“I hate him”: Five actors who couldn’t stand Jack Nicholson
Becoming one of the greatest actors in history takes a special kind of talent, and it’s arguably even more impressive that Jack Nicholson attained such a legacy when his off-camera antics made just as many headlines as the work he was doing in front of it.
Emerging at a time when Hollywood was suddenly awash with a new kind of leading man, Nicholson was at the forefront of that shift alongside Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman, Al Pacino, Richard Dreyfuss, Elliott Gould, and more, who didn’t fit the conventional ‘Golden Age’ mould.
The difference between all of those names and Nicholson was that he seemed determined to paint himself as the biggest party animal in Tinseltown, with his debauched antics having become the stuff of drug and sex-fuelled legend. With status comes a certain type of self-confidence that can regularly border on arrogance, which inevitably rubs several people the wrong way.
Nicholson was a legend onscreen and a hell-raiser in his spare time, and it’s that combination of A-list status, an unfiltered approach to celebrity, and his penchant for having as many women on his arm as possible that saw him run afoul of some fellow thespians.
Five actors who hated Jack Nicholson:
5. Cher
Nicholson didn’t even have to be in the room to make a terrible first impression on Cher, with director George Miller speaking on his behalf when he contacted the legendary singer to let her know that she wasn’t what either of them had in mind to play Alexandra Medford in The Witches of Eastwick.
The Mad Max creator informed Cher that “I don’t want you in my movie and Jack Nicholson and I think you’re too old and you’re not sexy,” which was understandably hard to stomach. Entirely justifiably, she burst into tears, which made it ironic that Nicholson became a shoulder for her to cry on during the production after she got the role anyway.
Cher admitted that “Jack sat with us once, all night long” after she, Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandon had been put through the emotional wringer shooting The Witches of Eastwick, so her initial hatred gradually thawed once they ended up working together.
4. Geena Davis
It goes without saying that Nicholson is one of the most famous hell-raisers and womanisers in Hollywood history, with Geena Davis just one of many to resist the lustful overtures of the notorious lothario.
After enjoying dinner together with some high-flying casting directors, Nicholson propositioned Davis with the ever-so-romantic suggestion of, “When is it going to happen?” Her answer, of course, was never, and she was forced to try and let him down gently.
To avoid the unwanted attention, Davis told him that because there was a possibility they’d end up working together, she didn’t want to ruin any natural chemistry they had by hopping into bed. They never did share the screen, even if she was being unreasonably polite in telling Nicholson she had no interest in sleeping with him and took the high ground in keeping him at arm’s length.
3. Ray Winstone
Having grown up as a huge fan of his work, Ray Winstone was thrilled when he got the chance to work with Nicholson on Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, with the majority of their scenes unfolding together as mob boss Frank Costello and enforcer Mr French, respectively.
It was a bucket list moment for the cockney lad done good, or at least it was supposed to be until he experienced the way the three-time Oscar-winning icon treated those around him. Winstone didn’t care for Nicholson’s attitude, admitting he found him to be arrogant and smarmy.
It made for some tense moments between takes when the two never saw eye-to-eye once during production, but Winstone confessed he’d have still worked with him again for the sole reason that he was Jack Nicholson, one of the best to ever do it.
2. John Belushi
The relationship between Nicholson and breakout comedy star John Belushi was a fractious one, even if the former maintained a great sense of respect for the latter following his untimely passing.
Co-starring in 1978’s Goin’ South, which was also directed by Nicholson, the veteran wanted to take the upstart under his wing. However, Belushi’s propensity for drug-addled bouts of unruly behaviour caused friction between the two, with the Saturday Night Live alumni’s role in the final cut ultimately scaled back.
In the aftermath, Belushi confessed that “Jack treated me like shit on Goin’ South” before adding an unequivocal addendum: “I hate him.” Still, when the tabloids were trying to take their pound of flesh after his death, Nicholson railed against the way his former colleague was being disparaged.
1. David Spade
It would be an understatement to say Nicholson and David Spade have enjoyed markedly different careers, with the latter starring in several of the worst comedies ever made, with or without Adam Sandler in tow.
The beef between them doesn’t have anything to do with the world of cinema, though, but Nicholson allegedly swooped in to steal Spade’s girlfriend, Lara Flynn Boyle, away for himself. Not only that, but he asked her out when her current beau was standing right there.
“Nicholson asked Lara Flynn Boyle out in front of me,” he revealed, and he didn’t even put up a fight. “I said, ‘I’ve been in this town long enough to know when I’m outranked. You’re either gonna go out with him, or you’re not.'” She did go out with Nicholson, and Spade was left to simmer with rage and resentment.
