Jack Nicholson Celebrates His Eighty-Sixth Birthday, So Here Are 10+ Facts We Didn’t Know About Him

One of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, Jack Nicholson, celebrates his eighty-sixth birthday. With a life full of surprises and unconventional choices, from his upbringing to his iconic roles on-screen, Nicholson has done some impressive and quirky things as well. So, to honor him, we decided to take a closer look at some of the most interesting facts about his life and career.

He found out later in life that his sister was actually his mother.

The childhood of Jack Nicholson had a surprising twist. Born on April 22, 1937, and raised in Manasquan, New Jersey, Nicholson appeared to live an ordinary middle-class life with his parents, John and Ethel May Nicholson, and his sisters, Lorraine and June Nicholson. However, in 1974, when Jack Nicholson was 37 years old, a curious Time magazine reporter revealed that John and Ethel May were not his parents, but his grandparents. Shockingly, the boy’s mother was June, the woman he believed to be his sister.

This revelation came about due to social norms at the time. June Nicholson was unmarried and only 17 years old when she had Jack Nicholson. As a result, she asked her parents to raise him as if he were their own. Unfortunately, both June and Ethel May Nicholson passed away before the actor discovered the truth about his biological parents.

Despite the startling news, Nicholson commented that since he learned about it as an adult, it didn’t have as great an impact on him psychologically as it might have if he had found out earlier in life.

He turned down the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather.

During the making of the 1972 mob classic, The Godfather, it seemed that everyone in Hollywood was either reported, presumed, assumed, or rumored to have turned down a role in the film. However, in Jack Nicholson’s case, it was no rumor.

He openly admitted that he declined the opportunity. Nicholson believed that the role should be played by an Italian person, and he felt that he was not the right fit. He said, “I turned down the original Godfather because I thought it should’ve been played by an Italian. I both do and don’t regret that decision, but I know it was right. Al Pacino was the perfect actor for it, and the picture is better because of him.”

His role as Joker in Batman not only made him one of the most famous but also one of the wealthiest actors in Hollywood.

Tim Burton’s 1989 film, Batman, was a smash hit during a time when comic book movies were not guaranteed success. Warner Bros. had little idea of the movie’s potential.

But Nicholson, who played the Joker, could see it coming and arranged a deal in which he would receive a percentage of the merchandising profits. This smart move ultimately earned him over $50 million.

He spent 3 months living completely nude.

Even though he’s known as a casanova in Hollywood, Nicholson still had body issues he had to deal with. So, to prepare for a big intimate scene, Nicholson spent 3 months wandering around his home naked, getting to know his inner naturalist and becoming comfortable in his own skin no matter who stopped by his house.

“I felt it was totally necessary. I’m self-conscious about body image. I don’t have a great body shot. And it was an era of ’let’s get free.’ I know it drove my oldest daughter insane. I just wanted to be more relaxed within my skin,” Nicholson revealed in an interview.

The actor enjoyed being naked so much, that even after the 3-month period, he attended some interviews completely naked.

He has 6 children with 5 different partners.

Nicholson’s first child, Jennifer Nicholson, was born in 1963 when he was married to Sandra Knight. 7 years later, he became a father to son Caleb Goddard with his Five Easy Pieces co-star, Susan Anspach. The actress married Mark Goddard while she was pregnant with Nicholson’s son, and 25 years later, Nicholson publicly denied paternity, although his son Caleb told People magazine that the actor recognized him as his son in private.

In 1981, Nicholson had his third child, Honey Hollman, with model Winnie Hollman. He shares his fourth and fifth children, daughter Lorraine and son Ray Nicholson with actress Rebecca Broussard. In 1994, Jack welcomed his youngest and sixth child, Tessa Gourin, with Jennine Gourin.

Other interesting facts you might not know about Jack Nicholson

• He has never done a talk show.
• He created a record at school by being in detention every day for a whole year. Nicholson hates being told what to do, and he’s still in love with what he thinks.
• He always wears sunglasses. He once said, “With my sunglasses on, I’m Jack Nicholson. Without them, I’m fat and 70.”
• Nicholson is an avid art collector.
• He received a payment of only $329 a week for his role in Easy Rider.
• He’s a Lakers fan and loves baseball — especially the New York Yankees.