2001

In 2001, Nicholson was the first actor to receive the Stanislavsky Award at the Moscow International Film Festival for "conquering the heights of acting and faithfulness".

Cannes Film Festival

May 21, 2002

Other early, notable Nicholson roles included Hal Ashby's The Last Detail (1973), for which he was awarded Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival, and the classic Roman Polanski noir thriller, Chinatown (1974) (he was Oscar-nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for both films).

About Schmidt

December 20, 2002

In About Schmidt (2002), Nicholson portrayed a retired Omaha, Nebraska actuary who questions his own life and the death of his wife shortly afterward. His quiet, restrained performance stood in sharp contrast to many of his previous roles, and earned him an Academy Award Nomination for Best Actor.

Anger Management

April 11, 2003

In the comedy Anger Management, he plays an aggressive therapist assigned to help overly pacifist Adam Sandler.

Something's Gotta Give

December 12, 2003

In 2003, Nicholson starred in Something's Gotta Give, as an aging playboy who falls for the mother (Diane Keaton) of his young girlfriend.

The Departed

October 6, 2006

In late 2006, Nicholson marked his return to the "dark side" as Frank Costello, a sadistic Boston Irish Mob boss presiding over Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning The Departed, a remake of Andrew Lau's Infernal Affairs.

70th birthday

April 22, 2007

Nicholson, the legendary ladies' man, says he would like to fall in love again, at the age of 70. Hired 70 sexy waitresses on his 70th birthday.

The Bucket List

January 11, 2008

In November 2006, Nicholson began filming his next project, Rob Reiner's The Bucket List, a role for which he shaved his head. The film starred him and Morgan Freeman as dying men who fulfill their list of goals. The film was released on December 25, 2007 (limited) and January 11, 2008 (wide). In researching the role, Nicholson visited a Los Angeles hospital to see how cancer patients coped with their illnesses.

Endorsement of Senator Hillary Clinton

Feburary 4, 2008

On February 4, 2008, he announced his endorsement of Senator Hillary Clinton in her race for the President of the United States.[21] In an interview on Rick Dees' radio program, Nicholson said, "Mrs. Clinton has been involved in issues, everything from health care, which we know and prison reform and helping the military, speaking for women and speaking for Americans."