Jack Nicholson Returns Courtside With Family In Rare Public Appearance

May 08, 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. There's no doubt that Jack is up there with other film greats, such as Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman and Daniel Day-Lewis.

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.

Jack has been nominated for 12 Oscars and is the recipient of three. He won his first Best Actor award for 1975's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," his second Best Actor prize for 1997's "As Good As It Gets" and a Best Supporting Actor trophy for 1983's "Terms of Endearment." Jack has had a long, industrious career, and while he never officially his retirement, his last outing on the big screen was in 2010 for the Reese Witherspoon and Owen Wilson film "How Do You Know?" 

Now in his 80s, Jack is taking it easy away from the spotlight. According to The Telegraph, his typical day starts his day at 1 pm with a round of golf. He frequently visits the house next door in Los Angeles' Mulholland Drive that used to belong to Marlon Brando, which he bought because he didn't want to have neighbors. 

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.

Jack – who once called actress Angelica Huston the "love of his life" – admitted his wild days with women were over, even as his desire to fall in love again never truly disappeared.

"I would love that one last romance. But I'm not very realistic about it happening. What I can't deny is my yearning," he confessed in 2015.

The next year, he told Closer: "I don't know if anyone could say I'm successful with affairs of the heart. I would love that one last real romance." 

Meanwhile, Knight revealed Jack was a great dad and described him as "a loving, caring, giving person." But Jack second-guesses himself at times. He told People: "I don't count on my own courage in advance. I'm not a role model as a person. I can sort of do it for my children, but I'm not particularly great at that part, either."

He added:

"I always read to them, from childhood on; I think that's a father's responsibility. I took them to things I knew they might not love — opera, ballet. They like going to the ball games with me. And they are very comfortable around show business; they are good set rats."

Jack is continuing his fatherly traditions to this day, and on Apr. 29, 2023, the "Batman" star was seen sitting courtside to cheer on his favorite basketball team, the LA Lakers, alongside his son, Ray Nicholson, and grandson, Duke Nicholson. Jack has been an avid fan of the Lakers and has been a regular sight at their games. However, his appearances have grown less frequent in recent years, with his last being 2021's season opener in October.

Jack's appearance at the Lakers' game against the Memphis Grizzlies in playoff Game 6 set fans and those in attendance buzzing, with sporting legend LeBron James even taking time off the court to give the star a hug. Jack was also seen greeting actor and comedian Larry David. Sports journalist Rachel Nichols filmed Jack as she offered him a hearty "Welcome back!" message. A special montage of some of Jack's greatest film moments was also played on the Jumbotron before cutting to a real-time shot of Jack sitting courtside. The crowd erupted in loud cheers as Jack smiled and clapped his hands.

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. Fans were glad to see him back and lauded his return.

"Jack is embedded in the @Lakers journey. Soooooo glad to see him. He looked very stylish & cool. And his team prevailed," one user tweeted, while another said, "So awesome to see him doing good. He's such a fan!"

A third user commented, "I had heard he was becoming a bit of a recluse, so it's great to see him out and about," as another said:

"This is special. I miss seeing Jack court side. Hope he's doing well." 

Are you glad to see Jack Nicholson out and about enjoying the same things he's loved doing for many years now? What are some of your favorite hits of his? Let us know, and don't forget to pass this on to all the Nicholson fans you know.