36. Trusts His Instincts
While there have been the odd dud film choice (
Man Trouble, Mars Attacks!, The Bucket List etc) the majority of the time Nicholson goes with his instincts he comes up a winner. Significantly
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was rejected by both Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman before it fell on Jack's lap and how else would he be able to bag so many other great roles over a 40 year career?
37. Jack Torrance in The Shining (1980)
Jack Torrance is surely one of Nicholson's most celebrated maniac screen incarnations. It's a difficult mix: making you feel sympathy for and fear a largely unsympathetic character. Jack nails it perfectly though.
38. Had The Decency To Dedicate His Oscar to J.T Walsh
Jack dedicated his third gong to the late great but underated character actor J.T Walsh - his co-star in
A Few Good Men.
39. Had the Guts to Turn Down Spielberg
Yes, believe it or not Nicholson was offered the Richard Dreyfuss role in the Spielberg directed classic
Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Jack decided to pass, however, as he thought the effects would overwhelm the role.
40. The Joker in Batman (1989)
Ok it's a self-centred performance that veers on pantomime (even the grin was painted on), but Jack was
Batman creator Bob Kane's original choice and who else in their fifties could steal the entire show from the titular character and have such a whacky time doing so?