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Jack Nicholson Net Worth in 2024 Career & Relationship

Estimated value: €400 million
Age: 85
Born: 04/22/1937
Country of origin: United States
Source of Wealth: actor
Last updated: 2021

Short introduction

Jack Nicholson made a name for himself as a rebellious anti-hero who defied social conventions. His unmistakable trademark is his “killer grin”. Nicholson is among the highest paid actors of all time.

Off-camera, too, Nicholson made a name for himself as an enfant terrible. He was one of the actors in the 1960s who publicly admitted to their drug use. He was also a vocal critic of “family ideology” throughout his life. He was married to actress Sandra Knight for just five years.

early life

Jack Nicholson was born on April 22, 1937 in the small town of Neptune City, New Jersey to 17-year-old Frances Nicholson. Fearing stigma, Nicholson’s grandmother, Ethel May, posed as his mother. His grandfather, who initially posed as his father, was an alcoholic and left the family when Nicholson was a baby.

His mother June thought Nicholson was his sister throughout her life. Only after her untimely death did he learn the truth thanks to an investigation by Time Magazine. The magazine named several possible fathers. However, Nicholson himself did not do any research of his own in this regard.

Nicholson’s love of acting began long before acting became apparent within his family. In his high school he was part of the theater group. During this time he made the decision to become an actor.

Career

After graduation, Nicholson went to Los Angeles, where he lived with his birth mother, who worked there as a secretary. Nicholson supported himself with a job in a toy store before moving to the well-known film company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

However, he initially had to settle for a job as a messenger boy. He was also responsible for fan mail in the animation department. After an unsuccessful audition, Nicholson took acting classes.

In 1956 he made his debut in the series Martine Theater in a supporting role. It was during this time that Nicholson met his longtime promoter and mentor, Roger Corman, who was one of the key producers of the then-popular B movies. He landed Nicholson his first leading role in the crime drama “The Cry Baby Killer.” In it he emulated hot-headed youth heroes like James Dean.

A first public success succeeded Nicholson in 1960 in the horror comedy “Small Shop full of horrors”, in which he falls victim to a sadistic dentist. Although producer Corman only invested $30,000, the film became a cult flick.

Throughout the 1960s, Nicholson starred in more inexpensive horror films. In the production of the film “The Terror – Castle of Terror” he worked as a co-director for the first time. In 1967, Nicholson also wrote the screenplay for the film “The Trip”, which dealt with the topic of drugs in a way that was downright revolutionary at the time.

In the late 1960s, Nicholson’s connections with Roger Corman helped him land roles in the motorcycle films popular at the time. In 1969, Nicholson made his big breakthrough with the role of the drinking lawyer Georg Hanson in the worldwide hit “Easy Rider”. He became one of the young faces of New Hollywood, which experienced a golden era in the 1970s.

Nicholson’s major credits during this period include starring in Roman Polanski’s Chinatown and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The latter earned him his first Oscar for Best Male Actor.

Nicholson’s biggest hits of the 1980s were The Shining (1980), Days of Endeavor (1984) and Batman (1989). He received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for “Days of Tenderness”. “Batman” grossed a record $400 million.

In 1997, Nicholson won his second Academy Award for Best Male Actor for his role in As Good As It Gets. The third followed in 2002 for “About Schmidt.” Nicholson’s last on-camera appearance was in 2010’s How Do You Know It’s Love?

Career highlights

The highlight of Jack Nicholson’s career was the film “Easy Rider” (1969). Although Nicholson did not receive an Oscar for his role, he became a cult actor of the young generation beyond the USA.

In addition, Nicholson managed to make history with “Easy Rider.” The film is not only regarded as the prototype of the road movie genre, but also as the starting signal for the New Hollywood era, which revolutionized the old Hollywood film studios in the 1970s.

Famous quotes

“Women don’t need to emancipate themselves. They won’t get as good as men anyway.”

“There is only one thing more expensive than a wife – and that is an ex-wife.”

“I prefer to be to myself. The word husband means housebound. Who wants that anyway?”

Amazing Facts

In 1989, Jack Nicholson received a record fee of $60 million for his role in Batman. The record was only broken decades later.

Jack Nicholson had been friends with actor Danny DeVito since they were teenagers. They met through relatives who ran a hair salon together

Estimated value: €400 million