Five Easy Pieces (1970)
Nicholson was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance as Bobby Dupea, an oilrig worker who hides his privileged upbringing as a piano prodigy.
Chinatown (1974)
In this Roman Polanski film based on a true story, Nicholson plays private investigator JJ. “Jake” Gittes, who is hired to carry out surveillance on the chief engineer for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, only to realize he’s been framed.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
In this drama based on the 1962 novel of the same name, Nicholson plays Randle McMurphy, a criminal who transfers to a mental institution to avoid regular prison, only to discover that his fellow mental patients are treated worse than prisoners by the evil Nurse Ratched.
The Shining (1980)
Nicholson’s chilling portrayal of a disturbed hotel caretaker is one of the most iconic performances of his career.
Terms of Endearment (1983)
Nicholson starred alongside Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger in this 1983 comedy-drama about a mother and daughter’s search for true love. Nicholson plays retired alcoholic astronaut Garrett Breedlove, who strikes up a relationship with Shirley MacLaine’s character, Aurora Greenway.
The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
This cult classic stars Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer as three lonely women who are unaware they are witches. Nicholson plays Daryl, a mysterious newcomer to their small town who seduces the women one by one, with disastrous consequences.
Batman (1989)
Jack Nicholson described the Joker as “a psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy,” and said that playing the role was so disturbing that he “slept an average of two hours a night” during filming. Following the tragic death of Heath Ledger, who played the Joker in Dark Knight, Nicholson
told reporters, “Well…I warned him.”
A Few Good Men (1992)
In this courtroom drama based on a play by West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin, Nicholson plays Col. Nathan Jessup, a base commander caught up in the trial of two U.S. Marines accused of murder at Guantanamo Bay.
About Schmidt (2002)
In this poignant comedy-drama, Nicholson plays Warren Schmidt, a lonely, retired actuary who struggles to find meaning in his life now that his career is over.
Something’s Gotta Give (2003)
Nicholson was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance as Harry Sanborn, a 60-something womanizer who finds himself falling for his young girlfriend’s mother (Diane Keaton).
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Happy birthday, Jack Nicholson! The iconic actor turns 78 today.
Born in 1937, Nicholson grew up in Neptune City, New Jersey. He made his acting debut in the 1958 teen drama Cry Baby Killer, and went on to appear in a series of films with the same producer, Roger Corman, including The Little Shop of Horrors and The Terror.
He got his first big acting break in the 1969 counterculture film Easy Rider, which earned him his first Oscar nomination, and he went on to star in a number of iconic films, including Five Easy Pieces and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
With 12 Oscar nominations and three wins, Nicholson is the most-nominated male actor in Academy Award history.
Launch the gallery to see 10 of Nicholson’s best films.
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