101-513: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a 2005 American neo-noir black comedy crime film written and directed by Shane Black (in his directorial debut), and starring Robert Downey Jr. , Val Kilmer , Michelle Monaghan , and Corbin Bernsen . The script is partially based on the Brett Halliday novel Bodies Are Where You Find Them (1941), and interprets the classic hardboiled literary genre in
202-785: A Grammy Award . He also received the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award in 1994 and the Kennedy Center Honor in 2001. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. Nicholson has won three Academy Awards , for Best Actor in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and in As Good as It Gets (1997), and for Best Supporting Actor in Terms of Endearment (1983). He
303-485: A screen test in New York City by showing remorse in an audition for a botched burglary he committed, which casting director Dabney Shaw mistakes for method acting . He is sent to Los Angeles for a further screen test. At a party there, Harry meets his childhood crush Harmony Lane and "Gay" Perry van Shrike, a private investigator hired to give him on-the-job tutelage for his screen test. Party host Harlan Dexter,
404-605: A tongue-in-cheek fashion. The film was produced by Joel Silver , with Susan Levin and Steve Richards as executive producers. Shot in Los Angeles between February 24 and May 3, 2004, the film debuted at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival on May 14, 2005, and was released in the United States on October 21, 2005. It received positive reviews from critics, and grossed approximately $ 16 million worldwide, although profit of only $ 800,000. Harry Lockhart unintentionally wins
505-461: A September 2013 Vanity Fair article, Nicholson said that he did not consider himself retired, but that he was now less driven to "be out there anymore". As of 2023, How Do You Know remains Nicholson's last film role, and brings his filmography to 80 films. In 2013, Nicholson co-presented the Academy Award for Best Picture with First Lady Michelle Obama , the eighth time he presented
606-407: A blockbuster, grossing $ 40 million. Biographer John Parker writes that Nicholson's interpretation of his role placed him in the company of earlier antihero actors, such as James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart , while promoting him into an "overnight number-one hero of the counter-culture movement". The part was a lucky break for Nicholson. The role had been written for Rip Torn , who withdrew from
707-412: A brand image like a product. You become Campbell's soup, with thirty-one different varieties of roles you can play." He told his new agent, Sandy Bresler, to find him unusual roles so he could stretch his acting skill: "I like to play people that haven't existed yet, a 'cusp character ' ", he said, "I have that creative yearning. Much in the way Chagall flies figures into the air: once it becomes part of
808-417: A bunch of genres and twists them into a blender, a pop relic that still feels current ... one of the best times I've had at the movies this year." Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter praised the lead performances, saying "Downey and Monaghan are wonderful at playing characters that compensate for the harshness of their past with flippant swaggers." Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote, "Once again making
909-412: A career behind the camera as a writer/director. His first real taste of writing success was the screenplay for the 1967 counterculture film The Trip (directed by Corman), starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper . After first reading the script, Fonda told Nicholson he was impressed by the writing and felt it could become a great film. But Fonda was disappointed with how the film turned out and blamed
1010-505: A comedy-drama directed by Mike Nichols and co-starring Art Garfunkel , Ann-Margret , and Candice Bergen . He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor . Nichols felt few actors could handle the role, saying, "There is James Cagney, Spencer Tracy, Humphrey Bogart, and Henry Fonda. After that, who is there but Jack Nicholson?" During the filming, Nicholson struck up what became a lifelong friendship with Garfunkel. When he visited Los Angeles, Garfunkel stayed at Nicholson's home in
1111-454: A comedy. Before principal photography began, the title became Kiss Kiss Bang Bang because Black felt it was a "blunt and austere title" that described how the plot was "half romantic comedy and half murder mystery". To achieve a neo-noir look, Black screened 1960s films of the genre, such as Harper and Point Blank , to cinematographer Michael Barrett and production designer Aaron Osborne. Osborne, in particular drew inspiration from
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#17327869048971212-471: A corrupt border official. Richardson wanted Nicholson to play his role less expressively than he had in his earlier roles. "Less is more", he told him, and wanted him to wear reflecting sunglasses to portray what patrolmen wore. Richardson recalled that Nicholson worked hard on the set: He's what the Thirties and Forties stars were like. He can come on the set and deliver, without any fuss, without taking
1313-597: A difficult situation and making choices out of desperation or nihilistic moral systems . Visual elements included low-key lighting , striking use of light and shadow , and unusual camera placement. Sound effects helped create the noir mood of paranoia and nostalgia. Few major films in the classic film noir genre have been made since the early 1960s. These films usually incorporated both thematic and visual elements reminiscent of film noir . Both classic and neo-noir films are often produced as independent features . After 1970, film critics took note of "neo-noir" films as
