Profile of the Day: Jack Nicholson

Happy birthday to Jack Nicholson! Today the actor turns 88.

Image: Jack Nicholson / Georges Biard, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Nicholson was born on April 22, 1937 in Neptune, New Jersey. His biological mother was June Nicholson, although he spent the first 37 years of his life believing that she was his older sister. Only 17 years old and unmarried at the time, June’s parents agreed to raise Nicholson as their own child and not reveal his true parentage. It was not until 1974 when a Time magazine reporter was researching a cover story on Nicholson that the truth about his parentage was discovered. By then, both his mother and grandmother had already passed away.

With a career that has spanned over six decades, Nicholson has become known for playing a wide range of characters. Some of his most popular films include One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Batman, and The Shining. Nicolson has earned 12 Academy Award nominations, making him the record holder for the most nominated male actor in the Academy’s history.

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