Jack Nicholson

Jack Nicholson was born on April 22, 1937, in Neptune City, New Jersey. However, he learned one of life's biggest secrets in 1974 through a Time magazine investigation: for 37 years, the woman he thought was his mother was actually his grandmother, and the woman he thought was his sister was his real mother. It turned out his mother June, who got pregnant young, had made this arrangement to protect the family's reputation. His father's identity remains unknown. After moving to Los Angeles, he started working as an office boy in MGM's cartoon department while taking acting classes at night. In the late 1950s, he appeared in Roger Corman's low-budget horror films. In 1969, his role as the drunken lawyer George Hanson in 'Easy Rider' first drew major attention and earned his first Oscar nomination. In the 1970s, he became one of Hollywood's brightest stars. In 1974, his detective J.J. Gittes character in Roman Polanski's 'Chinatown' became a classic. In 1975, he played Randle McMurphy, who starts a rebellion in a mental institution, in Miloš Forman's 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' and won his first Oscar. In 1980, his Jack Torrance character in Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shining' delivered one of horror cinema's most memorable performances. The 'Here's Johnny!' scene became one of cinema history's most chilling moments. In 1983, he won his second Oscar for 'Terms of Endearment'. In 1989, he played the Joker in Tim Burton's 'Batman', reportedly earning $60 million. In 1997, he won his third Oscar for 'As Good as It Gets' - becoming only one of three male actors in cinema history to win three Oscars. His raised eyebrow and devilish smile became iconic. As one of the Los Angeles Lakers' most loyal fans, he has watched almost every game from his courtside seat. Although never married, he is a father of five children. He has been living a semi-retired life since the 2010s.