1414-600: A diverting but insubstantial movie look better than it is, Downey, with haggard charm to burn, is winning all the way. Kilmer is riotous at times as an impeccably groomed, businesslike guy keen to assert his orientation at every opportunity." Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film two and a half stars out of 4. Ebert opined the film "contains a lot of comedy and invention, but doesn't much benefit from its clever style. The characters and plot are so promising that maybe Black should have backed off and told
1515-437: A great director. He said he wanted the film to have more of a "spy feeling [and] be more political". Nicholson began shooting the film from an unfinished script, notes Judith Crist , yet upon its completion he thought so highly of the film that he bought the world rights and recorded a reminiscence of working with Antonioni. Critic and screenwriter Penelope Gilliatt provides an overview of Nicholson's role, " The Passenger
1616-454: A guy's house, with lots of wood and shelves crowded with photos and mementos. One of Nicholson's successes came in 1975, with his role as Randle P. McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest . The movie was an adaptation of Ken Kesey 's novel of the same name , and was directed by Miloš Forman and co-produced by Michael Douglas . Nicholson plays an anti-authoritarian patient at a mental hospital where he becomes an inspiring leader for
1717-604: A journalist, David Locke, who during an assignment in North Africa decides to quit journalism and disappear by taking on a new hidden identity. Unfortunately, the dead person whose identity he takes on turns out to have been a weapons smuggler on the run. Antonioni's unusual plot included convincing dialogue and fine acting, states film critic Seymour Chatman . It was shot in Algeria, Spain, Germany, and England. The film received good reviews and revived Antonioni's reputation as
1818-465: A long time walking around getting into it. "What do you want? Okay." And he just does it straight off. And then if you want him to do it another way on the next take, he can adapt to that too. Nicholson won his second Oscar, an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor , for his role of retired astronaut Garrett Breedlove in Terms of Endearment (1983), directed by James L. Brooks . It starred Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger . McGilligan claims it
1919-685: A low-budget teen drama The Cry Baby Killer (1958), playing the title role. For the next decade, Nicholson frequently collaborated with the film's producer, Roger Corman . Corman directed Nicholson on several occasions, such as in The Little Shop of Horrors as undertaker (and masochistic dental patient) Wilbur Force; in The Raven ; The Terror , where he plays a French officer seduced by an evil ghost; and The St. Valentine's Day Massacre . Nicholson frequently worked with director Monte Hellman on low-budget westerns; two of them— Ride in
2020-404: A major transition from the exploitation films of the previous decade. "As Jake Gittes, he stepped into Bogart's shoes", says Ebert. "As a man attractive to audiences because he suggests both comfort and danger ... From Gittes forward, Nicholson created the persona of a man who had seen it all and was still capable of being wickedly amused." Nicholson had been friends with Polanski long before
2121-523: A move he sometimes characterized as an effort to "dodge the draft"; the Korean War era's Military Selective Service Act was still in force, and draftees were required to perform up to two years of active duty. After completing the Air Force 's basic training at Lackland Air Force Base , Nicholson performed weekend drills and two-week annual training as a firefighter assigned to the unit based at
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#17327869048972222-534: A nefarious Boston Irish Mob boss based on Whitey Bulger , who was still on the run at the time. The role earned Nicholson worldwide critical praise, along with various awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture nomination. In 2007, Nicholson co-starred with Morgan Freeman in Rob Reiner 's The Bucket List , in which Nicholson and Freeman portrayed dying men who fulfill their list of goals. In researching
2323-564: A party with Harmony, the two men from the lake (Mr. Frying Pan and Mr. Fire) beat Harry to convince him to stop looking into this crime. Harmony and Harry follow them to Perry's latest stakeout and Harmony goes to warn him, leaving Harry asleep in the car. Mr. Frying Pan ends up being killed by an armed food-cart operator. A pink-haired girl steals Harmony's car and unwittingly drives an unconscious Harry to her home. Mr. Fire arrives and kills her. Harry kills him in return. Harry meets Harmony at his hotel where she reveals she told Jenna that Harlan
2424-559: A piece of pop art ", he said. For his role as hot-headed Col. Nathan R. Jessup in A Few Good Men (1992), a movie about a murder in a U.S. Marine Corps unit, Nicholson received yet another Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. One review describes his performance as "spellbinding", adding that he portrayed "the essence of the quintessential military mindset". Critic David Thomson notes that Nicholson's character "blazed and roared". The film's director, Rob Reiner , recalls how Nicholson's level of acting experience affected
2525-497: A private detective. The film co-starred Faye Dunaway and John Huston , and included a cameo role with Polanski. Ebert called Nicholson's portrayal sharp-edged, menacing, and aggressive, a character who knew "how to go over the top", as he did in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest . That edge kept Chinatown from becoming a typical genre crime film. Ebert also notes the importance of the role for Nicholson's career, seeing it as
