Jack Nicholson & His Son Ray Can Pass Off As Twins After Being Spotted At A Basketball Game

May 26, 2023

Jack Nicholson is an award-winning actor known for his roles in "A Few Good Men," "The Departed" and "Chinatown." Since his film debut in 1958, the 86-year-old American actor has made a name for himself in more than 30 films as one of the most iconic motion-picture talents of his generation.

Jack made his mark by playing dark characters that are sure to haunt some movie fans for decades. It is, therefore, no surprise that the Hollywood star consistently makes it onto lists celebrating the best actors of all time. Jack has come a long way since the late 1950s and early '60s when he starred in low-budget horror films like "The Cry Baby Killer" and "The Terror." This changed following his breakout performance in the classic road film "Easy Rider" in 1969.

In what might be considered the greatest cinematic triumph of his career, Jack played a crazed hotel caretaker in Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film adaptation of Stephen King's horror novel, "The Shining." Even for those who haven't seen the film, Jack's haunting performance — especially his famous line, "Here's Johnny!" — left an indelible mark on American culture.

Even today, Jack remains a well-loved actor by many, which is why he became a meme when he was hilariously snapped emotionless at an NBA Game in Los Angeles. His son, Ray Nicholson, was with him at the time, and fans could not help but notice how strikingly similar they looked alike – as if he was a carbon copy of his father. 

However, Jack took a step back from acting and the limelight, but this is not new news as he expressed dislike for one fundamental part of being a celebrity – giving out interviews. Keep on reading to know more about Jack, his son Ray, and why he hates being interviewed. 

Known in his younger years as a ladies' man, Jack was linked to multiple women and had six children from five women. However, the star was only married once to actress Sandra Knight from 1962 to 1968. After that, he had several partners and girlfriends. Among them was actress Anjelica Huston. Jack's relationship with Huston ended as soon as he found out he and actress Rebecca Broussard were expecting. They had two children, Lorraine Nicholson and Ray. 

Lorraine played US surfer Alana Blanchard in the biographical film “Soul Surfer.” On the other hand, Ray has gotten more prominence as he appeared opposite Diane Kruger in “Out of the Blue,” and on the 2021 series “Panic.”

On May 20, 2023, Jack and his son Ray were spotted at the Western Conference Finals of the NBA Tournament in Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The father and son duo appeared to support their team, the Los Angeles Lakers, against the Denver Nuggets. Ray was the spitting image of his father as he looked identical to his old pop when he was still in his younger years. 

In that same game, photos of Jack were splashed on the Jumbotron of the venue, delighting basketball fans with the presence of the legendary actor and his son. According to Hollywood Life, a video montage of Jack from “The Shining” and “Batman” was shown before the cameras cut to them. 

Shortly after that game, Jack was candidly snapped looking emotionless in one photo, which became a meme on social media. 

“Jack Nicholson is all of us when we show up to work on Monday morning and a coworker asks us if we had a good weekend,” a user tweeted, along with a photo of Jack holding his thumbs up in the air while looking fairly unamused.

Jack has been a fixture at Lakers' games since the '80s, enjoying the sporting action with friends like Harry Dean Stanton, Adam Sandler, Diane Keaton and ex-girlfriend Lara Flynn Boyle. However, despite frequent appearances at sporting events like these, Jack has expressed his dislike of doing basic celebrity duties like being interviewed. 

In a 1993 rare interview with Deseret News, Jack revealed the reason why he was “sparing with interviews.”

“You say things you think are dumb, and now you've got to read it in the papers; you say something that you couldn't conceive that could hurt someone's feelings,” he told the outlet. “Tonight I can guarantee you that when I lay down I'll think, 'Now what the hell did I say to Bob? Is some wild thing going to go out and I'll have somebody call me on the phone?'"

For the 86-year-old Jack, it's not about wanting or not wanting to do something – it's about things getting out of one’s control. 

"Acting people don't like to feel self-conscious, they really don't. I remember watching an interview with John Huston, and he was asked about his style. He said, `I don't think I have a style; if I thought I did, I'd feel self-conscious and couldn't go on working.' I thought that was particularly astute."

However, the Academy Award-winning actor remained grounded despite all of the fame and accolades he has amassed. He also pointed out during the interview that acting is an “ongoing education.”

“You do go on learning about people, things, how the world works, and what people are feeling. If you set people down, learning is really what they're after in life,” he added. 

Are you a fan of Jack Nicholson? Do you think he and his son Ray look identical? What do you think of Jack’s thoughts about being “sparing” in interviews? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends, and other Jack Nicholson fans!