Hollywood mega-star Jack Nicholson is just as notorious for his wild, real-life antics as he is for the eccentric, sometimes horrifying, characters he plays. Whether he is playing a recovering alcoholic author mad with cabin fever (The Shining), a maniacal sociopath clown (Batman), or a loveable yet slovenly widower (About Schmidt) Nicholson always brings his intensity with him.
Related: Did Jack Nicholson Quit Hollywood For Good? Here Is What He's Been Up To In 2021
Hollywood tabloids and celebrity websites are full of tales about the debaucherous, sometimes twisted life of the three-time Academy Award-winning actor. There was the famous golf club incident, his affair with the prime minister of Canada’s mother, and the disturbing rewrites he once gave to Martin Scorcese, just to name a few. Even though Nicholson has stepped away from the spotlight and hasn’t been in a film since 2010, his life is still a favorite topic in Hollywood.
10 His Friendship With Henry Dean Stanton
When people think of Nicholson they also think of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, especially since Nicholson started his career with a counter culture film favorite Easy Rider in 1969. Another name synonymous with Hollywood debauchery was the late Henry Dean Stanton (Cool Hand Luke, Alien). While Nicholson was starting his career, these two were roommates, and were notorious for their drug and sex-fueled parties.
9 He Bought His Joker Costume
This is certainly not the strangest thing he has done, but considering how some believe the Joker was a role that almost pushed Nicholson to the brink of insanity, similar to his role in The Shining, it is curious that Nicholson would pay $70,000 for his costume as a souvenir.
Related: How Much Money Mark Hamill Has Made From Voice Acting As The Joker
8 He Can Draw Tom And Jerry
Again, not the most bizarre thing about the man, but an important, and endearing, thing to know about him is that one of Nicholson’s first jobs was with Hanna-Barbera who produced Tom and Jerry cartoons, and he learned how to sketch the popular duo. It just goes to show there is more to the man than sex and drugs.
7 He Slept With The First Lady Of Canada
Soon after the then-first lady of Canada, Margaret Trudeau, left her husband, then-prime minister Pierre Trudeau, she started an affair with Nicholson. Margaret Trudeau is also the mother of current Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In other words, Jack Nicholson slept with the leader of Canada’s mom.
6 He Wrote The Monkees Movie
Rock movies were a popular genre in the 1960s. The Beatles made a film for practically every one of their albums. Another band that got in on the trend was the Monkees. Nicholson, along with director Bob Rafelson wrote the film Head for the band and Nicholson can be seen very briefly in one shot of the film playing a movie director. Allegedly, the film was written as Nicholson and the band consumed large amounts of cannabis.
5 He Only Ate Cheese Sandwiches When Filming ‘The Shining’
The production of The Shining was notoriously challenging. The internet is full of stories about director Stanley Kubrick driving actress Shelley Duvall to a near breakdown. There are also stories about Nicholson and his bizarre tactics for getting into character. To make the rage of Jack Torrance believable, Nicholson deprived himself of substantial meals and only ate plain cheese sandwiches during shooting. Kubrick got the famously intense performance out of Nicholson because Nicholson intentionally made himself “hangry.”
Related: What Jack Nicholson Has Said About Shelley Duvall's Role In 'The Shining'
4 He Tried To Rewrite A Scene In ‘The Departed’
In a scene in The Departed, Nicholson's character, Frank Costello, shoots a couple in the back of the head on a beach. Costello then says, “She fell funny,” and laughs to which his partner says, “Francis you really need to see somebody.” This was a rewrite that Nicholson added to the film but it was only part of his original idea, Nicholson also wanted his character to say “I think I want to f**k her again.”
3 He Tried To Rewrite Another Scene In ‘The Departed’
Nicholson also wanted to add a scene to The Departed with him covering a prostitute in cocaine and having sex with her while another prostitute wears a strap-on dildo. Only a part of this scene was used in the film. Nicholson wanted Costello to have a sexual element, saying it made him more terrifying and evil. While it wasn't used in this scene, the dildo made an appearance in a scene with Nicholson and Matt Damon meeting in a porn theater.
2 His Notorious Sex Life
It's no surprise that Nicholson writes a lot of sex for himself into a film. His sex life is notorious. Along with his affair with Justin Trudeau's mom and his frequent appearances at the Playboy Mansion, Nicholson was a prominent customer of escort madam Heidi Fliess. Among his many conquests, he had a seventeen year-long relationship with Addams Family star Anjelica Huston.
1 The Famous Road Rage Incident
In what was probably his most notorious public meltdown, in 1994, Nicholson took a golf club to a person's windshield after the person caused a fender bender with Nicholson's car. The incident ended up costing Nicholson $500,000 in damages. Later, in the Adam Sandler film Anger Management, a tongue-in-cheek reference to this event is made when Nicholson's character did the exact same thing. As one can tell from this list, it would seem that the antics of his characters and his real-life persona can sometimes become a little blurred.