2626-414: A retired Omaha , Nebraska , actuary who questions his own life after his wife dies. His quietly restrained performance earned him nominations for an Academy Award , BAFTA Award , Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor. In Anger Management (2003), he played an aggressive therapist assigned to help an overly pacifist man ( Adam Sandler ). In 2003, Nicholson also starred in
2727-408: A retired actor, has recently resolved a feud over his wife's inheritance with his estranged daughter, Veronica. During a stakeout at a Big Bear Lake cabin, Perry and Harry see a car being dumped in the lake. Noticing a female body in the trunk, Perry shoots the lock in a rescue attempt, but accidentally hits the corpse. They decide against reporting it as it will appear he killed her. Believing Harry
2828-409: A romantic comedy, "a quirky story of two kids in L.A." Brooks liked Black's first draft, but felt his later attempts were losing focus. Trying to salvage what he had liked, Brooks suggested Black imagine Jack Nicholson from As Good as It Gets playing Nicholson's role from Chinatown . This led Black to add action elements - "I said, you know, 'Fuck it. I have to put a murder in it.'" - and re-work
2929-610: A room Nicholson jokingly called "the Arthur Garfunkel Suite". Other Nicholson roles included Hal Ashby 's The Last Detail (1973), with Randy Quaid , for which Nicholson won Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for his third Oscar and a Golden Globe. Television journalist David Gilmour writes that one of his favorite Nicholson scenes from all his films was the often censored one in this film, when Nicholson slaps his gun on
3030-606: A separate genre. Noir and post-noir terminology (such as " hard-boiled ", "neo-classic" and the like) are often rejected by both critics and practitioners. Robert Arnett stated, "Neo-noir has become so amorphous as a genre/movement, any film featuring a detective or crime qualifies." Screenwriter and director Larry Gross identifies Jean-Luc Godard 's Alphaville , alongside John Boorman 's Point Blank (1967) and Robert Altman 's The Long Goodbye (1973), based on Raymond Chandler 's 1953 novel, as neo-noir films. Gross believes that they deviate from classic noir in having more of
3131-475: A shadowy cinematographic style. Neo-noir has a similar style but with updated themes, content, style, and visual elements. The neologism neo-noir, using the Greek prefix for the word new , is defined by Mark Conard as "any film coming after the classic noir period that contains noir themes and noir sensibility". Another definition describes it as later noir that often synthesizes diverse genres while foregrounding
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3232-667: A small role in The Last Tycoon opposite Robert De Niro . He took a less sympathetic role in Arthur Penn 's western The Missouri Breaks (1976), specifically to work with Marlon Brando . Nicholson was especially inspired by Brando's acting ability, recalling that in his youth, as an assistant manager at a theater, he watched On the Waterfront about 40 times. He once stated, "Marlon Brando influenced me strongly. Today, it's hard for people who weren't there to realize
3333-466: A sociological than a psychological focus. Neo noir features characters who commit violent crimes, but without the motivations and narrative patterns found in film noir . Neo noir assumed global character and impact when filmmakers began drawing elements from films in the global market. For instance, Quentin Tarantino 's works have been influenced by Ringo Lam 's 1987 classic City on Fire . This
3434-473: A studio Method actor ", he said. "So I was prone to give some kind of clinical presentation of the disorder." His Oscar was matched by the Academy Award for Best Actress for Helen Hunt , who played a Manhattan single mother drawn into a love/hate friendship with Udall, a frequent diner in the restaurant where she works as a waitress. The film was a box-office success, grossing $ 314 million, making it Nicholson's second-best-grossing film, after Batman . The win
3535-406: A tree and I read a book.' That sounds like Jack." Adler stated that Nicholson was "doing whatever he really wants to do," adding, "He wants to be quiet. He wants to eat what he wants. He wants to live the life he wants." Nicholson has described Marlon Brando as a major influence on his career. He stated, "Actors don't normally discuss who the best actor in the world is, because it's obvious—Brando
3636-431: A writer and slept short hours to help remain in an agitated state during the shoot. His co-star Shelley Duvall recalled that she and Nicholson spent many hours discussing their characters, with Nicholson maintaining that his character be cold to her from the start. On the set, Nicholson always appeared in character and if Kubrick felt confident that Nicholson knew his lines well enough, he encouraged him to improvise beyond
3737-412: Is a private investigator, Harmony tells him of her sister, Jenna, who supposedly killed herself. He finds the lake corpse, identified as Veronica, in his bathroom and dumps it with Perry, but soon discovers Jenna used Harmony's credit card to hire Perry. Harry goes to see Harmony, who accidentally cuts off his finger when she slams the door, after finding out he lied about being a private investigator. At
3838-415: Is a very curious, alive human being. Always ready for a new idea." Nicholson himself said as much, telling an interviewer, "I like listening to everybody. This to me is the elixir of life." There is James Cagney , Spencer Tracy , Humphrey Bogart , and Henry Fonda . After that, who is there but Jack Nicholson? — Mike Nichols , director Black later admitted that she had a crush on Nicholson from
3939-492: Is always interesting, clearly conceived, and has the X-factor, magic. Jack is particularly suited for roles that require intelligence. He is an intelligent and literate man, and these are almost impossible to act. In The Shining you believe he's a writer, failed or otherwise. —Stanley Kubrick Although he garnered no Academy Award for Stanley Kubrick 's adaptation of Stephen King 's The Shining (1980), his role in
