Jack Nicholson, one of the greatest actors of Hollywood turned 75 on April 22, 2012.A brief history on his entry into movies…
When he initially got to Hollywood in the late fifties with a dream to make a living in the movies, Jack was not an immediate hit. For some time, he was an assistant at Hanna-Barbera, and essentially showed promise as an animator. But drawing cartoons wasn't his reason for being there. So he gave up.
He then worked with Roger Corman now and then for several years, appearing in such cult items as ‘The Little Shop Of Horrors’ (1960) and ‘The Raven’ (1963).By the late sixties,though he was not successful as an actor,he was step by step resigning himself to working behind the camera as a writer/director. Then providence played a hand.
His good friend Dennis Hopper was getting ready to shoot ‘Easy Rider’ and had a huge tiff with character actor Rip Torn, who'd been cast to play gonzo lawyer George Hanson in the film.All of a sudden, Rip was out, and Jack was in.
Jack almost stole that movie, earning himself his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Though clearly he'd broken through, it was hardly predicted the level of success that was to follow.
Over the next six years, Jack was nominated for Best Actor four times, and won his first Oscar in 1976, for ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest’. Thus far, he has been nominated 12 times, and won three Academy Awards.
Though Jack is 75, he seems ageless, chiefly when you revisit his best films which includes:
- One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
- Chinatown
- Easy Rider
- The Last Detail
- Carnal Knowledge
- About Schmidt
- The Shining
- Terms Of Endearment
- A Few Good Men
- Something's Gotta Give
- As Good As It Gets
