Born under the name John Joseph Nicholson on April 22, 1937, in New Jersey, USA.

Jack married Sandra Knight in 1961. The marriage lasted until 1966. In between she gave birth to their daughter, Jennifer, in 1965. He had a 17 year relationship with actress Angelica Houston which started in 1973 and ended when Rebecca Broussard was carrying his daughter, Lorraine, in 1990. In 1992, Broussard bore him a son, Raymond. There are a few other children in there, by different women. He has often been declared a Hollywood lothario, and with good reason.

His movie debut started with The Cry Baby Killer in 1958. Since then he has made a whopping 56 movies(as of this write-up), some long forgotten. His more recent popular roles include:

Randle Patrick McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; 1975
Jack Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's film version of the Steven King novel The Shining; 1980
Garrett Breedlove in Terms of Endearment; 1983
Daryl Van Horne in The Witches of Eastwick; 1987
The Joker/Jack Napier in Batman; 1989
Colonel Nathan R. Jessop in A Few Good Men; 1992
President Dale/Art Land in Mars Attacks!; 1996
Melvin Udall in As Good As It Gets; 1997

A few personal favorite movie quotes:

In one week, I can put a bug so far up her ass, she don't know whether to shit or wind her wristwatch.
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest


Darling! Light of my life! I'm not gonna hurt you. You didn't let me finish my sentence. I said, I'm not gonna hurt ya. I'm just gonna bash your brains in. I'm gonna bash 'em right the fuck in!
- The Shining


(Shirley MacLaine)Aurora Greenway: I just didn't want you to think I was like one of your other girls.
(Jack)Garrett Breedlove: Not much chance of that unless you curtsy on my face real soon.

- Terms of Endearment


Men are such cocksuckers aren't they? You don't have to answer that. It's true. They're scared. Their dicks get limp when confronted by a woman of obvious power and what do they do about it? Call them witches, burn them, torture them, until every woman is afraid. Afraid of herself... afraid of men... and all for what? Fear of losing their hard-on.
- The Witches Of Eastwick


Now comes the part where I relieve you, the little people, of the burden of your failed and useless lives. But remember, as my plastic surgeon always said: if you gotta go, go with a smile!

I've been dead once already; it's very liberating. You might think of it as... therapy.

And where is the batman? AT HOME, WASHING HIS TIGHTS!!
- Batman


You see Danny, I can deal with the bullets, and the bombs, and the blood. I don't want money, and I don't want medals. What I do want is for you to stand there in that faggoty white uniform and with your Harvard mouth extend me some fucking courtesy. You gotta ask me nicely.

What are we going to discuss next? My favorite color?!

I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand at post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to.
- A Few Good Men


I want the people to know that they still have 2 out of 3 branches of the government working for them, and that ain't bad.
- Mars Attacks!


(Helen Hunt)Carol: OK, we all have these terrible stories to get over, and you---
(Jack)Melvin: It's not true. Some have great stories, pretty stories that take place at lakes with boats and friends and noodle salad. Just no one in this car. But, a lot of people, that's their story. Good times, noodle salad. What makes it so hard is not that you had it bad, but that you're that pissed that so many others had it good.

How can you diagnose someone with an obsessive compulsive disorder, then act like I have some choice about barging in here?

Where do they teach you to talk like this? In some Panama City "Sailor wanna hump-hump" bar, or is it getaway day and your last shot at his whiskey? Sell crazy someplace else. We're all stocked up here.
- As Good As it Gets


His most recent romance was with Lara Flynn Boyle, which was reported to have ended some time around September of 2000.

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