4040-459: Is an actor who can reflect almost anything in his face. One reason his performance is so good as Hoffa is that he reveals almost nothing." Nicholson won his next Academy Award for Best Actor in the romantic comedy As Good as It Gets (1997), his third film directed by James L. Brooks . He played Melvin Udall, a "wickedly funny", mean-spirited novelist with obsessive-compulsive disorder . "I'm
4141-464: Is an unidealized portrait of a drained man whose one remaining stimulus is to push his luck. Again and again, in the movie, we watch him court danger. It interests him to walk the edge of risk. He does it with passivity as if he were taking part in an expressionless game of double-dare with life. Jack Nicholson's performance is a wonder of insight. How to animate a personality that is barely there. Nicholson continued to take more unusual roles. He took
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4242-409: Is considered to be one of the defining authors of hard-boiled fiction. Both novels were adapted as crime films, the former more than once. Cain is quoted as saying, "I belong to no school, hard-boiled or otherwise, and I believe these so-called schools exist mainly in the imagination of critics, and have little correspondence in reality anywhere else." Neo-noir film directors refer to 'classic noir' in
4343-773: Is everywhere; his energy propels the ward of loonies and makes of them an ensemble, a chorus of people caught in a bummer with nowhere else to go, but still fighting for some frail sense of themselves. ... There are scenes in Cuckoo's Nest that are as intimate—and in their language, twice as rough—as the best moments in The Godfather ... [and] far above the general run of Hollywood performances. — Marie Brenner, Texas Monthly Also in 1975, Nicholson starred in Michelangelo Antonioni 's The Passenger (1975), which co-starred Maria Schneider . Nicholson plays
4444-522: Is one of only three male actors to win three Academy Awards and one of only two actors to be nominated for an Academy Award for acting in films made in every decade from the 1960s to the 2000s (alongside Michael Caine ). His 12 Academy Award nominations make him the most nominated male actor in the Academy's history . John Joseph Nicholson was born on April 22, 1937, in Neptune City, New Jersey ,
4545-402: Is the best.” He also named John Ford , Akira Kurosawa , and Orson Welles as his favorite directors. Actors who have cited Nicholson as an influence include Leonardo DiCaprio , Alden Ehrenreich , and Morgan Freeman . In his personal life, Nicholson is notorious for his inability to "settle down"; he has fathered six children by five women but married only once. Nicholson's marriage
4646-602: The Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 56th Golden Globe Awards , he recalled that his first day as a working actor (on Tales of Wells Fargo ) was May 5, 1955, which he considered lucky, as 5 was the jersey number of his boyhood idol, Joe DiMaggio . He trained to be an actor with a group called the Players Ring Theater, after which he found small parts performing on the stage and in TV soap operas. He made his film debut in
4747-665: The Nancy Meyers directed romantic comedy Something's Gotta Give playing an aging playboy who falls for the mother ( Diane Keaton ) of his young girlfriend. For his performance he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy . In late 2006, Nicholson marked his return to the dark side in Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning film The Departed , a remake of Andrew Lau 's Infernal Affairs , playing Frank Costello ,
4848-697: The Van Nuys Airport . During the Berlin Crisis of 1961 , Nicholson was called up for several months of extended active duty, and he was discharged at the end of his enlistment in 1962. Nicholson first came to California in 1950, when he was 13, to visit his sister. He took a job as an office worker for animation directors William Hanna and Joseph Barbera at the MGM cartoon studio . They offered him an entry-level job as an animator, but he declined, citing his desire to become an actor. While accepting
4949-462: The murder of Polanski's wife, Sharon Tate , by the Manson Family , and supported him in the days following her death. After Tate's death, Nicholson began sleeping with a hammer under his pillow and took breaks from work to attend Manson's trial. In 1977, three years after Chinatown , Polanski was arrested at Nicholson's home for the sexual assault of 13-year-old Samantha Geimer, who
5050-485: The Academy Award for Best Picture (1972, 1977, 1978, 1990, 1993, 2006, 2007, and 2013). On February 15, 2015, Nicholson made a special appearance as a presenter on SNL 40 , the 40th anniversary special of Saturday Night Live . After the death of boxer Muhammad Ali on June 3, 2016, Nicholson appeared on HBO 's The Fight Game with Jim Lampley for an exclusive interview about his friendship with Ali. He
5151-522: The November 2, 2023, episode of Marc Maron 's podcast, WTF with Marc Maron , record producer Lou Adler , a longtime friend of Nicholson's, related an anecdote pertaining to the unofficial retirement of the actor, who had not done a film in the 13 years since How Do You Know , saying, "A friend of mine wanted to put him in a movie. And he had a conversation with him. But Jack says, 'I don't want to do it.' He goes, 'You know what I did today? I sat under
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#17327869048975252-402: The United States. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang grossed far more outside the United States, accounting for just over 70% of the film's worldwide gross, accumulating $ 11,541,392. The film ended up earning $ 15,785,148 worldwide, earning back its budget. Downey was disappointed at the low box office intake, but said Kiss Kiss Bang Bang "ended up being my calling card to Iron Man ", as his performance got
