Jack Nicholson Celebrates His 84th Birthday

Apr 23, 2021 by apost team

Jack Nicholson, the award-winning actor known for his roles in “The Shining,” “The Departed” and “Chinatown,” celebrated his 84th birthday this week on Thursday, April 22. Since his film debut in 1958, the 84-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.

Nicholson 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 on to lists celebrating the best actors of all time. There’s no doubt that Nicholson is up there with other film greats, such as Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman and Daniel Day-Lewis.

With that said, it seems like the 84-year-old has taken a hiatus from acting — if he hasn’t completely retired. But that’s what makes art so great. Even as Nicholson’s career slows down, even as he steps away from Hollywood, he will continue to live on in the dozens of movies that he’s starred in over the years. And even if you aren’t a Nicholson fan, no one can deny that the man was prolific. There were even some years in which the actor appeared in three movies. To celebrate all of these achievements and to commemorate the actor’s birthday this week, we’ll look back on the actor’s most prominent roles. Of course, we’ll never forget his fondness for wearing sunglasses inside or his love of the Los Angeles Lakers either. Happy Birthday, Jack Nicholson!

Nicholson has come a long way since the late 1950s and early ‘60s when, according to Biography, he was starring in low-budget horror films like “The Cry Baby Killer” and “The Terror.” But despite the departure away from those early B-movie flicks that followed after his breakout performance in the classic road film “Easy Rider” in 1969, it seems that Nicholson never really lost his taste for crime and horror flicks. Because, as Biography describes, Nicholson is ultimately known for his portrayal of “unconventional outsiders.”

In what might be considered the greatest cinematic triumph of his career, Nicholson 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, Nicholson’s haunting performance — especially his famous line, “Here’s Johnny!” — have indelibly marked the American cultural imagination. We’ll never forget that line.

In a similar vein, Nicholson starred in “The Departed” back in 2006, another film that was lauded by critics, according to Biography. A remake of the 2002 Hong Kong crime film “Internal Affairs,” Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” is the story of an undercover police officer, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, who infiltrates the Irish mob in Boston in what makes for a tense crime drama, according to The Guardian. As for Nicholson, he plays the mob boss, Francis “Frank” Costello, in what makes for a fitting role. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian writes in his review that Nicholson’s performance in The Departed is one “no one else could possibly do,” adding that the actor’s on-screen “charisma has, through the decades, rolled over like a recurring lottery jackpot.”

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That’s high praise for an actor who had, at that point, already won his fair share of awards.

But let’s also not forget one of Nicholson’s strangest roles as the Joker in the 1989 “Batman.” During this period, Nicholson distanced himself from the understated roles that critics loved in favor of a more comedic approach to acting, according to Biography. While it’s no comedy, that comedic turn is certainly apparent in Nicholson’s transformation into the Joker. No doubt channeling the deranged spirit of his performance in “The Shining,” Nicholson’s casting as the Joker seems like a match made in heaven. With his menacing grin, white makeup and penchant for over-the-top performances, Nicholson’s interpretation of the Batman villain is frighteningly good.

According to Biography, however, it seems like Nicholson may have entered retirement as of 2013, though the actor has not released any official statement. The 84-year-old’s most recent film was the romantic comedy “How Do You Know,” which came out in 2010. There was some buzz in 2017 when publications like Vanity Fair reported that the actor would return to the big screen in a remake of the German film “Toni Erdmann.” However, news broke in 2018 that the actor had withdrawn from the film, according to The Wrap. As of 2018, the film was still in production, though casting changes have delayed the movie’s release. Regardless of whether Nicholson is in retirement, with three Academy Awards to his name and a long, star-studded career in Hollywood, movie buffs everywhere will remember him as one of the late 20th century’s premier acting talents.

What’s your favorite Jack Nicholson movie? Do you think Nicholson will ever appear in another movie? Let us know — and be sure to commemorate Nicholson’s birthday by passing this story on to others.