Ah, crazy ol' Jack, where would this list be without your inclusion? Wherever Jack Nicholson is, whether it be on the screen or just in general, there's likely to be a sense of the maniacal, possibly fuelled by illegal substances, and a plethora of swooning women of all ages. The three-time Academy Award winner is often as crazed and unhinged in day-to-day life as his brilliantly-erratic performances in the likes of The Shining, The Witches of Eastwick, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, China Town, Batman, Anger Management or The Departed. Given that he managed to survived the haze that was the '60s and '70s, is there any real surprise that Nicholson comes across as such an unstoppable force of nature? I dunno, maybe it's just that gleaming smile and arched eyebrows that do it, but you can't help but see Jack Nicholson shining brightly through each and every character he plays. Exception To The Rule: About Schmidt saw Nicholson tone it all back. We saw less of Jack and more of the character of Warren Schmidt, as Nicholson delivered a stunningly-subtle performance that ranks up there as one of his best.