5353-513: The Whirlwind and The Shooting —initially failed to interest U.S. film distributors but gained cult success on the French art-house circuit and were later sold to television. Nicholson also appeared in two episodes of The Andy Griffith Show , and starred as a rebellious dirt-track race driver in the 1960 film The Wild Ride . With his acting career foundering, Nicholson seemed resigned to
5454-573: The bar yelling he was the Shore Patrol. Critic Roger Ebert called it a very good movie, but credited Nicholson's acting as the main reason: "He creates a character so complete and so complex that we stop thinking about the movie and just watch to see what he'll do next." In 1974, Nicholson starred in Roman Polanski 's noir thriller Chinatown , and was again nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Jake Gittes,
5555-594: The conventional wisdom, it doesn't seem particularly adventurous or weird or wild." Also in 1970, Nicholson appeared in the film adaptation of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever , although most of his performance was left on the cutting room floor . His agent turned down a starring role in Deliverance when the film's producer and director, John Boorman , refused to pay what Nicholson's agent wanted. In 1971, Nicholson starred in Carnal Knowledge ,
5656-531: The detective book covers by illustrator Robert McGinnis , who was also brought in to draw the covers for the fictional Johnny Gossamer novels that appear in the film. The Hollywood party that opens the film was filmed in Black's own Los Angeles mansion. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was screened out of competition at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival . The film premiered at the Chinese Theatre on October 17, 2005, as
5757-535: The editing for turning it into a "predictable" film and said so publicly. "I was livid", he recalls. Nicholson also co-wrote, with Bob Rafelson , the movie Head , which starred The Monkees , and arranged the movie's soundtrack. Nicholson's first big acting break came when a role opened up in Fonda and Hopper's Easy Rider (1969). He played alcoholic lawyer George Hanson, for which he received his first Oscar nomination. The film cost only $ 400,000 to make, and became
5858-408: The film as writer Jack Torrance remains one of his more significant. He was Kubrick's first choice to play the role, although the book's author, Stephen King, wanted more of an "everyman". Kubrick won the argument and called Nicholson's acting "on a par with the greatest stars of the past, like Spencer Tracy and Jimmy Cagney ". In preparation for the role, Nicholson drew upon his own experiences as
5959-486: The film commenced, the project fizzled out , partly due to a change in ownership at MGM. In 1970, Nicholson starred in Five Easy Pieces alongside Karen Black in what became his persona-defining role. Nicholson and Black were nominated for Academy Awards for their performances. Nicholson played Bobby Dupea, an oil rig worker, and Black played his waitress girlfriend. Black noted that Nicholson's character in
6060-578: The film from his then-girlfriend Susan Levin , who worked as Silver's assistant, and as he finished working with Silver in Gothika , the producer and Black brought him in to audition. Downey was eventually cast as they liked his readings and knew he could fit into the small $ 15 million budget, as his career had been in a downfall following his time in prison. Levin also suggested bringing in Val Kilmer , who coincidentally had been long interested in making
6161-429: The film has a weighted average score 72 out of 100, based on 37 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Mike Russell of The Oregonian observed that "This is one of Downey's most enjoyable performances, and one of Kilmer's funniest. It's a relationship comedy wrapped in sharp talk and gunplay, a triumphant comeback for Black, and one of the year's best movies". IGN critic Jeff Otto wrote, "It takes
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#17327869048976262-507: The film into chapters named after Chandler's books. The script, then titled You'll Never Die in This Town Again , was rejected by various studios before Joel Silver , who gave Black his first break producing Lethal Weapon and The Last Boy Scout , decided to help him. The leading role of the now retitled L.A.P.I. had been considered for Benicio del Toro , Hugh Grant and Johnny Knoxville . Robert Downey Jr. learned about
6363-442: The film was very subdued and very different from Nicholson's real personality. She said that the now-infamous restaurant scene was partly improvised by Nicholson, and was out of character for Bobby, who would not have cared enough to argue with a waitress. "I think that Jack really has very little in common with Bobby. I think Bobby has given up looking for love. But Jack hasn't, he's very interested in love, in finding out things. Jack
6464-562: The filming, with Hunt saying that he "treated me like a queen", and they connected immediately: "It wasn't even what we said", she said. "It was just some frequency we both could tune into that was very, very compatible." Critic Jack Mathews of Newsday said Nicholson was "in rare form", adding, "it's one of those performances that make you aware how much fun the actor is having". Author and screenwriter Andrew Horton describes their on-screen relationship as being like "fire and ice, oil and water—seemingly complete opposites". In 2001, Nicholson
6565-662: The impact that Brando had on an audience. ... He's always been the patron saint of actors". "I'm part of the first generation that idolized Marlon Brando", he said. Nicholson has observed that while both De Niro and Brando were noted for their skill as method actors , he himself has seldom been described as one, a fact he sees as an accomplishment: "I'm still fooling them", he told Sean Penn . "I consider it an accomplishment because there's probably no one who understands Method acting better academically than I do—or actually uses it more in his work. But it's funny, nobody really sees that. It's perception versus reality, I guess." His work
