Jack Nicholson has been working in Hollywood since the 1950s, starring in iconic roles such as J.J. “Jake” Gittes in Chinatown, and Jack Torrance in The Shining. Nicholson has won three Academy Awards. Two for Best Actor as Randle Patrick “R.P.” McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and as Melvin Udall in As Good As It Gets. Nicholson also won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor as Garrett Breedlove in Terms of Endearment.
Nicholson has also directed three movies, two of which feature on this list: Goin’ South and The Two Jakes. Nicholson is one of only two actors to have been nominated for an acting Academy Award in every decade from the 60s to the 2000s. Having been nominated for twelve Academy Awards, he is the most nominated male actor in the Academy’s history. Nicholson was the recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille award, along with BAFTAs, Golden Globes, a Screen Actors Guild award and a Grammy.