10 Times An Actor Went On An INSANE Streak Of Great Movies

5. Jack Nicholson: Five Films From 1980 - 1985

Al Pacino Serpico
Warner Bros.

The Films: The Shining, Reds, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Terms of Endearment and Prizzi's Honor

Jack Nicholson is one of those actors who has been in so many hits, it's hard to think of any he did that would break a streak, but it happens to the best of them. Over the years, he has starred in some of the most important roles in history including Randle McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and George Hanson in Easy Rider.

Among his many film roles totaling more than 60 films, he had more than a few greats, but there exist one or two duds that broke up his long history of successful streaks. Despite one or two duds along the way, his longest streak makes for some fantastic viewing.

The movie that kicked off his longest streak of five films was Stanley Kubrick's The Shining in which he uttered the words that would follow him throughout his career, "Here's Johnny!" That performance was followed by Reds, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Terms of Endearment and Prizzi's Honor.

The film that broke that streak was Heartburn in 1986. Just three years later, he set the standard for comic book villainy with his performance of the Joker in Batman, but he has yet to match his remarkable streak from the early 80s.

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Contributor

Jonathan is a graphic artist, illustrator, writer, and game designer. Jonathan retired from the U.S. Army in 2017 and enjoys researching and writing about history, science, theology, and many other subjects. He writes for ScreenRant, CBR, NerdBastards, Listverse, Ranker, WhatCulture, and many other sites online. You can check out his latest on Twitter: @TalkingBull or on his blog: jonathanhkantor.com