6666-405: The inheritance feud. Harry unintentionally kills a murderous orderly, and then they are captured by Harlan. Harry contacts Harmony, who steals the van with Veronica's corpse. The men escape, and are shot by the same bullet. Harry then manages to kill Harlan. In hospital, the trio learn Jenna committed suicide after witnessing Harlan having sex with Veronica's replacement, believing her "new father"
6767-475: The interest of director Jon Favreau . Iron Man would mark Downey's career resurrection, and Black was even brought in to co-write and direct the sequel Iron Man 3 . On Rotten Tomatoes , the film has an approval rating of 86%, based on 180 reviews, and an average rating of 7.50/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Tongue-in-cheek satire blends well with entertaining action and spot-on performances in this dark, eclectic neo-noir homage." On Metacritic ,
6868-503: The movie is composed largely of first takes with him." In the 1989 Batman movie, Nicholson played the psychotic villain, the Joker . The film was an international smash hit, and a lucrative deal earned him a percentage of the box office gross estimated at $ 60 million to $ 90 million. Nicholson said that he was "particularly proud" of his performance as the Joker: "I considered it
6969-485: The opener of the Hollywood Film Festival . Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was released on DVD on June 13, 2006. The film opened in limited release on October 21 in the United States. From its release until mid-November, the film's distribution was expanded every weekend due to its favorable critical reviews. It stayed in release in the United States until early January. The film earned a total of $ 4,243,756 in
7070-646: The other actors during rehearsals: "I had the luck of having Jack Nicholson there. He knows what he's doing, and he comes to play, every time out, full-out performance! And what it says to a lot of the other actors is, 'Oooooh, I better get on my game here because this guy's coming to play! So I can't hold back; I've got to come up to him.' He sets the tone." In 1996, Nicholson collaborated once more with Batman director Tim Burton on Mars Attacks! , pulling double duty as two contrasting characters, President James Dale and Las Vegas property developer Art Land. Not all of Nicholson's performances have been well received. He
7171-520: The other patients. Playing one of the patients was Danny DeVito in an early role. Nicholson learned afterward that DeVito grew up in the same area of New Jersey, and they knew many of the same people. The film received nine nominations at the Academy Awards, and won five, including Nicholson's first for Best Actor . The role seemed perfect for Nicholson, with biographer Ken Burke noting that his "smartass demeanor balances his genuine concern for
7272-483: The project after an argument with Hopper. Nicholson later acknowledged the importance of being cast in Easy Rider : "All I could see in the early films, before Easy Rider , was this desperate young actor trying to vault out of the screen and create a movie career." Stanley Kubrick , who was impressed by his performance in Easy Rider , cast Nicholson as Napoleon in a film about his life, and although production on
7373-471: The role, Nicholson visited a Los Angeles hospital to see how cancer patients coped with their illnesses. Nicholson is the Hollywood celebrity who is most like a character in some ongoing novel of our times. He is also the most beloved of stars—not even his huge wealth, his reckless aging, and the public disasters of his private life can detract from this ... For he is still a touchstone, someone we value for
7474-598: The scaffolding of film noir . " Film noir " was coined by critic Nino Frank in 1946 and popularized by French critics Raymond Borde and Etienne Chaumeton in 1955. The term revived in general use beginning in the 1980s, with a revival of the style. The classic film noir era is usually dated from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. The films were often adaptations of American crime novels, which were also described as " hardboiled ". Some authors resisted these terms. For example, James M. Cain , author of The Postman Always Rings Twice (1934) and Double Indemnity (1944),
7575-540: The screenplay, adding the character of detective "Gay" Perry, who Black said was an attempt to break stereotypes, as he had never seen "the gay guy who kicks down the door, shoots everyone, and bails your ass out before". Old detective novels were a major influence, with Black saying he tried to re-invent the genre "using realistic characters, in a modern setting, but with the spirit of the 1950s and 1960s". The crime plot drew from Brett Halliday 's Bodies Are Where You Find Them , and Black homaged Raymond Chandler by splitting
7676-627: The script. For example, Nicholson improvised his now-famous "Here's Johnny!" line, along with a scene in which he unleashes his anger on his wife when she interrupts his work. There were also extensive takes of scenes, due to Kubrick's perfectionism. Nicholson shot a scene with the ghostly bartender 36 times. He said, "Stanley's demanding. He'll do a scene fifty times, and you have to be good to do that." In 1982, he starred as an immigration enforcement agent in The Border , directed by Tony Richardson . It co-starred Warren Oates , who played
