Happy Birthday, Jack Nicholson’s Life Away from the Spotlight as He Turns 87 — Whether He’ll Ever Return to Acting

Nicholson certainly has much to celebrate, between his various accolades, family life and slew of well-known roles.

Fans know Nicholson from iconic films that run the genre gamut, like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), The Shining (1980), Terms of Endearment (1983), Batman (1989), A Few Good Men (1992), As Good as It Gets (1997), Something’s Gotta Give (2003) and The Departed (2006), to name a few.

Aside from his storied career, Nicholson is also a father to six children: Jennifer Nicholson, 60, Caleb Goddard, 52, Honey Hollman, 42, Lorraine Nicholson, 34, and Ray Nicholson, 32, as well as Tessa Gourin, 29, whom the actor has been estranged from for most of her life.

In a 2008 interview with AARP The Magazine, Nicholson addressed his relationship with Lorraine and Ray, saying, “We’ve always gotten along. I want to be inspirational, or some kind of good influence on them without overburdening them. It’s their time of life to find out who they are.”

He added, “I always read to them, from childhood on; I think that’s a father’s responsibility. I took them to things I knew they might not love — opera, ballet. They like going to the ball games with me. And they are very comfortable around show business; they are good set rats.”

Nicholson has been spotted out at basketball games in recent years, notably with son Ray. His last known public appearance was for a match at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena back in May 2023, where he watched the Lakers take on the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals.

Nicholson won his first acting Oscar for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, picking up two additional statuettes for Terms of Endearment and As Good as It Gets, from a total of 12 career nominations — the most for any male performer. He is also tied with Daniel Day-Lewis and Walter Brennan for the most male acting Oscar wins.

Speaking with George V Magazine back in November 2023, James L. Brooks, who directed Nicholson in Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News (1987), As Good as It Gets and How Do You Know, said he’s hoping he can get the retired actor onscreen again.

“I keep on thinking he’s going to get itchy and scratch it,” said Brooks, 83, who added at that time that he keeps in touch with Nicholson.

Though How Do You Know is Nicholson’s most recent acting credit and he hasn’t been in another film in almost 15 years, Brooks told George V Magazine, “My theory is it’s not his last movie.”

Asked if Nicholson has expressed interest in acting again, the filmmaker said, “That’s what I’m hoping for. He’s the man.”