By Julieta Sanguino
Jack Nicholson is one of the actors with the most distinguished trajectories and relevance in Hollywood. Throughout his career, he's earned 12 Oscar nominations—winning three times. He started with some low-budget films until his 1969 breakthrough in Easy Rider, which earned him one of his nominations. Since then, his roles would often find their way into the Academy Awards in some fashion or another. In the '70s, he made movies like Five Easy Pieces, The Last Detail, and Chinatown, roles for which he earned further nominations and established him as one of the most versatile actors in the industry.
So, without further ado, here are some of the best performances by the legendary Jack Nicholson.
The Shining (1980)
Perhaps one of Nicholson's most iconic roles is crazy Jack, who moves to a remote hotel with his wife and son to take care of the building during the winter. At first, everything seemed normal, until spirits inhabiting the place start tormenting him, driving him to lose his mind. Stanley Kubrick's film, an adaptation of Stephen King's novel of the same name, went on to become one of the most terrifying movies of all time.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
This Milos Forman film was the first to obtain the five main awards offered by the Academy: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The plot begins with protagonist Randle McMurphy, played by Jack Nicholson, trying to avoid justice by claiming he's mentally unstable, which led him to commit statutory rape.
When he arrives at the psychiatric hospital, he finds that not everything is as it appears. The corrective therapies and pills soon turn into a nightmare, trapping McMurphy in a monotonous, inflexible, and cruel mind-prison. However, he manages to forge interesting friendships inside, allowing him to enter a new phase in life. McMurphy would become a kind of anti-hero who rallies the mentally-ill and teaches them how to enjoy life.
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Chinatown (1974)
Since its premiere in 1974, Chinatown has been a cult classic. In it, Jack Nicholson plays police officer Jake Gittes. When a renowned engineer for the water company dies, Jake must step up and look into the case. During his investigation, he discovers the rotting conditions behind appearances.
Directed by Roman Polanski, Chinatown won four Academy Awards: Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor—giving Nicholson even more recognition for his work.
Batman (1989)
Tim Burton's 1989 reimagining of Batman moved away from the goofy comic book feel and took the Dark Knight into the more gritty realism it's now famous for. The film also gave us one of the best embodiments of the Joker ever. Played by Jack Nicholson, this version of the Joker had him begun as a mobster who fell into a tank full of chemicals, turning him into a super-villain. Tim Burton chose Nicholson because Batman's creator, Bob Kane, wanted him to be the one to play the iconic character—which didn't come cheap. It was worth every penny, though.
The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
Three women (played by Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer), bored with their ordinary New England life, decide to summon the devil, who—you guessed it—is played by Jack Nicholson. He seduces and teaches them some dark magic, which makes the three friends far more powerful than they imagined. The whole of Eastwick becomes dark and corrupted, which leads the female protagonists to turn on the one who ruined it all.
Jack Nicholson took his role so seriously that he read countless books and passages on medieval witchcraft, as well as Dante Alighieri's Inferno. According to director George Miller, Nicholson did everything in his power to make this film as great as it could be.
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About Schmidt (2002)
Nicholson stars as Warren Schmidt in this classic award-winning comedy, which earned him an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. In it, Schmidt finds himself at a difficult time in his life: he's about to retire, his daughter will soon be married, and his wife passed away recently. Feeling his daughter could do far better, Schmidt attempts to stop the wedding in Denver, Colorado. Driving there gives him a much-needed opportunity to reflect on his life.
Easy Rider(1969)
This is the breakout film that cemented Nicholson's place in Hollywood forever.Easy Rider perfectly captures the interesting atmosphere during the '60s, and though Nicholson himself isn't the protagonist, his performance and an alcoholic lawyer launched him to fame, establishing him as one of the best actors of his generation.
The Departed (2006)
Jack Nicholson settles right back into his role as a villain in this incredible Scorsesefilm—and his performance earned him an Oscar too. Nicholson plays an Irish-American mobster by the name of Frank Costello, whose hand controls every thread in the game the rest of the characters are thrown upon. Costello is an unpredictable gangster and a great character who's willing to do just about anything to hang on to his grip over Boston.
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Anger Management (2003)
Jack Nicholson's character, Dr. Buddy Rydell, is in charge of anger management therapy for his newest patient, David Buznik (Adam Sandler). However, the therapy will soon become an unbearable ordeal for David, as Rydell crosses lines that go well beyond conventional treatments and, well, personal boundaries. This 2003 comedy succeeds mostly because of Nicholson's performance as the raw, over-the-top Dr. Rydell, who has an unusual way to help his patients (to say the least).
The Bucket List (2007)
Here, Jack Nicholson plays a lonely and unkind multimillionaire named Edward Cole, who is battling cancer in his old age. In the hospital, he meets an unlikely friend, another cancer patient named Carter Chambers (played by Morgan Freeman). Their friendship takes sends them both on a surprising path that proves it's never too late to radically change our worldview for the better.
Translated by Oliver G. Alvar
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