7777-531: The son of a showgirl , June Frances Nicholson (stage name June Nilson; 1918–1963). Nicholson's mother was of Irish, English, German, and Welsh descent. Nicholson has identified as Irish, comparing himself to the playwright Eugene O'Neill , whom he played in the film Reds (1981): "I'm not saying I'm as dark as he was ... but I am a writer, I am Irish, I have had problems with my family." His mother married Italian-American showman Donald Furcillo (stage name Donald Rose; 1909–1997) in 1936, before realizing that he
7878-485: The story deadpan, instead of mugging so shamelessly for laughs." In a 2020 interview with Joe Rogan , Robert Downey Jr. described Kiss Kiss Bang Bang as "in some ways the best film I've ever done." Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was named "Overlooked Film of the Year" by the 2005 Phoenix Film Critics Society. In 2006, Empire magazine named it "Best Thriller". The soundtrack to Kiss Kiss Bang Bang with music by John Ottman
7979-487: The time they met, although they dated only briefly. "He was very beautiful. He just looked right at you ... I liked him a lot ... He really sort of wanted to date me but I didn't think of him that way because I was going with Peter Kastner ... Then I went to do Easy Rider , but didn't see him because we didn't have any scenes together ... At the premiere, I saw him out in the lobby afterward and I started crying ... He didn't understand that, but what it
8080-459: The treatment of his fellow patients with his independent spirit too free to exist in a repressive social structure". Forman allowed Nicholson to improvise throughout the film, including most of the group therapy sequences. Reviewer Marie Brenner notes that his bravura performance "transcends the screen" and continually inspires the other actors by lightening their mental illnesses with his comic dialogue. She describes his performance: Nicholson
8181-431: The use of Dutch angles , interplay of light and shadows, unbalanced framing ; blurring of the lines between good and bad and right and wrong , and thematic motifs including revenge , paranoia , and alienation . Typically American crime dramas or psychological thrillers , films noir had common themes and plot devices, and many distinctive visual elements. Characters were often conflicted antiheroes , trapped in
8282-399: The way he helps us see ourselves. — David Thomson , a film critic. Nicholson's next film role saw him reunite with James L. Brooks , director of Terms of Endearment , Broadcast News and As Good as It Gets , for a supporting role for the 2010 film How Do You Know starring Paul Rudd , Reese Witherspoon , and Owen Wilson . The film was a financial and critical failure. In
8383-422: The writer Eugene O'Neill with a quiet intensity; Prizzi's Honor (1985); Heartburn (1986); The Witches of Eastwick (1987); Broadcast News (1987); and Ironweed (1987). Three Oscar nominations also followed ( Reds , Prizzi's Honor , and Ironweed ). John Huston , who directed Prizzi's Honor , said of Nicholson's acting, "He just illuminates the book. He impressed me in one scene after another;
8484-445: Was Nicholson's third Academy Award, tying him with six other actors, Walter Brennan , Ingrid Bergman , Meryl Streep , Daniel Day-Lewis , and Frances McDormand who all have three acting Oscars. Nicholson admits he initially disliked playing a middle-aged man alongside a much younger Hunt, seeing it as a movie cliché. "But Helen disarmed that at the first meeting", he says, "and I stopped thinking about it." They got along well during
8585-675: Was Oscar-nominated for Easy Rider (1969), Five Easy Pieces (1970), The Last Detail (1974), Chinatown (1974), Reds (1981), Prizzi's Honor (1986), Ironweed (1987), A Few Good Men , (1992) and About Schmidt (2002). Nicholson is also known for his notable roles in Carnal Knowledge (1971), The Shining (1980), Heartburn (1986), Broadcast News (1987), Batman (1989), Hoffa (1992), Mars Attacks! (1996), Something's Gotta Give (2003), The Departed (2006), and The Bucket List (2007). Nicholson has directed three films, Drive, He Said (1971), Goin' South (1978), and The Two Jakes (1990). He
8686-543: Was actually his mother, and his other "sister", Lorraine, was really his aunt. By this time, both his mother and grandmother had died (in 1963 and 1970, respectively). On finding out, Nicholson said it was "a pretty dramatic event, but it wasn't what I'd call traumatizing ... I was pretty well psychologically formed". Nicholson grew up in Neptune City, New Jersey . Before starting high school, his family moved to an apartment in Spring Lake, New Jersey . "Nick", as he
8787-571: Was already married. Biographer Patrick McGilligan stated in his book Jack's Life that Latvian-born Eddie King (originally Edgar A. Kirschfeld), June's manager, may have been Nicholson's biological father, rather than Furcillo. Other sources suggest June Nicholson was unsure of the father's identity. As June was only 17 and unmarried, her parents agreed to raise Nicholson as their own child without revealing his true parentage, with June acting as his sister. In 1974, Time magazine researchers learned, and informed Nicholson, that his "sister", June,
8888-483: Was also incestuous . Perry slaps Jenna's father, who is bed-ridden. In a closing address to a camera, Harry tells us that he now works for Perry. Following the poor box office of The Long Kiss Goodnight and a rejection letter from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , Shane Black decided he would attempt something out of the action genre. Following the example of James L. Brooks , Black attempted to make
8989-402: Was her real father to give her hope after their sexually abusive father. Harry and Harmony begin to connect until she admits she slept with Harry's best friend in high school, so he throws her out. Hearing of Harmony's supposed disappearance, Harry and Perry investigate a mental hospital owned by Harlan. They discover Veronica was locked in there by him, to be replaced by Pink Hair Girl, to end
9090-442: Was in a relationship with singer Michelle Phillips , the ex-wife of his best friend Dennis Hopper , during which time she suffered a miscarriage. Nicholson's longest relationship was 17 years with actress Anjelica Huston , from 1973 until 1990. Their on-again, off-again romance included several periods of overlap with other women, notably former Bond girl Jill St. John and Danish model Winnie Hollman, with whom Nicholson fathered
9191-552: Was known to his high school friends, attended nearby Manasquan High School , where he was voted "Class Clown" by the Class of 1954. He was in detention every day for a whole school year. A theatre and a drama award at the school are named in his honor. In 2004, Nicholson attended his 50-year high school reunion accompanied by his aunt Lorraine. In 1957, Nicholson joined the California Air National Guard ,
9292-461: Was modeling for Polanski during a magazine photo shoot around the pool. At the time, Nicholson was out of town making a film, but his steady girlfriend, actress Anjelica Huston , had dropped by unannounced to pick up some items. She heard Polanski in the other room say, "We'll be right out." Polanski then came out with Geimer and introduced her to Huston, and they chatted about Nicholson's two large dogs, which were sitting nearby. Huston recalled Geimer
9393-489: Was nominated for Razzie Awards as worst actor for Man Trouble (1992) and Hoffa (1992). But his performance in Hoffa also earned him a Golden Globe nomination. David Thomson states that the film was terribly neglected, since Nicholson portrayed one of his best screen characters, someone who is "snarly, dumb, smart, noble, rascally—all the parts of 'Jack'". Roger Ebert also praised his performance writing, "Nicholson
9494-489: Was one of Nicholson's most complex and unforgettable characters. He and MacLaine played many of their scenes in different ways, constantly testing and making adjustments. Their scenes together gave the film its "buoyant edge", states McGilligan, and describes Nicholson's acting as "Jack floating like a butterfly". Nicholson continued to work prolifically in the 1980s, starring in such films as: The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981); Reds (1981), where Nicholson portrays
9595-549: Was particularly the case for the noir-inflected Reservoir Dogs , which was instrumental in establishing Tarantino in October 1992. Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Nicholson is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century. Throughout his five-decade career he received numerous accolades , including three Academy Awards , three BAFTA Film Awards , six Golden Globe Awards , and
9696-659: Was released on October 18, 2005. Neo-noir Neo-noir is a film genre that adapts the visual style and themes of 1940s and 1950s American film noir for contemporary audiences, often with more graphic depictions of violence and sexuality. During the late 1970s and the early 1980s, the term "neo-noir" surged in popularity, fueled by movies such as Sydney Pollack 's Absence of Malice , Brian De Palma 's Blow Out , and Martin Scorsese 's After Hours . The French term film noir translates literally to English as "black film", indicating sinister stories often presented in
9797-652: Was reported to be starring in an English-language remake of Toni Erdmann in 2017 opposite Kristen Wiig , his first feature film role since How Do You Know , but the project was later abandoned. In October 2019, with the release of The Shining sequel Doctor Sleep , director Mike Flanagan revealed he approached Nicholson for a cameo appearance , but Nicholson declined with best wishes. Flanagan also disclosed that Nicholson had previously been approached to appear in Steven Spielberg 's science-fiction film Ready Player One (2018). During an appearance in
9898-841: Was the first actor to receive the Stanislavsky Award at the 23rd Moscow International Film Festival for "conquering the heights of acting and faithfulness". That same year Nicholson starred in The Pledge , a mystery drama where he portrays retired police detective Jerry Black, who vows to find a murderer of a young girl. Nicholson was praised for his performance; Bob Graham of the San Francisco Chronicle called it "deeply felt" compared to some of Nicholson's other films. Nicholson acted in Alexander Payne 's comedy-drama About Schmidt (2002), playing
9999-622: Was to The Terror co-star Sandra Knight from 1962 to 1968, though they separated in 1966. The couple had one daughter, Jennifer (born September 13, 1963). Five Easy Pieces co-star Susan Anspach contended that her son Caleb (born September 26, 1970), whose legal father was Mark Goddard , was actually Nicholson's biological son. In 1984, Nicholson said he was not convinced of this, but in 1996, Caleb said that Nicholson had recognized him as his son in private. By 1998, Nicholson publicly acknowledged Caleb as his son and said that they got along "beautifully now." In 1971 and 1972, Nicholson
10100-490: Was was that I really loved him a lot, and I didn't know it until I saw him again, because it all welled up." Within a month after its release that September, Five Easy Pieces became a blockbuster, making Nicholson a leading man and the "new American anti-hero", according to McDougal. Critics began speculating as to whether he might become another Marlon Brando or James Dean . His career and income skyrocketed. He said, "I have [become] much sought after. Your name becomes
10201-549: Was wearing platform heels and appeared quite tall. After a few minutes of talking, Polanski had packed up his camera gear and Huston saw them drive off in his car. Huston told police the next day, after Polanski was arrested, that she "had witnessed nothing untoward" and never saw them together in the other room. Geimer learned afterward that Huston herself was not supposed to be at Nicholson's house that day, since they had recently broken up, but stopped over to pick up some belongings. Geimer described Nicholson's house as "definitely"
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